Chapter One

The Assignment

88 Years Later

Good morning all you early birds, it's time to rise and shine to the hottest radio station in the Carolinas. Today is going to be another hot one, as the summer season is just around the corner, with a high of ninety-seven with a humidity of ninety-eight.

I pulled my arm back underneath my warm covers as I turned over in the bed after shutting off my alarm clock, attempting to sleep a little longer. Thinking in my mind, Okay just five more minutes, and then I have to get up or I'm going to be late, five more minutes that's not too much to ask for. As I closed my eyes to try to get back to the amazing dream that I was having of me becoming prom queen, something that had never in my life happened, however that's what made the dream so much sweeter.  Despite me having great friends, a girl like me, the school's second in line of becoming valedictorian wasn't ever in a million years going to be voted prom queen, at least not outside of the movies.

"Lisa, are you awake yet? We're leaving in thirty minutes!" I heard my mother calling from the bottom of the stairs.

"Mom, I'm not going to school today, I'm sick." I tried to lie to her, even providing the couple of fake coughs, really not wanting to go to school today.

"Lisa, you are not sick, now come on get up. If I have to come up there and check on you then you are grounded. Now move!" She said in her already stressed voice.

I didn't see why I needed to go to school today. It wasn't like I never went, in fact out of all twelve years of school from K-12 I've only missed one day, and that was when both my grandmother and grandfather had passed away when I was in third grade. Besides, it's also not really going to affect my grades at all if I miss a test or a quiz or even anything. I had straight A's. Okay that's a lie, I had all A's and one B, and the B was in stupid World History.

I just didn't see why we needed to know about World History when I am perfectly fine with living in America. Yet, here I was a senior in high school in the next to last month of the semester. I had already planned on where I was going to in the fall which was the University of Southern California. I wanted to get away from here as much as possible, to be able to live out a care-free life. Sure, the school was one of the best in North America, which was probably the only reason why my mother bought the whole idea, but the real reason that I choose it was because it was on the opposite side of the country and no one was going to tell me when to study or give me grief about not being disciplined. In fact, I pretty much plan on partying and slacking off the entire first semester, at least enjoying not being expected to make all A's for once in my life.

"Lisa, ten minutes!" My mom called from downstairs.

Crap! I'm so going to be late; I thought as I swung my covers off and jumped out of bed heading for my clothes and the bathroom.

Ugh, today was going to be another hot and humid spring day. Which I don't even think you can call it spring when it's as hot as summer, but that's just my opinion. As I looked in the mirror, to decide if I even wanted to put on my makeup all I could see was a young, girl with deep blue eyes, the hair the color of dark auburn, the creamy light tan skin from laying out all the time, and the lips that held many secrets of the longings I desired, I wasn't the ugliest girl in school, but I was certainly not the prettiest, at least not in my opinion. I took a deep breath, as I was preparing myself for today, okay only eight hours and then I can be free of boredom; I coached myself.

"Lisa, we need to leave now. Come on." My mom said impatiently.

"Coming!" I quickly shouted back.  I quickly ran the brush through my hair before grabbing my book-bag and rushing down the stairs and out the door to our gold and red minivan.

Gosh, I couldn't wait to get a car for graduation. I was hoping to get one for my eighteenth birthday back in December, hoping that it would be a fun birthday/early Christmas gift. Yet, received nothing like that.  It really sucked too, because I was seriously one of the only seniors that didn't have a car, and had to be dropped off everyday like every underclassman.  Even my best friend Mandy Johnson, who had a car, chose to take pity on me and ride to school every day with her parents.

"Oh Lisa, you look pretty today." My mom smiled as I jumped into the van, she always said that.

"Thanks mom, but its okay to tell me the truth, I really do look like crap.  I didn't have time to really get dressed." I replied.

"And whose fault is that?" My mom said in her knowing all voice.

"Mom, I know, I know." I decided to not give her the whole didn't have to go to school speech. It would just end up depressing me and her when it would turn into, "Your father would've wanted you to go..." speech.

I looked at my mother; it was crazy to have thought that I even had a Father. I mean I know I did, but I never knew him. He had died shortly after I was born while he was stationed over in Iraq during the Gulf War, and yet my mother never remarried. I guess it was a good thing, because I would've had to approve of the new dad want-a-be, and I don't think anyone could fill the spot of which my mom took over all the time. My mom and I were close, even though at times I wish she would just give me my space, but she was my best friend. Sure I had other friends from school and church, but my mom knew everything about me and my life.

As we approached school, I could see my group of friends waiting by our normal spot by the wall. Okay maybe today won't be so bad. Only eight hours of boring lectures and then I'm home-free for the rest of the day. I thought to myself.

"Now remember, after school we are going to the nursing home to visit Nunna." My mother reminded me as I started to get out of the car.

"Aww mom, do I have to? It's the same boring thing over and over again. We just sit there. No one says anything, and she just stares out the window in her bed. Can't you just go instead of me?" I whined. 

Okay I know I was being a brat, people should love visiting family, but this was different. My great grandmamma didn't speak a word of English. I don't even know if she knew any English, she only spoke Russian, which I was fortunate to learn growing up. I wasn't very fluent, but I could get by for a while if I ever had to visit Russia...which would be never. Only my mom and my grandmamma could really carry on conversations with her. Yet, when my father passed away she had quit talking all together. But Mom always insisted that we went every week on Thursday to visit.

"Now, Lisa, she's very old. She doesn't have much longer, I'm really surprised she's been alive this long, but you need to visit her. You don't really know her all that well; maybe you two could actually talk, because next week you're going to have to go on your own." My mom said.

"What? Why? Why can't you be there?" I asked with wide eyes. How could my mom leave me alone with a woman who has shown no interest in me all of my life? And I could barely talk to.

"Hunny, I'm sorry I need to go out of town for a business trip. This is when we make the most money for the year, and with graduation around the corner, we need to make sure you have everything for next semester." She said.

"Ugh, fine. I know, I know. I need to go see you later." I replied as I slammed the door.

While walking towards my small group of friends, I caught the eye of my best friend Mandy Johnson, who gave me a sympathetic smile, knowing that I'd just had one out with my mom.

Mandy and I had been best friends all of my life, our mothers were best friends at church, and she lived in the neighborhood next to ours. She was always one of those cheerleaders, dancer, always graceful, and always smiled, type of girls.  When we were little, our mothers swore they couldn't tell us apart when we were on the playground. We both had long, dark, auburn hair and the same body shape, but nowadays Mandy was sporting new bright blonde highlights, which I'd, admit just suited her crazy fun personality.

"Hey Lisa, and how are we this morning?" Mandy said with a curious look.

"Ugh, late, not wanting to be here because it's another boring school day and there's not going to be any new material that we are covering today, and plus my mom just reminded me that we are going to see my great grandmamma at the nursing home today after school." I said as I leaned against the wall.

"Ouch, she's still alive?"

"Yeah, but she might as well not be, she never talks, she just stares out the window or up at the ceiling. Oh and to make matters worse, I have to go by myself next week, since my mom is going out of town again." I said with a groan.  Again, I know I was being really whinny and bratty, but I didn't see the point of me going somewhere, where no one says anything, and when I do try to put some effort into the visit I always get awkward smiles from my mother or the nurse that usually comes in.  She doesn't want to be there, I don't want to be there, it seems logical to just make us both happy and for me to just not go, in my opinion.

"I'm sure it's not going to be that bad. I'm sure deep down she loves the company, she's been through a lot right? Maybe with you just talking nonsense it'll help her become distracted from depressing thoughts or memories, you never know." Mandy said patting my arm and smiling.

"Hey Lisa, what did you get on that World History test that we had on Monday?" My other friend and classmate Eric Lawson asked.

Eric and I had always been in at least one class together since starting high school. To be honest when I first met him during freshman year I thought he was a total lame, nerdy, guy, but since then I consider him one of my best friends, and not a bad tutor at times either. Not to mention he had truly grown out of his very boyish look.  With now being a senior year in high school, he had become very tall, with broader shoulders, with long, thick, almost black, hair that he was always brushing over to the side because of covering his glasses, not to mention the thin layer of dark facial hair that he was now sporting.

"Yeah I got a ninety-two on it, I thought I was going to Ace it, but I just couldn't remember all the definitions. What did you get?"

"Oh bummer, yeah they were kind of tricky, I got a ninety-eight on it. Mr. Poloski took off for spelling, can you believe that? He just didn't want someone to get a one hundred, in my opinion." He said as he rolled dark brown eyes at me and smirked.

I smiled and agreed before turning back to Mandy to confirm weekend plans. "We are still going to the mall on Saturday right? I have to find a dress for graduation."

"Yeah, but I can't go until after two, I gotta do chores first." Mandy said with a little bit of annoyance in her voice.

Seconds later the school bell rung loudly, making not only myself, but making Mandy and Eric jump as well at the sound.  Part of me just wanted to make a run for it, anything to go to another day of school, to actually play hookie like normal high school kids.  Then there was the nerd part of me that couldn't wait to get to my seat to see what we will be learning today, and to also see just how many more points I needed to beat Eric and become valedictorian, we were only just several points away, and every grade counted.

"See y'all later" I said loudly to my group of friends over the noise of the crowd, as we all parted ways for our first period classes.

My first class was always my favorite, AP English. I loved the teacher who taught it, Mrs. Schumacker, and everything that we did in there.  In my opinion it was my strongest subject, and always seemed to fly by. However it was my not so great second period class, AP World History, that I couldn't stand, and it seemed that it lasted forever. 

"Morning folks." Mr. Poloski greeted all of us in his somewhat southern accent as he handed out late test papers.  Mr. Poloski, in a way reminded me of the actor who played the librarian in the television show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", but with more hair.  He was tall with light brown, short hair, and seemed to be in pretty good shape for being a teacher.

I looked around to see Eric who was in the row next to mine, and just smiled slightly making a face of disgust about the class. We both laughed softly before turning our attention back towards the teacher who was writing a new assignment on the board.

As I began copying down the words that were on the dry-erase board, Mr. Poloski began saying, "Alright folks, today is going to be a semi-light day. We are going to go over your next assignment, which is really going to be your end of the year senior project for this class."

I groaned softly with several other students, I hated the phrase "end of the year senior project", it always meant that it was going to take forever, and usually count significantly on the final grade.  I just hoped it wasn't going to be too hard, because this was the only class that kept me from having a straight 4.0 GPA and from beating Eric by taking the title Valedictorian.

"Okay so this past semester we've talked about many different governments, civilizations of countries around the world, but for this final stretch I'm going to try something a little different than what I normally did with my previous students.  This year, I want to learn history through you all." Mr. Poloski explained.

"Every single person in this room is living History, they are history, whether they know it or not," he continued.  "Your assignment is to find out as much as you can about your family ancestry and history. Look up names, where they're from, what was the time era, how civilization and the government were different then from now.  I want you to write a paper.  It needs to be thorough and as accurate as possible.  You'll be surprise at who you may be related to, and for some, this assignment will be one that may end up changing your life and may change how you view life forever." He said as he smiled at all of us, his eyes stopping at mine.

I thought about that last sentence, "...this assignment will be one that may end up changing your life and the way you view life forever." Why would it change my life, I knew most of my family history, we were from England and Russia, why do I really want to know anymore about it?

"This will be due on the last week of exams, no late papers will be accepted, and please no making up stories either, make this paper count, because if you think about it, all this assignment is, is learning who you really are. Now, you can take the rest of the class and go to the library and start searching for books and other materials that you might need. I will be here for any questions or if you need help. Class dismissed." Mr. Poloski said as he turned to clean off the board.

"Wow, is that it? That's class?" I asked Eric, with a surprised look on my face.

"Yeah, I guess so, wow and we still have an hour left in class until lunch. I don't think I've ever gotten out of class this early.

"Well, are you going to go to the library? I need to, since I have no idea where to start with my family." I replied as I packed up my book-bag and stood up.

"Yeah I'll go, my grandparents have most of our family history in their attics, I was just going to go interview them this weekend, and get most of the information that way. What about you? Don't your grandparents have anything about their family history in their attic?"

"I don't know, everything that was my grandparents' is up in our attic at home, but it's not much, and from what I was told when I was little, my family came over to America with very little. I would ask my great grandmamma, but I doubt she'd understand what I'm saying."

"Oh yeah she only speaks Russian. Man that blows. Well good luck with that then." He chuckled as we started heading out the door towards the library to start the assignment.

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Author's Note:  Hey Yall, I hope you enjoyed Reading!  Please take a moment to click the orange VOTE button that's on the left hand side of the screen.  Thanks so much for all your support.

This chapter is dedicated to tianajade, for designing the beautiful and really one of my personal favorite covers.  Thanks again. I love every time I see it.