Kate

Chapter 1: Kate

My name is Kate Mills. I was born on December 29, 1977 in Mississippi. I was born with Cerebral Palsy. My biological parents left me with my Aunt Polly and my Uncle Martin who didn't have children. I went to a special school for a short time and then to public school. I had a hard time at school and didn't have any friends. Uncle Martin was in the army, so we moved a lot and I really didn't have a chance to make friends even when I tried.

The other kids at school made fun of me and called me names, but I didn't listen to them. I loved art and was always drawing pictures. In the third grade, Uncle Martin got a job in England. I didn't like it there, but Aunt Polly kept telling me that I would get used to it. She was wrong. I hadn't liked the idea of moving to a new school where I didn't know anyone. I was scared but tried to make the best of things. I thought my teachers were really rude and mean and the hadn't understood me.

One day a boy named James Peterson asked if he could sit next to me at lunch and I told him he could. I fell in love with him at first sight and we became fast friends. James had a sister named Lisa and we became friends as well. When this happened, I started liking my new school. Uncle Martin allowed me to go to the movies with James and I was able to visit him. James's parents were nice people. James had a lot of friends, but they didn't like me. They didn't say anything to me because they were afraid to make James mad at them.

Uncle Martin received an assignment to go back to Mississippi and I was disappointed because I had finally made some friends. I didn't have any friends in Mississippi. I enjoyed going back to my old school because the teachers are nicer, but I missed James and wished I could see him again. We kept in touch; I wrote James almost every day. We moved to a new house that was big and Uncle Martin bought me a dachshund dog. I named my dog Charlie. Charlie was very smart, and I loved him. When I wrote to James, I told him about Charlie.

Next door to us was a girl named Sara. She and I became friends and because she was born deaf, we had a hard time communicating. We wrote notes to one another when we weren't in school. We both signed up for the Art Club, but Sara had to attend a school for the deaf. I told James about Sara and he told me that his older sister was getting married. He was happy that he wouldn't have to share a room with his brother anymore. He also told me about his class taking a field trip to Paris. I was happy for him.

The school year was almost over, and I was going to two summer camps which I was very excited about. That year, the Art Club was going to take a field trip to an Art Museum. I had never been to a museum. We saw a lot of paintings while at the museum. We went out to eat and we to the mall. I bought two tapes and a movie called A Little Princess. I also bought earrings with the money I had saved, and the money Uncle Martin had given me.

Aunt Polly owned a bookstore called Luck Book which meant I didn't have to buy my books. She gave me some books from her store. Sara and I also worked at her store and we spend a lot of time together. I saved my money from working. I rode my bike when I went to school and to work in Aunt Polly's Bookstore. I really looked forward to the summer vacation.