Chapter I

Once upon a time, a thirteen -year-old girl carefully tiptoed across the long brown porch of an enormous brown house and faced a large brown door. She carefully set down her small suitcase, lifted the old-fashioned knocker. Thump, thump, thump! A moment later, an old woman in a long purple dress with lace at the cuffs of the sleeves and the neckline answered the door. She took one look at our little friend and without even the slightest smile (she looked like she had never smiled in her entire life), motioned with her perfect hand for the child to enter.

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As they entered the house, the old woman stood and looked the little girl up and down as if to inspect her for fleas. "Well," the she said finally, "I assume you are Hazel, Andrew's daughter. I am your Aunt Franny. Is that all you brought? I thought surely you'd have more than that. I do believe the servant said your room is prepared upstairs. It is room number twelve on the right. You can go unpack your things there. Dinner is in half an hour. Don't be late." 

With that, Hazel nodded went upstairs quickly without a word.

She walked upstairs, down the long hall, passing many closed doors (all numbered) until she saw a small door with the number twelve carved into it. She opened the old door more effortlessly than one would expect an old unused door to be and heard classical music playing. That’s nice, she thought. However, she quickly changed her mind. The instant she had stepped into the room, she saw tall, skinny girl lying on a double bed gazing at a book. The girl glanced up when Hazel approached.

“Oh. You're Hazel,” the girl stated, examining her with disdain. “I’ve been expecting you.”

“Um...I…I suppose I should thank you for sharing your space with me,” Hazel stammered.

“Don’t thank me. I don't want you here,” the girl huffed.

Hazel was taken aback by the girl’s bluntness. “I wasn't expecting to be sharing a room. Um...are we both sleeping on that bed? It’s kind of…”

“Yeah we are, unless you want to sleep on the floor, which I have no problem with.  I don’t snore or anything. My name’s Alexandra. Most people call me Alex though.”

“Well, hi, Alex…Um, is there a certain closet that I should put my clothes in?”

“There are lots of dressers in the next room. That’s where I keep mine.”

Hazel walked across the hall to another door, which she promptly opened. Ugh! she thought as she walked into the little storage room . I wish I could have stayed with dad!

Finding an empty dresser, she started unpacking. As she did, she began to wonder, what is this girl doing here and why didn't Dad tell me she was here? Who is she?  All she knew was she didn't like this girl at all. She was too bossy and looked like she thought she was the princess, and everyone else was her servant.

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That evening, Hazel and Alex walked down the stairs for dinner. As usual, Aunt Franny never had anything remotely edible except a pantry packed to the rim of nasty canned chicken-noodle soup.

Hazel and Alex unhappily ate and went to bed.