"Mom, have you seen my shirt?" Ellie called from the livingroom to her mother in the kitchen.

"Which one? You have around thirty different shits, Hun." Mrs. Jones said as she toweled off

her hands, put the towel over her shoulder and walked toward the livingroom to meet her daughter.

Ellie looked at her mother with exasperation. "The same one I have worn on the first day of

school since my freshman year." Ellie, a high school senior, has never been one to abandon a tradition

had been wearing the same a ratty looking vintage 1980's t-shirt with a flaming skull and croosbones on

the first day of school since she had gotten it from her aunt the day before she started her freshman year.

"I think it's downstairs in the clean laundry pile on top of the dryer." Mrs. Jones said as she laughed

at Ellie's slight panic attack.

"Thanks." Eliie replied as she rushed past her mother toward the basement blindly ruuning into

her brother on his way up to the kitchen for breakfast, both falling to the floor with a loud thud.

Mrs. Jones hurried to the basement doorway to see what all the noise was only to burst to

tears with laughter at the sight of her fallen offspring.

"Mooom." Chris and Ellie muddered in unison as they clammered to their feet in a hurried,

unsteady rush to their feet.

"I'm sorry," Mrs Jone stammered through laughs, "But I couldn't help it."

Ellie ran into the luandry room to the right of the dark, dank basement that Chris calls home,

and changed her shirt as Chris had already gotten up the stairs to the kitchen. Ellie then ran up the

stairs to grab her bag and rush out the front door to the bus stop just around the corner only to

be stopped dead in her tracks by her best friends Jenny, Dani and Kennedy.

"Hey guys!" Ellie said as she began to exit her middle class home to three surprised faces.

"Wow, Elllie, you've never been ready this early before." Kennedy said with a slight cuckle

at the sight of Ellie's raggity old shirt. "Usually we have to wait at least fifteen minutes for you to

find that old thing." The others laughed at this for it had been the usual first day routine for the

past three school years. Kennedy smiled at Ellie with her pearly white teeth and baby blue eyes.

Ellie had always loved the look of Kennedy's soft eyes, but had never had the courage to tell her this

for she was afraid that her friends would alienate her.

Ellie suddenly thrusted the index finger of her right hand into the air and in a superhero-like

tone yelled, "To the bus stop." Surprising her three friends, forcing the four of them into a nearly endless

fit of luaghter.

"Okay, okay. Let's go." Jenny said trying her best to stop her laughter and proceed to the

bus stop. Jenny had been Ellie's friend since the first grade. The oldest of the three had known Ellie

the longest and the best or so she thought. Jenny had been there for most everything that Ellie had

gone throught for the past twelve years, excluding the summer after eighth grade when Jenny had gone

on vacation with her parents to Florida. During that time Kennedy had stepped in for Jenny and helped

Ellie get over her first break-up. Kennedy had no idea just how much she had really helped Elllie.

The four friends finally began their short trip to the bus stop where they would wait an extra ten

minutes on top of their ten minute advance to the bus stop before the bus would show up.

After school the four of them met at Dani's house for their post-first day of school ritual where Dani

would bring out four large glasses of soda for their long discussion of the first days events.

"Why is the first day always the same? The halls are always full of confused, annoying little

freshman trying to figure out where the hell their first class is and stumbling over everything while they

try to get their lockers open." Kennedy said as she began to pull her nearly over-flowing glass of soda

to lips to take a drink.

"Don't forget that that was us three years ago, Kenni." Ellie said as she also took a drink of

her soda. Kennedy smiled at Ellie. Ellie smiled back with a slight adoration in her eyes toward Kennedy.

"Yeah, yeah I know." Kennedy said trying to put her soda back onto the solid oak table that had

been in Dan'is family for nearly two-hundred years, but missed and dropped the glass shattering it and

spilling green bubbling soda all over the light tan carpet convering the Kain's livingroom floor. "Oh, God!

I'm so, so, so, so sorry, Dani." Kennedy said as she began to pick up the pieces of glass from the floor.

"It's okay, Kennedy." Dani said as she rushed into the kitchen for some paper towels to clean up

the spill. "I'm sure it'll come out. Don't worry about it." Dani said as she moped up the mess with an

overly large wad of paper towel.

Jenny and Ellie had sat back watching as the two other girls fussed over the mess. "Would you

two please help us a little." Dani said sounding slightly annoyed by the fact that the two had just been

sitting there watching the mess without even offering to help in the slightest bit.

Ellie quickly got up to help Kennedy pick up the glass shards as Jenny continued to watch as if

to annoy Dani farther. "Ouch!" Kennedy exclaimed as a small sliver of glass sliced through the delicate

flesh on her left index finger.

"Let me see your finger, Kenni." Ellie said as she closed the six inch gap between her and

Kennedy to get a better look at the small cut. "Dani, do you have any tweezers?" Ellie asked as she

stood and motioned to Kennedy to do the same.

"Yes. Upstairs in the medicine cabnet, right next to my dad's shaving cream." Dani said as

she motioned toward the stairs and turned her finger in the same direction as the bathroom.

"Thanks. Come with me, Kenni and I'll get the glass out for you." Ellie said as she moved

toward the carpeted staircase. The two walked slowly up the stairs , Kennedy still holding her damaged

finger tip out as to not get blood on her clothing. As they reach the bathroom and both are within the

confinds of the large bathroom, Ellie moves straight for the medicine cabnet and grabbed the tweezers

from within. "Give me your finger." Ellie said to Kennedy as she held the tweezers up near her face

with her right hand and put her left hand out to recieve Kennedy's wounded hand. Kennedy obliged to

Ellie request.

"Is this going to hurt?" Kennedy asked for she had never had to have a foriegn object removed

from her body with tweezers before.

"A little bit, but I'll be gentle." Ellie said with the adoration for Kennedy reappearing in her

green eyes. Ellie moved the tweezers closer to Kennedy's finger, lightly burrowing the sharp edges into

her finger as to remove the shard. Kennedy winced and gave a slight wimper as the glass was slowly

worked out of the small cut on her finger. Ellie coudn't help but to smile at this as she finally pulled the

tiny shard from Kennedy's finger. "There. See." Ellie said as she put the glass into the palm of her left

hand after she hand released Kennedy's hand so Kennedy could see the sliver of glass that had caused

her such discomfort.

"It's so little, but it felt like it was about two inches long." Kennedy said as she exaimend the slightly

bloody sliver of glass sitting in the center of Ellie's palm. "Thanks."

"No problem." Ellie said as she dropped the glass into the trash, rinsed her hands off in the porciline

sink and returned the tweezers to their proper place within the medicine cabnet. "Come on. The others might

be getting bored without the two of us to entertain them." Ellie said to her friend as she began to head back

down to the livingroom to rejoin her friends. Kennedy followed a few feet away from her as the pair desended

the staircase. After they reach the livingroom they see that the mess is cleaned up completely and Kennedy's

glass had been replaced by a fresh glass of soda.

"Please try not to repeat that little accident, Kennedy." Dani says smiling but trying not to laugh. "I

think my parents might notice if they have two missing glasses."

Kennedy roles her eyes as she and Ellie retake their seats on the floor around the old table. "I don't

plan on it, Dani." Kennedy says to Dani laughing slightly and holding her finger.

"So Kennedy, do you have any more complants about the freshman? I'm sure we'd all love to hear them."

Says Jenny causing Dani and Ellie to burst into a short spout of laughter.

"Yeah. They reak of old gym socks and middle school. Yuck!" Kennedy says stifiling a laugh and

sticking out her wet, pink tongue at Jenny. The four of them laugh at this gesture and continue talking

about the days events until nine when the arrival of Dani's parents signals the end of their chat. Ellie, Kennedy

and Jenny all say goodnight to Dani and head their seperate ways to their own homes for a night of rest before

the second day of their senior year.

Later that night after Ellie had gotten into her twin sized bed with sheets of dark blue and covered

in moons and stars, she could not bring herself to sleep. She kept thinking the whole night about telling

Kennedy how she truly felt about her, but than her sleepless mind started making up situations in which

Kennedy would laugh in her face, tell the rest of her friends and she's be left on the floor crying her heart

shattered into a million pieces. As she thought of this one particular situation she began to cry. She

wished she could just tell Kennedy and it not affect their friendship. All Eliie wanted was her feelings to

be aired out and for Kennedy to accept her feelings for her and not leave her to a heap of nothingness.

Before Ellie knew it her alarm clock was going off. With sleep finally stinging her eyes she turned the

alarm off and got up to get ready for school and face her friends without her true feelings shown for

Kennedy.

"Morning, sweetheart." Eliie's mother said cheerfully as Ellie emerged from the direction her

bedroom was located into the kitchen for breakfast in her blue monkey pajamas.

The only reaction Ellie could muster was a low grunt and a slight smile across her tired face.

Ellie sat down at the table in her usual moring seat next to her brother as he scarfed down his breakfast

like an animal that had gone a week without food. Her mother walked over a plate with scrambled eggs

covered in ketchup, three pieces of sausage smuthered with syrup, two light brown, fluffy pancakes

also full of syrup and a small sick of hashbrowns with a large smily face made out of ketchup right in

front of the sleepy girl. ellie slowly picked of her fork and shoveled pile after pile of food into her mouth

barely tasting the homemade meal as the sleep kept her from being fully aware of her actions. When she

was finished she cleared her dish and went back to her bedroom to ready herself for the hard, long day of

school and friends ahead of her.

Ellie left her house ten minutes earlier than usual so she could avoid her friends for a few extra

minutes to be alone with her thoughts. Fifteen minutes later her friends showed up with many questions

running throught their minds.

"Ellie what are you doing here so early?" Jenny asked with a serious look on her face. "You've

never left without us. Is something going on?"

Ellie blurted out the first thing that came to her mind that didn't relate to the real reason she

had left so soon. "I just wanted to get out to the bus stop early today." She lied.

"Are you sure theres nothing wrong?" Kennedy asked her still looking concerned.

"Yeah. No big deal." Ellie lied again trying not to allow her face to she her true worries.

When the bus came Kennedy pulled Ellie to the back away from Jenny and Dani so they could

talk without an ear over hearing what was going to be said. "Ellie, I have something I want to tell you,

but you have to promise me something." Kennedy began.

"What?" Ellie said looking both worried and scared.

"You have to promise you won't freak out or tell anyone. Not even Dani or Jenny what I'm about

to tell you." Kennedy continued as she looked around making sure no one was trying t listen in on their

conversation.

Ellie tryed to mask what she was thinking with worry. "I promise." Ellie said not taking her eyes

off of Kennedy's face. "I won't tell a soul."

Kenndy smiled momentarily, but the look of worry returned quickly. "Ellie I coudn't sleep at all last night.

I was awake the whole night thinking." Kennedy seemed to have taken the words right out of Ellie's mouth.

"What we're you thinking about?" Ellie said trying to sound casual and worried. It didn't seem to work

very well as Kennedy had looked a her with a strange look that Ellie had never seen on her face before.

Kennedy drew in a deep breath and braced herself for Ellie's reaction. "I'm not sure how to tell you.

It's kind of a big thing." Kennedy said unsure of how to tell Ellie want was bothring her.

"Just say it Kenni. It's alright." Ellie said trying to reasure Kennedy.

"Okay." Kennedy said taking another deep breath and with letting it out said, "Ellie, I like you."

Kennedy said to a shocked and silent Ellie. "I really like you, El. I've liked you since the summer after

eighth grade." Kennedy said as Ellie face began to soften up. "You're freaked out, aren't you?"

"No." Ellie said trying to find the words. " I have to tell you something too, but not here. Come

over after school." Ellie said just as the school bus pulled up to the school and the passengers began to

leave the emclosed structure of the bus and enter the school.

As the day passed Ellie grew more anxious as she thought about what Kennedy ha said to her

and what she was going to say to Kennedy. When the final class arrived, Ellie reach her seventh hour

class to see that Kennedy was talking to the teacher. She went up to her to see what was going on.

Kennedy was not in this hour with Ellie yesterday and Ellei was curious as to why she was here today.

"Hey Kenni. What are you doing in here?" Ellie asked looking from Kennedy to the teacher with

a very confused look on her face.

"The office sent for me last hour and when I got there the secretary said that they had switched

my seventh hour to this one." Kennedy said with a large smile plastered across her face at the sight of

Ellie who smiled back and went to her seat still slightly confused, but very excited about the new addition

to her class. The teacher pointed to an empty seat right next to Ellie. Kennedy went and sat and started

a conversation with Ellie.

"So you still want to wait until after school to talk or can we talk here?" Kennedaysaid with

serious look on her face.

Ellie looked at her with a less serious look and said, " I think we should wait. There's too many

people here that may over hear us." Ellie said looking around at the twenty odd number of students in the

room with them.

"Okay." Kennedy said looking straight ahead and looking slightly worried about what Ellie may

have in mind.

After school Ellie went straight home to prepare for her visitor. Kennedy had been to here house

numerous times and had ssen How messy ellie's room was, but this was different, Ellie wanted everything

to be nice and neat for Kennedy. Ellie rush around throwing her dirty clothes down the hamper shoot into

the basement, making here bed and clearing the papers she had written last night while she could not sleep.

Before she could completely shove all the papers into the drawers of her desk she heard the front door bell

ring. She quickly finish her rushed tidying and gave a quick look around as she heard the bell ring for a

second time. She fixed her hair to a third ring and ran downstairs to greet her friend, only to see that it

wasn't Kennedy, but Jenny.

"Jenny? What are you doing here?" Ellie said both surprised and worried. She lloked around to

see if Kennedy was anywhere to be seen, but to her relief she wasn't.

"I came to see if you were all right." Jenny said slightly worried about how her friend had been acting

throughout the day and her current reaction to her arrival. "You seemed really out of it all day and I wanted to

see what was up." Jenny said with one eyebrow raised at the suspcious way her friend was acting.

"I'm fine." Ellie said finally settling down a little bit. "I just couldn't sleep last night. Strange case of

insomnia or something. That's all." Ellie began to worry that Kennedy might not come over today for an unknown

reason to Ellie.

The look on Jenny's face changed from worry to broedom. "Okay. Well I'll talk to you later than. I have to

do my homework. Much fun." Jenny said as she turned around and walked in the direction of her house.

"See ya." Ellie said just as she caught sight of Kennedy walking toward her house. Kenndy had seen

Jenny leave, but had not noticed Ellie standing in the doorway. Ellie quickly closed the door and awaited the

ringing of ther door bell. She took a deep breath and opened the door to find Kennedy standing on her front step.

"Hey." Ellie said as she smiled brightly at Kennedy. "Come in." She continued as she stepped out

of the way of the door so Kennedy could walk inside. After kennedy was in and away from the swinging door

Ellie closed it and moved toward the couch. "Let's sit and talk." Ellie said to Kennedy and the pair walked to the

plastic covered couch and sat just inches apart.

"About what i said on the bus..." Kennedy began, but was interupted by ellie.

"Did you mean what you said?" Ellie asked hoping she had not just imagined the conversation.

"Yes." Kennedy replied shifting in her seat uncomfortably. "You probably never want to see me again."

Kennedy assumed, though hoping she was wrong and looking straight at the floor with a scared tear in her eye.

"No, I do." Ellie said bringing a smile to Kennedy face. "I want to tell you something too, but i'm not

sure how to put it." Ellie began looking worried that Kennedy might be onerly shocked at Ellie's confession.

"What is it? You can tell me anything." Kennedy assured Ellie.

"Well, I um... I like you too." Ellie began. Kennedy started t speak, but Ellie said, "I was up all last night

thinking about you and how i fell about you. I thought about telling you, but every time I'd think about it my mind

came up with all these situations were every time I did tell you, you left me there crying on the floor." Ellie said as

she recalled the last nights thoughts.

"How long have you... you know?" Kennedy asked with a slight pause. "Had these feelings for me?"

Kennedy finally managed to say.

"Since that summer." Ellie said without much hesitation.

Kennedy leaned in toward Ellie to kiss her, but just than Chris started to walkin the front door causing

Kennedy and Ellie both to move away before Chris saw anything. Chris just glanced at the two and went straight

for his room in the basement.

"I'd better get going home." Kennedy said with slight regret at her words wishing she could take them back.

"I have a ton of homework to do." Kennedy lied trying to leave, but Ellie jumped up.

"Wait. Aren't we going to talk more about this?" Ellie said trying to keep Kennedy there as long as she

possibly could. "I think we ned to sort all this out. I mean, what are we going to do?" Ellie continued unsure of what

to do next.

"I don't know what to do, El. I've lived with these feelings for so long and now that they're out in the open, I'm

completely confused." Kennedy said trying not to cry. She walked toward the door unable to hold back her tears any

longer.

"Kennedy, please." Ellie started to say something, but it was too late, Kennedy had already walked out

the door, slamming it slightly as she walked out it.

Kennedy stopped at the front steps wondering if she should just go back in and confront her confused friend,

but instead just walked home, tears running down her cheeks.

The next morning Ellie didn't think she could face Kannedy after what had happened the previous day. So

when her alarm went off after another restless night, she decided she'd tell her mother she was sick and just stay home.

Ellie got out of bed and went out to the kitchen to find her mother just finishing breakfast. "Mom, I'm not feeling

very well. Can I stay home today?" Ellie said as she tried her best to sound ill. Her mother walke over to her and put

her cold left hand on Ellie's forehead. Ellie's mother had been a nurse before she found out she was pregnant with the

twins and had to quit to become a stay at home mom.

"Ellie, you're fine. You're going to school today." Mrs. Jones rolled her eyes at Ellie's failed attempt to fake sick.

Ellie sometimes hated the fact that her mother knew so much about the human body. She wished she was like

all the other moms that let their kids stay home when they said they were sick. With staying home out of the question,

Ellie went back to her room to get ready for the long and stressful day ahead of her.

For the second day in a row, Ellie left her house early to avoid her friends for the few extra moments she could.

She had no idea how she was going to deal with Kennedy. Should she just pretend like nothing had happened? Or

should she go up and confront her as soon as she got out to the bus stop. Ellie had no more time to think for her friends

were quickly on their way to the bus stop.

"Hey Ellie." Jenny said as they threesome neared where Ellie was standing. Ellie waved at Jenny and Dani,

but only glanced at Kennedy when she attempted to wave at Ellie.

"Are we going to have to start meeting you down here everyday from now on, Ellie?" Dani said laughing a little bit.

"Maybe. I'm not sure yet." Ellie said as she stared at the ground trying to hold back her tears.

Kennedy was just about to say something to Ellie, but much to Ellie's relief, the bus arrived. Ellie borded it in silence.

Dani and Jenny sat near the front while Kennedy followed Ellie to the back.

"What do you want" Ellie said to Kennedy as she sat right next to her. Ellie did not even look at Kennedy for she

felt she could not bare it.

"To talk." Kennedy said sliding her bag off her shoulder and onto the floor. "Is that alright with you?" Kennedy asked

trying not to sound rude, but her attempts failed.

"What else is there to say?" Ellie asked not holding back her rudeness as she thought it was nessecairy. "I think

all has been said." Ellie said finally looking at Kennedy as a tear slowly began to roll down her pale left cheek.

"We need to sort out where our relationship may go. Whether we're ready to take he next step and become a couple

or if we should just remain friends." Kenndy began trying to sound strong, but could see by Ellie face that the

"just remain friends" part of her sentance had really hit Ellie in the heart.

"I don't know if this is even the right place to be talking about this kind of thing." Ellie said as she wiped the tear

from her cheek and watching Kennedy as she started to star ar the floor of the bus. "Meet me at my house, again, and

we'll talk there. My brother has practice until six and my mom went with my aunt shopping and most likely won't show

until seven." Ellie said as Kennedy picked her head back up and smiled at Ellie.

Soon they arrived at their destination and left the bus for the confinds of the school building. As the day past Ellie

could think of nothing more than Kennedy and what the outcome of their talk this afternoon may be. When seventh hour came

Ellie took her usual seat and awaited the arrival of her friend. Two minutes later Kennedy walked in the room, smiled at Ellie

and proceeded to the seat right next to Ellie, only to stop dead in her tracks by the sight of a red headed boy witting in the seat

she was heading for. Kennedy shurggeded her shoulders and frowned at Ellie and sat in the nearest empty seat instead. Ellie

was angry that this boy had sat next to her and showed her anger by glaring at him when he smiled friendly at her. At her

reaction the boy just turned and faced the front of the class. Ellie crossed her arms and slunk down into her seat and stared

at the front of the classroom not really paying attention to anything but the clock upon the wall saying that there was still

fifty-three minutes left in school.