A Chronicle of Two Worlds: The Rifts
Chapter 1: Aaron's First Day
The sunshine peeks through my bedroom window as the sun begins to crest above the horizon. The warm summer breeze enters through a tiny crack causing the curtains to flutter around the room.
There is a certain calm to the morning that makes it seem so peaceful, unruined by the rush of everyone trying to get to work or school. Which is where I need to be, but I still time to lay here and enjoy the silence. Sleep threatens to pull me under again for a few more minutes, but sadly I know I can't.
It's time to get out of bed, I thought to myself taking a deep breath as I push myself up to lay on my right side.
The alarm clock sitting on the nightstand has not gone off yet, giving me just enough time to reach up, turning it off before plopping back down into my pillow.
The groggy feeling dissipates as I lay there staring at the ceiling-waiting for my eyes to adjust.
In that moment it hit me, summer break has come to an end; the days of fun in the sun, lazing around all day, staying up late and most importantly the freedom were all behind me now. Today is the first day of school where I'd be attending as a junior; nervous did not come close to describing how I felt. I'm not big on the concept of school; I've jumped from school to school so much it's hard to actually get to enjoy the experience.
For as long as I can remember I've been in and out of foster homes. I entered the system at an early age and was never told anything about my real parents-not what they look like or who they were.
Why? That was the question I asked as I grew older. Why didn't they want me? Why did they leave me alone? I'd ask. After some time, I began asking why I cared so much for the people who abandoned me. I grew to resent them, still do.
You know how some kids are lucky enough to find a home and parents that want them, well; I wasn't one of those kids. Some places were bad, others were good but none were permanent. After a while of moving around I stopped trying to get close to the families and usually stayed distant. It helped when it came time to leave. It got so bad once that I ran away from home and was placed back into the foster system. Let's just say in a home with several other kids where you're the only adopted one, there's a certain level of animosity towards you-especially from the other kids. The parents are harder to reach in this case as well, they don't pay you much attention. They were more interested in those support checks. After being harassed constantly by the other kids I just grabbed my stuff and left.
Not having stayed in one place for too long meant that my school life was in shambles. The most I'd spent in any school was eight months before having to leave for another foster home. As a result I developed the same sense of emotional distance with the other students and teachers at school that I did with my foster family. I learned early to always depend on myself and never rely on anyone else; they were always bound to disappoint you if you put too much faith in them. So, I kept everyone at a distance and stayed on the fringes, never letting myself get too close.
I was always picked on or thought to be weird-kids can be exceptionally brutal when they need to be. I began to think that nothing was going to ever change, that my life was going to remain the same shattered mess it was. However, that all changed when I met the two people who were able to change my outlook on life. Daniel and Rebecca Adams-Reid. They took me in and gave me a home, a life outside the foster system, something I never thought I'd have, not in my lifetime.
"Aaron, are you up? Breakfast is almost ready," calls Daniel from the hall.
"I am," I reply sitting myself up in bed. "You really didn't need to go through the trouble. I could've made something."
"It wasn't any trouble and it's the first day of school. I know how that is," he says, opening the door and peering in. "I felt like doing it the way we always do. Now hurry and get dressed before everything gets cold." He retreats, closing the door, back to the kitchen no doubt.
I can't help but smile. I'd come to appreciate everything Daniel and Rebecca had done for me. They took me in and gave me some semblance of a real home-a real family.
It didn't take that long to get ready, I pretty much grabbed anything clean and my favorite hooded denim vest. As I approached the stairs the smell coming from the kitchen made me realize just how hungry I am and now immediately happy that Daniel decided to make breakfast.
Getting to the kitchen, anyone would be amazed at the site. Pancakes, sausages, scrambled eggs, bacon, toast; all laid out in their individual plates across the table with bagels and muffins at the far end. Daniel really outdid himself, I'm about to have a breakfast buffet before school.
"This is too much don't you think?" I ask while taking a seat at the kitchen counter. The wooden countertop is cool to the touch but I don't mind it. Hunger calls louder.
"You think so?" He replies, sliding the last set of pancakes onto a plate. We look down at the plethora of food before us, look back at each other and laugh. "I guess it is a bit much." That was an understatement. "It's your first day as a junior so I figured we'd go all out. Doing this reminds me of your first day of school with us and Rebecca wanted to start it off right..." he trails off and I can see the expression on his face change as he recalls the memory.
"I remember." I say. "I think that was the best breakfast I ever had. Rebecca did have a knack for going overboard, didn't she? After that I didn't feel so nervous about going to school."
"She did, and that's what I loved about her," he says, a smile creasing his glum expression. "Well go on or you'll be late and don't worry about cleaning up." I don't hesitate and dig in.
For the next few minutes we sit there having breakfast. I am mostly staring out the window while Daniel is browsing his morning paper, no doubt going over the news or looking at the daily recipes the paper usually has. My only wish right now is that Rebecca was still here, to see me off, to wave goodbye with that cheerful look on her face. It's the same look she gave me the first time we met at the foster home.
It had been like any regular day at Saint Ann Orphanage. Foster parents came to look at kids then they left. Some kids left with them while others stayed behind hopeful that they'd be lucky next time. The older you get at an orphanage the less likely you are of getting adopted and I was now pushing well into my teen years. We were normally told to move to a specific room whenever someone was coming over to see the kids. I had a spot in the back, right next the window that looked out into the forest beyond the orphanage. The Child Care Worker, we call her Anne, came in and introduced our guests. My curiosity got the better of me and I turned to see who they were.
Looking at them I could tell my chances of leaving were slim to none. For starters they we young, no older than their 30s and the way they carried themselves told me that they were very much in love. When it came to couples like that, the younger the kid was the better. I returned to the view outside my window and tried my best to tune out everything going on around me.
"Hey there, mind if I sit down?" The voice startled me. I turned to my left; standing next to me was the woman that Anne had just introduced staring back at me with a cheerful smile on her face.
"I don't really need the company," I reply. I didn't and I hoped that she got the hint and left me alone.
"Well I'll just have to stand here until you change your mind," she says.
My attempt to chase her away fails. Now she's just standing next to me humming some tune I can't place. "Knock yourself out," I say, puzzled as to why she wanted to sit next to me. Although curious, I wanted to pay no attention to her.
"So tell me, what's so interesting out there?"
"Nothing much," I answer reluctantly, "Just a lot of trees."
"You don't say," she retorts with an amazed look on her face. "Can I ask another question?"
"Yea sure, why not." I say giving my permission with a sigh.
"How come you're not with the other kids?" She turned to look at the others behind us.
At first I thought it was a weird question but looking at me sitting in the corner by myself, anyone would probably want to know. I look back at the window before answering.
"Because they'll leave and we won't see each other again. I don't see the point in making friends or interacting with them." I rest my head on my right knee after pulling my foot up. "I prefer to stick to myself. This way is doesn't hurt as much when they do." My answer may have caught her off guard. The expression on her face reflected how sad she felt but there was no need for her to feel that way about me. "Can I ask you a question?" I continue.
"Yea, shoot."
"Why are you over here talking to me? Why aren't you talking to one of the younger kids?" I sat there looking at her anticipating her reply.
"Well you were over here all by yourself and you looked like you needed a friend," she says. "Not just that, you look like you've had a hard time and I can tell, because of that, you distance yourself. It's like you've turned your back on the world." She was looking directly at me now. "I guess a kid in your position that may seem the most likely thing to do. But I'm here right now, talking to you, because I want you to know that it doesn't have to be that way and if you'll allow me I'd like to show you exactly what I mean." I didn't expect that answer.
I sat there staring at her trying to find some hint that she wasn't being honest but all that was there was a comforting smile.
"So, what do you think? Would you like to come live with me and become my son-our son," she says looking back toward her husband.
Their son, no-one has ever called me that. The look on my face must have been the most puzzling thing. I sat there completely stunned at what she was asking. Did she, did they really want me out of all the other younger kids? I looked around for her husband, he was speaking with Anne; what about, I could only guess. It looks likes she was serious about adopting me and for the life of me I couldn't imagine why.
"It looks like I don't have much of a choice now do I," I say, sounding unappreciative.
"You always have a choice. If you don't want to all you have to say is no and that's the end of it. But if you want something to change then you know what you have to do," she says putting a hand on my shoulder.
I believe her when she says that. I thought about it, she was giving me an option. Something not any of the other foster parents had done. I looked back through the window and gave my answer.
"I'd like that very much." Tears well up in my eyes but I fight them back.
"Great. So tell me, what's your name?"
"It's Aaron."
"Well Aaron it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Rebecca, welcome to our family."
And like that it was decided. I became part of Daniel's and Rebecca's lives, part of their family and their son. For not one second after entering their home did I ever feel unwelcome or unwanted.
"You're going to be late if you don't get a move on," says Daniel snapping me out of my trance. He's still reading the paper and the clock on the wall behind him says seven fifty-five.
"I'm going now and thanks for breakfast." I say as I rise from the counter. I grab my bag and bound for the door. "I'm off then."
"Have a good day."
I don't know when it happened but I'd come to like this home and my new adoptive parents.
School is a twenty minute walk away and although there is a bus I prefer the solitude that the walk affords. The school courtyard is crowded with kids, some were familiar: Dave from Chemistry last year, Rita, Ben, and Tisha. I knew their names but didn't know them personally or considered them friends. There were also a few new faces mixed into the crowd, looking lost as ever with their new surroundings.
The administration office is my first stop. The halls are busy with kids rushing to their class and those catching up after being apart all summer. After weeding through the horde in the halls I walk into the Administration office located at the end of the hall on the first floor. Ms. Perkins is sitting behind the front desk.
"Hey Aaron, how was your summer?" She inquires, looking up from the stack of papers she was just going through.
"Morning Ms. Perkins. It was good; the beach, late nights, no homework!" I reply.
"Sounds like you had fun." I nod. "That's good. So how can I help you this morning?"
"I'm here to pick up my schedule; I didn't receive one over the summer."
"Oh that's strange" she says with a puzzled look before turning to her computer. After a few short keystrokes I can hear the printer in the office spooling up. "Give me one second while I get it," she says before disappearing into the next room. Ms. Perkins has come to be one of my favorite faculty members. She is always so nice but I guess she's that way with everyone. She returned with a sheet of paper.
"Here you go. Not sure why it wasn't delivered to you," she says passing the sheet to me.
"It must have got lost in the mail. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
I smile then exit, now headed to my locker and then my first class. On the way I go over my classes for this year: World History, Gym, Computer Lab and a few others-a pretty standard list. My first class, English, is on the first floor, my locker, on the second. I decide to head straight for class, no need to check out an empty locker.
Mr. Higgins is assigned to my English class; and as teachers go, he's considered one of the easier ones to get along with. As I enter the classroom I choose my regular window seat, not too far from the front not too close to the back and sit.
Most of the faces around me look familiar. Some say "Hey," prompting a response, while others are too caught up with idle chit-chat. The one face that immediately jumps out when I see it is Stacey McKenzie. She is beautiful, smart and popular. Her auburn hair runs down to her shoulder and her green eyes sparkled in the right light. I always feel nervous whenever she is around and now that she's in the same class that feeling is intensified. I try my best to make it look like I'm not staring, looking away whenever she looks in my direction; taking glances from the corning of my eye when possible.
Mr. Higgins walks in and everyone turns their attention to him as class gets underway. The classes the rest of the morning are mostly the same. Each teacher gives out the course materials and a basic introduction on said material. Some of the teachers don't bother with assigning homework, which does tend to happen on the first day. Which is okay, no-one is truly vested in what's going on in class for the first day.
Lunch is the highlight of the day; you get to witness the typical high school hierarchy. The weak get separated from the strong, the popular from the unpopular and so on. Each group has their own designated table or area and stepping into that area would mean absolute ridicule. It's a sad display, especially when the new freshmen don't know any better and would have to learn the hard way of how things work.
In the middle of it all, clustered together like they ran the place, their small little kingdom—the popular kids. Their group: the cheerleaders, the jocks, and the king of them all Brent Mason, resident bully by day, football all-star quarterback by night. Being an all-star pretty much affords you a free pass to basically do whatever you want. I'd come to dislike him greatly and never hated being the new kid until coming here almost two years ago. However, that wasn't it, what was really the kicker was that he and Stacey were friends and at one point were considered an 'item'. The thought of them together makes my blood boil.
"Coach wants us to put more time into practice this season."
"You'd think with all the work we put in over the summer we'd get a longer leash."
"Well I guess he really wants us to go to the top this year, I hear he plans on retiring after this one. So I guess he wants to go out with a bang."
"A bang, right."
"Is that all you guys can talk about, football. Jeez, it's only the first day and you're already at it."
"Well Stacey, to answer your question, no football is not the only thing we can talk about. We can talk about how unattractive that top looks on you or how me and Adam here managed to score these two hot chicks over the summer-isn't that right Adam."
"Absolutely right."
"So, take your pick."
"You're a real jerk you know that Brent."
"Why thank you, I do believe that's a compliment."
"Hey check it out we have an audience."
"Well if it isn't my good old pal Aaron, let's go say Hi."
"Come on guys just leave him alone, he's not bothering anyone."
"Relax Stacey we're just being friendly."
My adrenaline instantly shoots through the roof when I hear Brent say my name and now he and his two grunts, Adam Moore and Chase Young are making their way over to my table. What is even more confusing is what just occurred.
Brent's table rests in the center of the cafeteria surrounded by other kids. Compared to where he is I'm all the way to the back of the room, about half a dozen or so tables filled with kids separating us. How is it then I was able to hear that bit of his conversation like I was sitting right there at the same table. It's not possible, especially over the noise coming from all the other students. Yet, by some strange occurrence I did.
I shake the thought, right now that is the least of my worries, and Brent is imminent. Heads start to turn, following Brent, as he makes his way over to me, as if they know what is about to happen. I am hoping that he is just coming over to say hello but who am I kidding. My nerves are on edge; my palms are sweating and although my flight instincts have kicked in, I am still sitting here. If a fight did break out I am not only outnumbered but also overpowered. The chances of me winning are slim, and with no teachers around, more than a few bruises are guaranteed.
"Hey you might want to leave. Things are going to get a bit complicated in a minute." I tell the kid, a new face, a freshman, sitting at the far end of the table. He looks at me puzzled, gathers his things and casually slides off the table, giving me a head nod as he does.
"Where's your friend going Aaron? Oh wait you don't have any friends." Brent says as he takes a seat across from me.
"Brent. Shouldn't you be pumping iron somewhere? It seems to be the only thing you're good at." Why in the world did I say that? The last thing I want to do is antagonize him into doing something I would later regret. I want nothing more than to withdraw into a shell and hide from what is coming.
"Well, well someone's obviously developed a pair over the summer. But you're wrong about one thing. I'm also good at beating the shit out of little pricks like you," he retorts now with a scowl on his face.
"By definition you fit the bill of prick more than I ever could." I do it again. Do I have a death wish today? This is when I notice the silence. Most of the cafeteria has gone quiet, no doubt expecting a scene. I also notice that Adam has made his way to me, sitting on the table a seat over from me.
"You're asking for it Aaron. Keep pushing me and I'll make this a very unpleasant lunch for you." He reaches over, taking one of the curly fries off my plate.
"Haven't you noticed?" I lean closer to him. "Lunch is always unpleasant in this place, especially when there's a bunch of pricks making it worse." That's the final straw. Brent grabs my collar with a vice-like grip. Adam is on my right arm before I can mount a defense, twisting it behind me. The other grips the underside of the table so that I don't lose my balance. In this position, half bent over the table, Brent ready to strike-I have no-one to blame but myself. I brace for the incoming blow.
"Ahem. I hope I'm not interrupting anything Mr. Mason," says a voice from my left. Brent and I both turn to see Principal Smith staring at us. Standing next to him; the kid that I told to leave the table a few minutes ago. Immediately Brent and Adam let go of me.
"No Sir, just having a bit of harmless fun. Isn't that right Aaron?" Brent replies. He looks my way for confirmation and so does the principal. Depending on my answer I would either have a difficult or easier school year and with this being only the first day I chose the latter.
"That's right Sir, Brent here had just come over to say Hi. He missed me terribly over the summer," I say in the most casual tone with a smirk gracing my face. I see him tense; he knows full well that I'm mocking him.
"Well, I think you've both greeted each other; now get back to your seats, finish your lunches, and take this as a warning-the both of you. I don't want any more trouble. Am I understood?"
"Yes. Sir," we both reply.
"Very good then," he turns and walks away but not before instructing the other students to get back to their lunches before the bell rings. Brent also begins walking away but not before giving me a menacing look, which he also gives to the kid who had brought the principal over.
"You and I are going to become good friends. Count on it," he declares.
Just like that it's over. Brent and his grunts are back in their seats and I sit back in mine—somehow relatively calm, my adrenaline returning to baseline, and I'm no worse for wear. When I move my left hand I almost have to pry it from the table. Someone I've managed to dig my fingers into the underside as I was trying to maintain my balance against Brent.
"What the...?" Looking more closely at the table I can vaguely make out three small indentations where my fingers were. I look around to see if anyone is paying attention to me but I'm lucky no-one is. Even the kid at the end of the table has his head back in his book again. Today is a series of one confusing event after the other. "What is going on with me today?"
I surprised myself by being able to talk back to Brent in that way. A few months ago such a thing wouldn't have been possible, not to mention suicidal. Looking over at the kid who is still reading, I am grateful to him for getting the principal—he saved me from a few bruises. On the other hand I feel sorry for him for doing so; he just became Brent's number one freshman target.
"Hey, sorry for getting you involved in that." I say to him. "It looks like Brent has now marked you as well."
"It's okay." He replies, his face hiding behind the book he is reading.
"You're a freshman right, what's your name?" I ask.
"It's Kyle." He looks up, over the book and I can tell this kid wouldn't last too long if Brent got his hands on him.
"Well Kyle, I'm Aaron. A word of advice, make some friends and don't be caught alone. Brent can be relentless when he gets down to it, so avoid him if possible." All this came from personal experience, so passing it onto him feels like the best thing to do.
"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." He turns back to his book and I have to give him credit, he doesn't seem worried at all. Maybe he is used to bullies or didn't much care.
My appetite is all but gone after that little altercation. Looking back at my tray, I push it to the side. Lunch has a few more minutes before it is over and soon this day would be over too. To think it started out so good. Out of nowhere a pair of hands wrap themselves around my face, disabling my vision. For a second they startle me, I think it is Brent or one of his friends returning to finish what he started. However, the voice that accompanies these hands is all too familiar.
"Jumpy aren't we? Guess who?" The person asks in a joking manner. It could only be one person, although I wasn't expecting to see her until maybe the second week of classes.
"You scared me half to death and you know it's easy for me to tell it's you, Chloe."
"Aww you're no fun," she says as she sits next to me, a defeated look on her face.
"And you're back early."
"Yea the folks decided I shouldn't miss an entire week so we came back from Vegas a week early. I was going to skip today but I figured you couldn't survive without me." She chuckles, punching me on the arm as she does.
"Very funny, but as you can see I'm doing just fine."
"Is that so? Tell me what was that between you and Brent just now?"
"You saw that did you?" I say, embraced that she did. "Well he was just saying Hi."
"Was he now?" I can feel her staring at me from the burning sensation on the side of my face. We both look at each other and laugh. It had been awhile since I've laughed like this with Chloe, probably all summer.
"Well hand it over," she says, her hand reaches out to me.
"Hand what over?" I reply, looking at her, unclear at what she meant.
"Your schedule, I want to see if we have any classes together."
"Oh. Here you go." I reach into my pocket, retrieve the schedule I'd gotten earlier and hand it her.
"I was in the office getting mine when I saw your friend over there getting the principal, figured it couldn't be anything good." She unfolds the schedule and begins looking it over.
"His name is Kyle," I say looking toward him.
"Well Kyle probably saved you today, so thank you Kyle." She throws him a smile and a nod before turning back to compare schedules. Kyle just glances up to acknowledge he heard her and goes back to his book.
Chloe is probably the only person at school I talk to and that's because we have a lot in common; the most important being that we were both part of the foster system. When I was younger I met her at one of the foster homes. We became instant friends. Back then I was more open to the concept but when it came time for us to separate it was hard. We made a promise that we'd meet each other again and as fate would have it, here we are. It is by some stroke of luck that we ended up at the same school. Her parents took her traveling over the summer and I haven't seen her since summer break began.
Looking over at her now I can tell she made a few changes. Her long black hair is noticeable longer with a purple streak running down the right side. A new piercing is on her left ear and I can only guess the same was true about the right. Her skin tone is slightly darker compared to when I saw her last. I look at her and smile; for as long as I've know Chloe she has always been different and stood out and no matter what, always had this cheerful attitude about things.
"What?" She looks up questioning my smile.
"Nothing, I just noticed you made a few changes. That's all," I say touching the strand of purple in her hair.
"Do you approve?" She asks. I nod in return. "Good."
"It looks like apart from English in the morning we have all the afternoon classes together. This is perfect. We can catch up on what you did all summer."
"If you say so, but I'm warning you it wasn't much. I'm guessing my summer wasn't as fun as yours."
"Hey you never know." The bell to end lunch rings. Everyone begins filing out of the lunch room to their respective classes. "Well let's go, we have Computer Lab now," she says.
"Ok." I stand and look over to see that Kyle has already left.
For the rest of the afternoon we spend time catching up on what we got up to in between the teachers doing their regular introductory lesson. Chloe told me of all the places her and her parents visited; Florida, Montreal and New York City. They were mostly on the east coast it seems before returning to check out Vegas and from there it was back to Seattle. My summer pales in comparison to that. Most of my time was spent helping Daniel at the restaurant or the occasional trip to the beach. I could have stayed in and watched TV but I would have gone mad in a week, besides it was too nice out and there is always something to do during the summer in Seattle. The one upside to the summer vacation was our road trip to California. Daniel had to help a friend with an event and he gave me free reins to explore as long as I kept in touch. As an added bonus he let me drive for a few miles on our return trip to Seattle. Let's just say I enjoyed the trip and I think we both needed that after losing Rebecca a few months before; the time away gave us the opportunity to cope and move on.
The final bell had rung for the day and all the students started funneling out into the yard and heading home. Some taking the bus, some gets picked up by their parents, and others just walk.
"What are you getting up to later?" Chloe asks.
"Nothing. Why?"
"No reason, can I come over, got some souvenirs for ya?"
"Sure. Daniel will be happy to see you."
"Cool. I have some unpacking I still need to do so I'll see you later."
"Ok." I say, and like that she's off. Her house is farther from school than mine so her parents usually drop her off and pick her up. I can see Mr. Sparks standing next to his silver Nissan. He looks in my direction and waves; I wave back.
I decide to take the long way home. At this time the house would be empty. Daniel comes home around five, giving me about an hour of alone time after school-alone time I didn't want or need. It was different last year with Rebecca still here; always waiting at the front door to greet me, helping me with homework. Taking the long way is the right choice but it still isn't enough. At the front door I remove my keys from my bag but can't help the feel that something is missing. I want so much for Rebecca to be here.
It doesn't take long before Daniel comes home carrying two big bags of groceries. I help him unpack it all while he asks how my day was. I thought of my encounter at lunch and respond. "Eventful."
"Really. I heard the Sparks were back. Did you see Chloe?"
"Yea I did. Actually she should be by later, if that's ok."
"Not a problem. You guys hung out so much last year we got used to her being around, like we adopted two kids instead of one and I think Rebecca loved that."
"I missed her today. You know, coming home," I say melancholy on my voice. "She was always there and it felt weird not seeing her standing there waiting."
"I know, it'll get better I promise." He says placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.
"Now go get cleaned up, dinner will be ready in a few." I turn toward the stairs. Halfway up I turn back to Daniel.
"Daniel thanks." He nods and continues to gather his ingredients. "Oh, by the way what are we having for dinner?"
"Beef Stew."
"Sounds good. Call me when you're ready."
A quick shower later I am changed and ready for dinner. Sitting on my bed my mind starts going over the events of the day. The most unbelievable was what happen during lunch, how did I hear so clearly from so far away and would it happen again? Was it something I did that caused that random occurrence and if so how do I control it? I chuckle at the notion that I was developing super powers.
"As if." What was also strange was the way I acted with Brent, that wasn't like me. I decide to not worry about it for now; I am too exhausted to care. I lay back staring at the ceiling and dRift away until Chloe's shout wakes me. It sounds like a drum thundering in my ear.
I roll out of bed, my heart racing. She's standing there laughing at me.
"Serves you right for falling asleep knowing I'm coming over."
"I just closed my eyes for a second, guess I was tired."
"Well you can sleep after we eat." She turns to the door. "Now come on, the food smells great," she commands heading for the door.
I pick myself up and follow her.
Dinner is delicious and we spend the night reminiscing. It feels just like old times with Chloe here. We end up watching a movie after dinner until her dad comes to pick her up.
"I had fun," she says and hugs me. "Definitely missed hangout out with you over the summer."
"Yea me too."
"See you tomorrow." She turns and runs off to the car as I wave to her. As they drive away I can't help but feel happy that she's back. I close the door and head back to my room, tomorrow's another school day.
