"Mom, really! I know I have school in 10 minutes! Just leave me alone!"

My mom really doesn't understand how tired a freshman can be in the middle of Winter.

"Alright, then hurry up and get ready, and I'll make you some breakfast. Hop to it, Silena!"

I groan.

I walk to my closet and put on a top and jeans. I pack up my backpack and manage to shuffle my feet outside my room. The kitchen table has a plate with eggs and bacon on it, getting cold. I look at the clock, 6:33. The first school bell starts at 6:37. I take a piece of bacon and throw on my jacket and hat and run out to the car. An angered-looking mom is sitting in the driver's seat.

"Why were you taking your time! You realize that if you keep being late, you're not making a very good first impression to Tyron High." She said while she started off down Edgewood Drive.

We arrive at the front entrance to the school at 6:39. Late again. My mom drops me off and I take my time walking towards the office.

"Mrs. Allan, can you give me a tardy slip?" I say as I walk to the main office desk. "Well, Miss Raye, I can't say that I'm surprised to see you after the bell. What is the reason this time?" She asks as she writes down the time, My name, and her signature.

"I just slept late," I said.

"Alright then, I assume Mr. Fretburn is expecting you in Science. Hurry now." Mrs. Allan motions for me to walk off to my locker while she receives another call. "Hello? Yes, yes. This is the main office..."

"Miss Raye! What brings you late to my class?" Mr. Fretburn questions me without looking up from the chalkboard. All of the students, as if on cue, turn around and stare.

"Um, I just... My mom needed me to watch my brother last night, and I had to stay up pretty late, and this morning I could just not get up this morning, and... Yeah." I lied.

Someone giggled.

Mr. Fretburn turned around. "Don't lie to me, Silena. I won't allow any of it. Take your seat."

I slump into my chair and take out my notebook.

The morning went by really fast. I walk into the lunch line when I spot Jacklyn standing two people in front of me. "Hey, Jacklyn! Over here!" I call. She waves and walks two spaces back to be next to me. "Why weren't you on the bus this morning?" She asks. "Yeah, a pizza slice, please." She points to the pepperoni pizza, ordering the lunch lady to serve her a piece.

"I don't know, Jacks. I just, I don't get enough sleep each night." I sigh. "But, I guess it doesn't help that I stay up reading Harry Potter..."

Jacklyn and I laughed.

We sat down at our usual lunch table. Will was already there, sitting by himself.

"Hey guys! What took you so long?" He said. Jacklyn tousled his hair. I grin. Will is, well, like a smaller human compared to Jacklyn. I find it funny.

"The test scores are in! C'mon, check your phones, guys." Jacklyn says.

I got a B+. Go figure. It's not like Math is my best subject and Mrs. Layne enjoys my presence.

"B+. What about you guys?" I look over to Jacklyn. "Yes! An A!" She smiled, then smirked. What did you get, Will?"

"Yes! I got a C-! BELOW! AVERAGE! HAHA!" Will gets up and dances around the hallway. I join him. "YAY WILL!" I yell to Will. Jacklyn just sits against the wall, laughing. "You guys look ridiculous."

We finish and walk outside. It might be crazy to go out in the cold, but hey, that's just the kind of people we are.

"So-o-o, Will, how is Char-lotte, your girl-friend?" I say.

His face turns red. "She's not my girlfriend," he said, while pushing past me, " And I don't appreciate your mocking either."

"Yeah, yeah, I know you like her." I said.

"Whatever." He said, turning crimson once again while looking away.

"Oh come on Will, you can tell me! I'm your homie-g! Your home-slice!"

"Shut up," He said while Jacklyn and I erupted with laughter, "You're just jealous that-"

"That what?!" I said, still laughing. "That... I don't know," Will sighed. "I was just trying to think of a good comeback." He said in defeat.

"Ha, don't worry about it," Jacklyn said. "Yeah," I chimed in. "We'll always have your back." With that, I slung my arms around my two best friends and we headed back to school.

I get off the bus and walk inside and yell, "MOM! I'm home!" I toss my backpack in the mud room, and see my mom sitting at the kitchen table, looking at a photo album. "Hi, honey. How was your day?"

"Good." I give her a hug and find some food in the cupboard. I'm starving.

"Do you want some grapes, mom?" I said.

"No thank you, Silena." She says, softly.

"Mom, what are you looking at?" I look over her shoulder.

She quickly shuts it. "Oh, nothing. Just photos of the old days."

A tear slips down her cheek.

"Oh-kay," I say, and walk up to my room.

I finish all of my homework, which takes until about 10pm. I walk downstairs to find my mom, sleeping on the couch with a cooking show on the TV. I shut it off, and put a blanket on her. I walk over to where the photo album that mom was looking at earlier was. I opened it, and saw a picture of a younger version of mom holding hands with a tan, handsome man. They were both wearing happy smiles. I had no idea who that man was. I would have to remember to ask my mom in the morning.

I was on time to school this morning. My mom was proud of me. Ha.

I was disappointed because I didn't ask mom about the man in the picture. Oh well.

I met up with Will and Jacklyn at lunch. Jacklyn was walking towards our table when a girl tripped her, and she fell. "Oops," The girl said. It was Angela Jones. She's just a stupid jerk. She walked to her table with her friends.

"Jacklyn, are you okay?" I asked, as I rushed to her. Will followed. "No, I don't think so." She winced. "I think I twisted my ankle. Ow!" She said.

Will looked worried. "Come on, Silena. Let's bring her to the nurse's office. Come on, Jacklyn," Will said.

I saw Angela looking at us.

We walk her to The nurse's office, and sit her down on one of the chairs. "Um, Mrs. Nubert, My friend tripped at lunch, and she thinks that she twisted her ankle." I explained. "The red-haired lady turns to look at me. "I'll have a look," She says as she walks toward Jacklyn, with Will next to her. She touches her ankle. Then Mrs. Nubert sighs. "Yep, she definitely broke her ankle. I'll call your mother, Miss Phillipps." She says, and then walks over to the telephone. It was one of those big, bulky, house phones.

Jacklyn was extremely tough to handle a broken ankle without crying. I bet I could do it. Is that too self centered?

"Dangit! The soccer season is starting soon! I won't be able to play. This sucks." Jacklyn says in frustration. "Well, I could play for you, Jacklyn," Will said, attempting to make her feel better. "Oh, please. You can't even play badminton, for all I know." Jacklyn laughs. I guess it worked.

I kneel down to touch her ankle, and I feel a weird sensation and a tugging in my gut. Then, Jacklyn's ankle starts to glow faintly. My eyes are practically popping out of my head now, and I'm pretty sure so are Jacklyn's and Will's.

"Oh my gosh." Will whispered. "Silena, what, HOW did you do that?!" He says, now a little louder.

"I...I don't know." I say. I am very surprised, but, for some reason, not as much as you would think I would be.

Jacklyn touches her ankle, and moves it around.

"Oh. My. Lord. Guys, my ankle doesn't hurt anymore! At all! Silena, wha-" I cut Jacklyn off.

"I don't know! Ok!" I yell. Will and Jacklyn look at me. "I'm sorry. It's just that I'm as clueless as you are."

Mrs. Nubert comes over. "What was that noise? I was on the phone!" "I'm sorry, Mrs. Nubert," I say. "It's just that, well, you see... Jacklyn's ankle doesn't hurt anymore!" I blurted.

I give a "convincing" smile.

Mrs. Nubert chuckles. "Oh dear, I checked it just a minute ago! Here, let me prove it to you." She reaches over to touch Jacklyn's ankle. "See, same as be-oh. Oh my. W-w-well, just go back to your class, children."

We all walked to Will's house after school. He lives, like, a block away from Tyron High. "Let's do some homework, 'Kay?" Jacklyn says. "Ugh, C'mon! Freshman homework is wayyy harder than 8th grade homework. I need a break. How 'bout you, Silena?' Will says, biting into an apple from his lunch. "Yeah, I agree, Jacks. Let's watch F.R.I.E.N.D.S. instead." I say. "Alright," She sighs. Then Will says, "Last one to the couch is a broken ankle!" He runs to the door of his house. I roll my eyes. "Oh, please." I sprint after him. "Not if I can help it!" Jacklyn rushes towards me, and trips me, and all three of us collapse on the snow. We laugh.

My mom picks me up from Will's. I just realized that I had never asked her about the man in the picture. I will ask her when we got home.

"Hey, mom? I saw a picture in the photo album you were looking on the other day and I-" She cut me off.

"You looked at those pictures?"

"Yeah, I was just curious..."

She sighed. "Well, I suppose I could tell you who he is..."

"Yes! Please, mom?" I plead.

"Well... Ok, sit down. This is where it all started..."

I sit down, eager for her to begin.