Lara lay in bed that night with the puppy draped protectively under her arm. Tonight there was no moon, and the stars were dull, and many were nonexistent in the black drape of a sky. Gritting her teeth, feeling resentment for the thin walls of the house, she listened ruefully to her parent's nighttime conversation.
"Why? Why on earth should we deny her the dog? She's proved herself responsible plenty of times!"
"Not recently she hasn't! Everyday she's running off into the woods! She won't get a drive, she won't use a bicycle, she doesn't want Taylor with her, and she walks! What if she gets lost? She can't ask people for help, or directions. If she sprains her ankle or is injured, she can't scream for help! No one can hear her scream! I don't think she's being responsible enough for a dog."
"Honey…."
"Don't 'Honey' me, Roger, I don't think she's ready!"
"She's twelve years old! When I was five I got my first pet, and I would go into the woods just like she does."
"Yeah, but she's not five!"
"I'm well aware of that! Giver her a chance! If she screws up we'll give the thing away, if not she should be able to keep it."
"If she wants companionship, she can make friends at scho-"
"What are you talking about? When in the last five years that she's been with us has she ever, even once made a friend before? She's the odd one, Janice, she's the odd one. Other parents don't like her being in the same class as their kids, teachers are slightly unnerved by her, and kids tease her! They call her a vampire and stuff, because of her skin complexion, and about how she never wants to do what other kids want to do. How she's vegan! How the hell will this place be any different from-" Her father's voice rose above whispers and was quickly shushed by her mother. Lara slapped her hands over her ears and squeezed her ears shut. She didn't want to hear this. The puppy jolted up and began to whimper, as it was not yet at the howling stage of its childhood. Lara sighed and sat up in bed. Picking the skinny runt up, she plopped it on its back and began to cradle it like a mother would a baby. Lara felt like a mother. July passed, and then August was almost over. It scared Lara slightly to think that she would be starting a new school, and the same problems would reoccur and reoccur, and the only subject she concentrate on would be Music, which was probably taught by some tempermental maniac who hated when kids actually rose up to his expectations. Lara sighed.
Taylor, on the other hand, was thrilled with the idea of going to a new school. She already made friends and knew everything about the school; its teachers, students, janitors, lockers, room numbers, etc.
Morning, afternoon, night, they were all the same thing to Lara. Each was beautiful in its own way. It was like waking up to a surprise everyday, and not being even remotely disappointed.
The night before the summer was over was the night where Lara felt the most nervous and tortured of all. She didn't want to think about it, but every time she felt herself drift off to sleep it would pop up and surprise her. She paced, she stretched, she ate a snack, but she still couldn't get it off of her mind. The puppy been given away to her uncle almost a day after she found it, causing Lara some painful and sleepless nights. To take her mind off of things, Lara put on some clothes and went to the treehouse, playing her violin. She put as much nervousness in the music as she could, and almost an hour later, Taylor stuck her head out of her window and told her to shut up, she was making her nervous about school. Lara smiled and packed up, almost smelling the anxiety in the air.