stellaR (Editing)

Chapter IV

Chapter- IV

You can turn off the sun, but I’m still going to shine.      -Jason Mraz

 

     Like many teenagers my age, I groaned and waged an assault on my alarm clock, hitting it again and again until I managed to shut it off. Sitting up, I was frustrated. Who knew what those papers would have said? Or that key? What could it have unlocked? Now I’d never know, all because of an alarm clock. So while, yes, my frustrations towards the object were different than most other teens, I was still fed up with my alarm clock all the same.

     I pouted, still thoroughly put out, before I lifted up the covers and started to climb out of bed. I felt something crinkle, and turned back to look. There, where I had been lying, was the stack of papers! So where was the key? And I saw it, underneath my pillow.

Hmm… maybe today would be looking up after all.

-

     I had pulled the single gold key off the ring, and had instead put it on a gold chain, so that it now hung around my neck, where I would always know where it was.

     The day was dragging, and I wished the weekend would get here already. Then at least I wouldn’t have to feel constantly guilty about doing nothing.

     At lunch, Margie and I talked about last night’s game. She had been there as the school’s official photographer. Finally, her pictures would have her name and give her credit for them. Silently, I hoped that there would be no published pictures of me- hovering or not. I really needed to get coach off my case.

We talked about that, too. She said she didn’t think I deserved to be benched for just one ‘off game’. Seriously, how was it off? I missed a single minute or two, and suddenly everyone forgets how many saves I made the first half? Really? And she said that, if I could manage to stay focused the next few days before our next game, I would be right back on the field for the opening whistle.

     God, I hoped she was right. But I couldn’t really bring myself to worry about soccer, what with everything else creating puzzles in my mind.

-

     I had managed to put all the papers, from the stack that had appeared in my bed this morning, in my folder. I was flipping through them now, instead of working on the worksheet my biology teacher had assigned, when Nick came up behind me.

     “Whatcha lookin’ at, Stellaaa?” He said, dragging out my name, in the way all teenage boys somehow felt the need to. Well, almost all, my mind reminded me, Chaud coming to mind.

     “Just all the homework I’m going to be slammed with this weekend,” I said, the lie rolling off my tongue with ease. I put the papers back in my folder and closed it, turning to Nick.

     “And what about you, Nick? I haven’t talked to you in a while now. Where’ve you been?” I was honestly curious, Nick was a friend of mine, but I hadn’t seen him in a while.

     “Oh. I was in West Virginia, my family and I went down to the beach for a bit.”

     “Really? Isn’t it a bit cold for that?” I laughed, it was practically October.

     “Well, yeah, actually…” He rubbed his neck, like he was embarrassed, and once again he reminded me of Chaud. “It’s just, I don’t know. The beaches are all less crowded this time of year, and I and my sister don’t really mind the cold. It’s all good, so long as we get in the water.” He laughed.