The Tracks

Chapter 1

Clambering for my books, I fear being late, the outrage of the teacher, and the laughter of my peers. I can't stand it. My mind was racing at this point, rushing through the corridors I go, praying I get to my beloved seat in time. A thousand thoughts pacing back and forth through my head, it's there, just ahead of class 11, I think to myself. Reaching for the doorknob, I hear a faint echoed voice and a clamber of shoes stumbling behind me.

"Hey, lovely."

*My boyfriend, Karson, catches up to me*

"Karson, holy shit! You made me skip a couple of heartbeats. I'm going to be late to class!"

*I fidget with my fingers timidly.*

"Lacy, calm down. You're okay; everything's fine."

He wraps his arms around me, whispering, "I'm here, I'm here" I hold him close, and it brings me to a sense of safety.

Hesitantly he asks, "are the voices back?"

* I think of what to reply with, but the thought of my mother crawls back in. *

My mother passed away a year ago. I was distraught; ever since the incident, I've heard voices on and off. I thought they had stopped until yesterday night, they suddenly started up, but this time sounding threatened. It brings a ringing to my ears every time they're there.

" Karson, they were gone, and last night they came back, they came back, Karson," I say this with tears hiding behind my eyes. Karson looks at me, concerned, and hugs me a little tighter. I can smell the lingering of his warm, loving scent; it always makes me feel better. Karson calms me down, and I begin to gain my control back. I slowly make my way out of his broad arms with his hands around my waist; now, I give him a peck on the lips and try to run to the back door to the class I'm supposed to be at. I know that Karson hates when I don't kiss him for long enough. Before I know it, he runs right after me, scoops me up, and I wrap my legs around him, just as I suspected. "You know I don't like it when you don't kiss me." He says this with a smirk brushed lightly against his face. Leaning in, he kisses me, and with that, I could feel my feet finally touch the floor once again. I wrap my hands around his neck and lower his neck down with me; for one last cuddle, I felt at ease.

"Go to class, Karson. I can't keep you all day," I say with a giggle.

"Yes, yes, love, I'll see you at lunch, the usual spot," and with that, I nod and head to class. I am slithering in the back door to the corner seat hiding between the window and the wall. I take my seat and hear the teacher's voice rambling on about some physics. I never understood this class, and I don't think I ever will. I watch out the window at all the passing people. My mother and I used to do it. We called it "people watching," and it was something we bonded considerably over. We would watch the arguments/love stories unfold right outside. It was almost like a film. I miss my mother. I begin to rest my head onto the palm of my hand. Drifting away into my mind, I start to overthink what happened to my mother? What if it wasn't just a suicide? What if there was something more to it? The classroom chatter was slightly annoying, but I guess it was better than dead silence, like at home. Since she's been gone, all my father does is work until extreme hours in the morning. Every day at 7 I'm awake, as is my father. Every morning we have breakfast, and every morning he tells me I remind him of my mother more and more every day. Sometimes it makes me upset. After breakfast, he proceeds to kiss me on the forehead each morning and then leaves for work each morning. It's like a routine, and I guess you could say I like it that way.

I was that much in my head; I didn't even realize the bell had gone. I must've been there for a good 10 minutes as Karson even came to look for me as my next class was math with him.