Tidal Wave

02

It's all going to be alright...

I try to convince myself by saying that over and over again in my head.

I approach the school after about fifteen minutes of walking. I can see the empty playground and the red brick school building. I walk slowly to the front doors of the school. I walk in and look for my friend, Jamie. She's talking to my other two friends, Molly and Kirrie.

Molly is a real poetry lover. She likes to read poetry and write it too. She knows a lot about it. Sometimes I wish I knew as much about it as she does.

Kirrie likes to sing. I do as well. I don't like to sing in front of people though. It makes me super nervous. I'm pretty sure I'm not that good anyway, so yeah.

Still looking over at Jamie and my other friends, I see Riley standing with them. Riley Matthew. The boy I have had a crush on since second grade. I know it's kind of cliche, but there is just something about him.

I would probably hide in my room for the rest of my life if he ever found out though.

No.

Make that a one hundred percent, absolutely, most definitely I would.

I take a shaky breath. I decide to wait for my friends to come over to me. Sure enough, they do. Jamie first. Jamie smiles at me and gives me a friendly side hug that turns into a hug that almost breaks my ribs. Jamie stops hugging me and grabs me by the shoulders.

"How was your summer? oh my gosh!"

I think for a minute about how to answer.

"Well, it was okay. We went to Hawaii."

Jamie looks at me in understanding. She knows about my parent's death's and how hard it's been on me. She knows that a trip to Hawaii wouldn't make anything better.

She has somewhat of an idea at least because I told her. I'm glad I have her to talk to. Gosh, am I glad. I tell her everything. She's an amazing friend. My best friend.

You know my crush that told you about? Yeah, Jamie knows about that too. I didn't really tell her. Jamie and Molly kind of guessed it. They're good at telling things like that. I'm not.

Kirrie and Molly come over to me and Jamie. They both hug me and ask how I've been. A lot of people have been asking me that. I never know what to say. It's been two years and I'm still wondering when they're going to come home? I can't say that. I just can't.

The bell rings and we all walk to class. Everyone is flooding the hallways now, trying to get to class. It's hard to not get trampled. I try not to though. I find my way to my homeroom class. Finally. I decide to sit in the very back. Miss Duncan introduces herself briefly and then everyone starts talking.

I look over and at the desk next to me is...

Heather Delane.

I feel a deep pit forming in my stomach. I try to breathe normally but it's really hard to. Heather has been super mean to me since... forever. All I have ever been is nice to her.

I lay my head on my desk. After a few minutes, I catch Heather doing something out of the corner of my eye. I look over. She's writing something on a piece of paper with her pink, glittery gel pen. I watch her pass it forward after she finishes writing whatever it is.

It gets passed up to...

Riley.

This is really, really bad.

The pit in my stomach only grows bigger. I can hardly think or breathe. I take a shaky breath and try to calm myself down. I have no idea what that note said but it couldn't have been anything good. If I'm being honest, it looked a bit like a love note. Which is still very bad.