Starr Academy: Year Three

Starr Academy: Year Three- Chapter 1

    “Cousin?”

    He smiled more and winked. “Joe.”

    A sad smile came to my face. “Joe’s nice.”

    The man chuckled. “That he is.” He dipped his head holding the brim. “I’ll tell him how just his name makes you smile. Have a good day.” The man turned and left.

    Rod came up beside me. “What was that about?”

    I looked at the envelop. “He was just delivering this to me.”

    “What’s in it?”

    I shrugged. “I don’t know.”

    He chuckled bumping my hip lightly with his. “Well, open it.”

    Before I could, it was snatched out of my hand by Franklin. “Not just yet. You can wait till we get dinner and back home before we open this envelop. Whatever is inside can wait a bit.” His parents came to stand next to him with our bags in their hands.

    Rod tilted his head to the side. “Do you seriously have everything in that tiny suitcase?”

    Franklin’s dad handed over the suitcase. “You should feel the weight. It’s very deceiving.”

    The moment Rod had the suitcase in his hand, it dropped to the floor with his eyes wide. “Do you just have books in here?”

    I giggled as I bumped his away and lifted up the suitcase. “You’re just weak.” I followed Franklin and his folks out while Rod stood there gapping at me. He finally shook himself of his shock and caught up with me taking my suitcase from my hands.

    “How’d you get so strong?”

    I smiled at my big brother. “The classes I take aren’t any cake classes. They work you hard and I’ve done that for two years now. I’m not weak anymore.”

    He smiled back at me. “No you’re not.”

    Rod helped me into the back of Franklin’s parent’s car as Franklin smiled brightly getting into his. Apparently his mom drove it here knowing there were five going to try and fit into their small car that fit four max with how bulked up Franklin was with how much he had worked during the year. I didn’t mind. I knew Franklin needed some alone time with his baby that was sent back last week for him at the school’s expense.

    At the house, Rod and Franklin’s father both took care of the bags as Franklin’s mom took Franklin and I into her kitchen. We sat at the dining table just relaxing. His mom having handed us each a soda before she got to work on dinner. I offered to take everyone out for dinner but she said it was no problem. She wanted us to have a home cook meal for the first night back in Norfolk and home.

    During dinner, Rod talked about his interview from one of the advisors for Stafford. How the advisor came out to see him personally. He had seen her here with the Master’s permission. Debbie had been here with him as a stand in for mom they said couldn’t get time off for the interview. They weren’t about to tell the advisor that our mom didn’t even know about the interview.

    Even if she wasn’t his real mom, Debbie gushed about how proud she was of my older brother. She couldn’t stop praising him on how well spoken he was to the advisor. How he charmed the lady and was very well mannered that whole time. Debbie had no doubt he was a shoe in for Stafford.

    As Greg and Debbie were fixing a bowl for each of us of ice cream, I looked down at the envelop that had my name written out on the front. After a few moments debating it, I opened it and found a letter with a few loose sheets of note paper. I moved the note pages aside and read the letter out loud.