All We Do

Chapter One

It all started on a bench. I never imagined in a million years that one of the best experiences of my life would start because of an old, dirty  piece of wood. This is the story of how I met one of the most important people in my life and it's starts very simple, however, to me it was intriguing.

            The bell rang and soon enough the halls were filled with energized students rushing to get out of this place as quick as possible. I decide to fall back and walk slowly, putting one earphone in my right ear and clicking play on my device. The words of Oh Wonder's song All We Do fill my ears and I can't help but think that this is a song on the soundtrack of my life. Most wouldn't like my soundtrack but that's okay, most people don't understand me anyways.

            As I turn the corner of the lower hallway by the cafeteria I spot my locker and head in that direction, trying my hardest to avoid every other living being in this corridor. I opened my locker with little to no effort, the combination has engraved in my mind like a parasite. I was never good at keeping a clean locker, papers and wrappers are piled on both shelves and with a simple swipe of my hand, they fall into my plastic garbage bag. Since it's a new year, my resolution is to try and keep things organized and available at any given moment.

            By the time I finish cleaning out my locker well enough to reach anything without touching any other items, most students have left the building. I shut my locker door quietly and lock it up. Fortunately, I live fifteen minutes away so it won't be a long walk which is wonderful in my opinion because it's starting to drizzle.

            I've hated rain ever since I was a young girl. It always stopped me from going outside and playing in the tree house in my backyard. My mother built it for me when I was five years old. She says that I kept begging her for a year prior and she got annoyed by me asking and made one just so I'd be quiet. It wasn't put together that well but I will forever be grateful my mother took the time and effort to make it. I played in that rickety tree house every day, avoiding my name being called for dinner so I could pretend to rescue the princess in my kingdom. My mom also says ever since I learned how to speak I've had the wildest imagination and she's right, I had the best adventures in that special wooden structure. It's now old and I bet if I tried to climb in it, it would crumble beneath my feet and suddenly my imaginary universe would evaporate. I don't dare to step a foot into it now, fearing that if it crumbled my imagination would collapse with it.

            In the back pocket of my jeans, my phone starts ringing and I answer the call.

"Hi Mom." I mumble, trying not to draw attention from people with my voice.

"Hi Sweetie, how was your day?"  Her voice sounds distant, I can barely hear what she's saying.

"It was fine, what's up?"

"Could you go to the corner store on Rosewood Street and get some pasta noodles?"

"Um sure, I already passed the store but I can turn back. What kind of noodles?"

"The long skinny ones, you know, um.." I can tell she's having difficulty trying to describe it so I decide to help her.

"The one's mainly used for spaghetti?"

"Yes! Those ones would be great. See you when you get home!"

"Yep." I hang up the phone instantly, it paused my song right in the middle as I was listening to it so now I have to go back to the beginning.

            As I walk into the store I say hi to the shop owners. They are always very friendly and usually ask me how school was. To which, I always say good and make small talk. I always try to be quick in this store, it's a popular place and usually by this time it's packed with teenagers buying artificial candies and snacks that are filled with sugar. I try to avoid them, considering most of them go to my school and are extremely rude to others if they are in their way. I glance over towards the door and I spot three boys crossing the street heading this way. Grabbing the correct pasta box, I head to the front of the store and get in line to pay. I pull my wallet out early to save time and as soon as I get to the cashier I place a ten dollar bill on the counter. As usual, I request no bag and go on my way again.

            The shortcut I take on my way passes by an elementary school. Usually it's abandoned after school hours but in the distance I see someone. A girl, dressed head to toe in black clothing was over by the end of the field on a bench. She appears to be in a daydream, she blankly stared at the school in front of her and didn't move. I've never seen her here before, which is odd considering I walk by here every day at the same time. The whole time I walk by she's staring out, same stance as before.

"Hello!" I call out to her, hoping to hear a response. "Are you okay?"

            She said nothing, but she stood up and grabbed her coat. Before she walked away she looked at me for a split second and looked distraught. I turned away, heading home but I couldn't stop thinking about her.