With You ✔

2

Ellie

Nine Months Earlier

"Ellie! Get a move on!"

Mom's voice carries up the stairs bringing me out of my deep sleep and back to reality, my dreams slipping from my memory as I open my eyes and glance at the time on my phone. Reality wasn't something that I was very fond of these days, but with any luck today will have a positive impact on my recent mood. I've been counting down to this day all summer, putting x's on my calendar in hopes that today - my first day at John Rogers High School, home of the Cougars - will open the door to a new and better part of my life.

My mom and I moved to Clarksville at the beginning of the summer when she and my dad decided that it would be best for the family if the two of us moved sixty five miles away while he stayed back in our old house. How moving an hour away is supposed to help with "working on your marriage" is beyond me, but my dad travels a lot and spends the majority of his time at his office so it's not like there was anything for us to stick around for.

"I'm awake!" I drag myself out of my warm comfy bed and head to my closet, picking up and pulling on a pair of light wash jeans before tucking in my black and white striped t shirt and grabbing a cardigan from a nearby hanger. I roll the cuffs of my jeans and lace up my black Dr. Martens, sighing at my reflection in the mirror hanging on my closet door and trying not to think too hard about being the new girl at school. Just because I've been counting down to this day doesn't mean I'm not a nervous wreck about it.

After fixing my hair and brushing my teeth I head downstairs where I know my mom is preparing to give me some big long motivational speech about how this is going to be a great year and how I am going to do great, blah blah blah.

Sure enough, as soon as I enter the kitchen she looks up from her iPad and starts with the positive and encouraging mantra. "Are you nervous, El?"

"A little." I grab a blueberry bagel from the cabinet and pop it in the toaster before moving to get a bottle of water from the fridge. "We moved here months ago so I'm used to the town and I have a few friends, so I'll be fine."

I lean against the counter and take a sip of water as she sits her iPad all the way down on the table now, "Are Maci and Gwen in any of your classes?"

"Yep. I only have two classes without either of them."

"I'm sure you'll do great, I'm just sorry that you had to leave all your old friends behind." She looks sad and tired, her blonde hair falling in her face and the bags under her eyes visible despite the frames of her glasses. She's been working overtime ever since we moved, trying to keep up with the bills and the new mortgage all on one salary instead of two - all while unnecessarily worrying about me.

"Mom, I told you, it's not a big deal. It's not like we were that close and like I said, I've already made a few friends here." I'm not just saying this to ease her mind, it's true. None of the friends that I left behind were considered my best friends or anything and I've barely spoken to any of them since I left town. They are just people that I went to lunch with every other weekend or attended the occasional party with. We didn't share secrets or text daily, they never came over to our house or anything other than to pick me up, and when I told them I was moving they frowned for about five seconds before moving on to gossiping about Laura Buchanan's latest hook up.

I turn to grab my bagel from the toaster and quickly spread some cream cheese on each piece. "Ellie, I just think that you need to-"

"I need to go, I'm meeting Maci. Bye mom, I love you. See you tonight." With my bagel in one hand I grab my backpack with the other and practically run out the door.