The symptom

One step at a time.

The twelfth of every month was hard on me because it meant thirty more days I'd been without Dad. I couldn't begin to describe how much it hurt to miss him so much.

May twelfth was a Saturday, so I was at the Aquarium, determined to complete Week Two in my Plan. All I had to do was ask Adam how his week went.

I walked up to him and smiled when I arrived. We greeted each other and I asked how he spent his week.

"You know, same stuff all the time," Adam answered. "I wake up, go to school, do homework, sleep, repeat." He smirked and his eyes danced. "But you don't want to hear about all that. How did your week go?"

"Same old, same old." He laughed. "What are your parents like?"

The question surprised us both. Something about him made it comfortable to talk, though. Adam thought before answering.

"Weird," he finally answered, and we both laughed. "My mum and I get along all right. But Dad's a little... uptight. I'm pretty sure he doesn't approve of my interest in the ocean, either. Most people think it's a bit... odd."

I sighed. "Tell me about it."

"What about your parents?"

I stared at my feet. "My dad left us a year and two months ago from today."

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry," he said without missing a beat. I couldn't see his face but his voice sounded sincere.

We stood a couple moments in silence. I looked up to see Adam shaking his head.

"What?" I asked.

"I just can't believe people do things like that."

Stupidly, I didn't know what he was talking about.

"Like what?"

"Leaving their family behind. It's selfish."

I nodded. "I wish I could forget about him. But even though I know he's not all good, I still like to think he might be."

Adam looked into my eyes with the deepest sorrow, like he was taking my emotions and stuffing them into his own eyes.

"Take your seats, future marine biologists of America!" Mr. Clarke tapped his podium and smiled at us all. I left Adam and found my seat in the back. Mr. Clarke showed us a video on ocean creatures. I managed to watch the movie instead of Adam for once.

***

Week Three was put into action. I was relieved I didn't have to force myself to talk to Adam, but also afraid he wouldn't come to me.

I was lost in my own thoughts in the back of the room when Adam sat in the empty chair beside me. My heart began a race with my lungs.

"Hey, Myra. Do you remember what the assignment was last week?"

He was wearing his gray beanie. I stared at it as I said, "Yeah, I'm pretty sure we just have to research a bit about our favorite sea animal and write a paragraph about it. It's due next week though."

"I did know that last part." He grinned. "Thanks." I expected him to get up and leave, but he stayed put. "Busy week? You look a bit worn out."

"It's just crazy with it being the last week of school and all."

"Hallelujah," Adam said, lifting his arms to the sky. "I cannot freaking wait. I won't have to go to school again until college, which I don't plan on doing right away."

I cocked my head. "Why not?"

"Well, I applied for a school in Europe for marine biology and I'm still waiting for an answer. If they accept me, I'll go in a year or two. If not, I'll try to find another school in either Australia or America. And who knows how long that'll take?" He shrugged. "But I'm not worried about the time. I can study the ocean more while I wait." He turned his head to me. "Where are you planning on going?"

I chuckled. "No idea yet. I'm planning on starting late, also. Once I find a college I like."

"We have a lot in common, Dickinson."

"That we do, Foster."

He smirked at me before retreating to his seat in the row in front of me with his hands in his pockets.

So Adam did come to me. Just for an assignment, but that was still something, right?