Falling for Ward

Morning

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My eyes slowly open as my phone begins to ring. Still half asleep, I grab my phone without looking to see who it is. "Hello?" I grumble and burrow myself into my sheets, hiding from the sunlight.

"RISE AND SHINE!" Rita screams. I yank the phone away from my ear, my eyes now wide open.

"Ow," I groan.

"How the hell are you still asleep?" Rita asks

"I stayed up late," I tell her while yawning. I eye the social textbook on my desk. I must have spent five hours reading over it.

Rita makes an unimpressed grunt. "Tell me you weren't studying." When I don't reply she just laughs. "Girl, we still have one more day of summer. Studying is for later!"

I shrug and readjust my pillows. "What can I say? I like to be prepared."

"You like to be a teacher's pet," she counters.

We both laugh but soon fall silent. Ugh, this year is going to suck. Three weeks into summer Rita's Mom got a promotion and they moved to New York. How will I get through the school year without my best friend? Short answer: It'll be impossible.

"You thinking about it?" Rita asks after a lengthy pause.

"About what?"

"About how much this year is going to fucking blow?"

"It won't be that bad," I lie while rolling over. I jump out of bed once I see the clock. "Shit!" I run over to my closet and throw on a pair of jeans that are too tight and a whit T-shirt. "I gotta go. I'm late," I tell Rita. We say goodbye as I rush down the stairs and into the kitchen, fumbling to get on my watch.

"Did you have a good sleep?" Mom asks from where she sits, her bowl of yogurt and fruit neatly placed in front of her.

"Yeah," I reply and quickly grab a banana from the bowl on the kitchen island. "And I need to go shopping," I say while pointing to my jeans that would have fit me two years ago.

"Okay. Stay for a second," she says.

"I can't. I'm late for the library." Ever since I was in seventh grade I've been volunteering at the library for the Reading Buddies Program. I curse myself for sleeping through my alarm...Twice.

"Alison, this is very important." I cringe when she uses my full name. I nod and put down the banana. She watches me as I sit across from her. "I have something to tell you," she says.

Instantly my heart begins to pound and hands start to tremble. The last time we had a conversation like this was four years ago. Right when we found out Dad was diagnosed with cancer.

"Please tell me you're okay," I whisper and try to keep myself from crying.

"I'm fine," she says immediately and a sigh of relief escapes from me. "I'm perfectly healthy..." She pauses.

"Then what is it?" I ask.

"I've been seeing someone. It's gotten quite serious and he's coming over for dinner tomorrow with his son."

I blink. "Oh, okay. Yeah."

"I didn't want to keep it from you. Under no circumstances will he be replacing your dad, but I truly like him. And things have escalated quickly and-"

"Mom, it's really okay," I tell her. "I'm happy you've found someone." After Dad died...I was worried about her. Scared I would lose her too and that she would never be able to move on. I loved my Dad and I always will. But his death was something I feared my Mom would never be able to survive. I'm glad she has someone. Even if that someone isn't my Dad.

Mom smiles, the corners of her mouth nearly touching her blue eyes. "But I really do need to go now. I'm going to be late," I tell her.

She nods and before I get out the door, I hear her call out, "And his son is around your age. I think he goes to your school."

***HEY FRIENDS, I HOPE YOU LIKED THIS FIRST PART. THE BEGINNING IS A BIT SLOW, I KNOW. BUT IT PICKS UP. IF YOU WANT TO REQUEST ME TO WRITE CERTAIN SCENES GO TO THE TABLE OF CONTENTS AND GO TO "REQUESTS"