Alive {Jemi}

Chapter 1

"Demi where are you going?" I started following her so she wouldn't get lost.

"To my hideout. Come on it's not that far." She continued walking.

"My mommy says I have to come straight home after school." But I still continued walking anyways. Getting further away from the walking path and going deeper into the woods. I didn't know where this hideout was and I sure hope we wouldn't get lost. But for some reason I trusted her.

"We're almost there." We passed by a few more trees. It was very pretty and quiet out here. The sun shone through the leaves of the trees and the wind blew softly against my face. It was a nice summer day. We then arrived near a small river with a giant log and trees next to it.

"So this is your hideout? Do you come here often?" I walked to the river and ran my hands through the cool clear water.

"Yeah I come here almost everyday after school." Do her parents not worry about her coming home right away like my mommy and daddy would? "I find it relaxing. I come here to also hideaway from the girls.. Sometimes they chase me home" She slowly spoke out picking at the dirt with a stick. I went back and sat next to her. I felt sorry for her.

"They won't pick on you anymore and I'll make sure of it you're my best friend now." We stayed quiet for a little while before I asked her another question "Do you show people this hideout?"

"No. You're the first one. I figured since you're now my friend this could be our hideout." She smiled when she said that.

"Okay. But I really have to get going before my mommy gets worried." She nodded before we started trudging back out of the woods and onto the path again. After walking for a few more minutes we approached my house first.

"See you tomorrow Demi."

"See ya." She waved before walking back to her house. I went in my house and my mom came out from the kithchen.

"How was your first day? Did you make any friends sweetie?" She asked me as she grabbed my backpack from me and took me to the kitchen where she gave me my snack.

"It was great and you were right mommy I did make a new friend!" I told her as I ate my snack.

"That's great sweetie. Who is he?" She asked while washing the dishes.

"Her name is Demi. We're best friends now" She stopped washing and gave me a soft smile.

"A she? That's great I hope I can meet this 'best friend' of yours someday." I nodded my head excitedly.

"You will soon mommy. She lives a few houses down from us and she walks home and she's in my class too." I rambled.

"That's great Joe. I'm glad you made a new friend. I knew you would." She dried her hands and came to where I was at and ruffled my hair a little.

"Where's Nick and Kevin?" Kevin is my oldest brother and he's in 6th grade. Nick is my second oldest brother and he's in the 4th grade. Which makes me the youngest of my family by being in 2nd grade.

"Well Kevin is at soccer and Nick is at his guitar lesson. They should be home soon. Go get started on your homework Joseph." My mommy took my finished plate and I went up to my room to get started on my homework.

A few more weeks passed and I was getting closer to Demi. She told me how she had two sisters and a step dad. She doesn't quite remember where her real dad was. She just knew that one day when she came home from school he was just gone and her mom told her that her mom and her dad got a divorce. She also told me about the girls who bullied her and it only got me more mad about them. She didn't deserve it at all. I stood up for her a few times when they came and bullied her again. She thanked me each time and I told her it was no problem. Everyday after school we would go to the hideout in the woods. I was starting to remember the path of how to get there too. You'd walk straight and turn right once you saw the tree with a weird looking shape. It almost looked like a star. Then, you'd keep walking until you see the river. We were sitting down on our log talking about school before she dug up something from inside of the log. I didn't notice she kept things in there. She took out a brown book and a small black pen.