2 o’clock in the morning and I can’t sleep, tomorrows the first day of school and I’m freaking out! Last year wasn’t my best year so if I have learned anything from last year it would be to avoid Hunter West at all costs. It’s not that I don’t like him or anything we used to be best friends but last year something changed between us and I really don’t want to go through it again. I don’t really know what happened exactly but apparently it wasn’t cool to be friends with a girl anymore, so he got rid of me, and in order to get rid of me he started avoiding me, teasing me and worst of all he shared all my secrets to the entire school. So now I am just stuck with my girlfriends for now, but truthfully I don’t like them that much because being with them is like being stuck in a drama movie it just doesn’t stop.
“Rachel” my mom called “it’s time for your first day of school you don’t want to be late do you?” I rolled over in bed and looked at the clock; oh gosh it was already 7:15 I only have 20 minutes to get ready, that is not enough time why didn’t she wake me up earlier. I really didn’t want to start using an alarm clock again, but I guess I was going to have to. I jumped out of bed and threw my makeup on and straightened my hair as fast as possible, threw some random clothes on and went downstairs. “Rachel meet me in the car” my mom yelled as I heard the front door slam. I grabbed my bag and ran outside, it was the first day of school and I wasn’t going to be late.
“Good morning mom” I said while I hopped in the car. “Why didn’t you wake me up earlier? I barely had any time to get ready.”
“Sorry Rachel I forgot it’s been a long summer and I had just remembered that your alarm clock broke and that I hadn’t woke you up yet.”
“Well I think I might get another alarm clock then, you know just in case you forget again.”
“That’s fine that gives me one less thing to worry about each morning.”
Finally about 10 minutes later I got to school just before the 10 minute bell and of course there was Hunter leaning against my locker. I was thinking about just skipping going to my locker and going straight to my first hour, which I guess this year it was pre-algebra. But I knew carrying my backpack around all day would kill my back, so I walked up to my locker anyway.
I was hoping for the best but expecting for the worst, I thought it was a little funny because he was alone. Him without friends following him around was very rare. As I approached my locker I saw him start to smile, I finally get to my locker and he says “I’ve been waiting for you we really need to talk.”
I was shocked, I was trying to find words to say but nothing was coming out after what seemed like forever I finally said “what, why were you waiting for me.”
“I thought about what happened between us over the summer and thought to myself, wow I really screwed up, you were a great friend and it was stupid of me to let you go, please forgive me.”
Again I was shocked speechless, all I came up with to say was “Please move so I can get to my locker, I don’t want to be late for class.” With that he moved from my locker and started off down the hall. He was about halfway down the hallway away when he turned back and looked at me and said “I really hope you know I’m sorry and I pray that you forgive me.”
I stood there staring at him when his friends came around and swarmed him like they always do, and all I heard was them start to question him saying things like “where were you dude,” and another person saying “I’ve been looking for you all morning.” All he could reply with was “I was just wondering the halls looking for you guys.”
I can’t believe he wants me to forgive him when he just lied to all his friends about talking to me, why does he want to be my friend when he can’t even tell people he was talking to me.
First hour went by in a blur; I wasn’t really paying attention I don’t really enjoy pre-algebra. So I just doodled on my book all hour thinking about what Hunter asked me, was it really worth me forgiving him. I could just forgive him and all the teasing could go away. If I didn’t forgive him it would just continue. So that’s it I planned on forgiving him and hopefully all the teasing would stop. We didn’t even have to be best friends anymore I could continue to ignore him if I wanted but at least people might start to like me again and not just think of me as the girl Hunter West makes fun of.
Finally school ended and I booked it to my locker, and to my surprise Hunter was standing there waiting for me again. I slowed down just a little to make it look like I wasn’t in a rush. When I got to my locker I said “I forgive you, now if you will excuse me I would like to get in my locker, get my stuff, and go home.”
He moved and said “thanks what made you forgive me I was really mean to you last year and I do honestly feel really bad about it, don’t think I’m not happy you forgave me, just what made you do it?”
I responded countering his question saying “what made you want to be so mean to me last year, what happened between us and our friendship, did you just wake up one morning hating me?”
He shifted to lean against the locker beside him; he stared me directly in the eyes and said “I never meant to hurt you it wasn’t my intention at all, but my friends started teasing me about being friends with you. They started to mock me about you being my girlfriend and when I said we were just friends they would say, guys aren’t supposed to be friends with girls.” Also stuff like “God made more than one boy so they could be friends and wouldn’t have to be friends with girls.” Finally under all the pressure of them mocking me I cracked and to get rid of you I just became a bully knowing that you wouldn’t want to hang out with me anymore, I’m really sorry.”
I stood there for a while just trying to process everything he had said to me. I realized that I wouldn’t be able to respond with a good enough response to that at the moment. So I picked up all my things turned and ran for the doors of the school, praying that my mom was already there waiting to get me. She was, I hopped in the car just as I saw Hunter running out of the school looking for me.
I got home ran upstairs and flopped down on my bed going over everything that happened today. I thought about the words he said to me and if I did do the right thing for forgiving him. I figured now that he was done being a bully to me, maybe we could be friends and even if we weren’t friends at least I wouldn’t have to be worried about being picked on anymore.
My alarm went off and I woke up realizing that I must have fallen asleep when I got home from school yesterday. Oh jeez I thought I didn’t get to do my homework good thing it was only math and it was mostly done anyway, I just had a few problems left. I would finish it on the way to school. I heard a very gentle knock on my door, then my mom said “Rachel can I come in I need to talk to you sweetie.”
“Sure mom you can come in, but I have a quick question first, was I asleep all afternoon yesterday?”
“Rachel that’s what I came up here to talk to you about. When we got home yesterday you ran up to your room and whenever I called you to come down for dinner you never came. When I came up here to get you, you looked almost like dead. What scared me the most is that you wouldn’t respond to anything I was saying, I tried everything to get your attention it scared me very much to see you like that.”
I didn’t know what to say I was in complete shock. Hearing this scared and confused me because I don’t remember falling asleep and I don’t remember anything I did yesterday. I barely knew who I was. My mom stared at me with a very concerned look on her face I didn’t want to worry her so I quickly said “I’m fine, just was feeling a little under the weather yesterday.” But truthfully I had no idea what was going on.
I finished getting ready, when I walked into the kitchen my mom was in there reading some papers. When she noticed me walk in she put them down quickly and said “Are you ready to go.” I grabbed an apple and ran out to the car.
When I got to school I saw Hunter leaning against my locker I had completely forgotten about him. I was really out of it lately I don’t know what was wrong with me. When I got to my locker he smiled at me and said “good morning, fancy seeing you here.”
I replied with a fake smile and said “well this is my locker so I don’t see what’s so fancy about it, but whatever you say.” With that he stared at me all confused and said “what happened to you. You’re not normally this snappy did something happen that I should know about?”
I was starting to wonder if he thought we were best friends again, but I didn’t feel like fighting with him right now so I said “It’s nothing I just didn’t get much sleep last night and I’m very tired.” That was a complete lie I had to much sleep last night and I wasn’t tired at all. I was just a little troubled thinking about my mom and how concerned she looked this morning even though I said nothing was wrong but she looked like she knew something that I didn’t which was really weird.
All of the sudden I realized Hunter was talking to me and awaiting my response to whatever he just asked me but I was too busy thinking about my mom she was the only family I had left and if something bothered her it bothered me. Hunter started waving his hand in front of my face saying “earth to Rachel hello snap back to reality.”
“Sorry” I said real quick “I was thinking about something else what was your question?”
“I said I was wondering if it was okay if I could walk with you to first hour, I mean like if you’re not walking with someone else or something.”
“Oh no it’s fine you can walk with me. It’s just around the corner I have Mr. Bell first hour for pre-algebra.”
“Wow I always thought you were way too smart to be in pre-algebra you should be in like geometry from what I remember about you.”
“Thanks” I said I could feel myself blush I really hope he didn’t see that. I’m not normally like this so I found it kind of weird this was the first time ever that I remember blushing over something a guy said. We walked the rest of the way to my class silent when we got there I said “thanks” and quickly walked into the classroom making sure I wasn’t late.
At lunch Hunter tried sitting with me I didn’t really care though I just wanted to go home and talk to my mom about why she looked so worried this morning. The rest of the day went by really quick I didn’t pay attention in any of my classes which isn’t like me at all something must be seriously wrong.
Finally the school day was done and I got my stuff as fast as possible and ran to the school doors, I was finally going to be able talk to my mom about this morning. When I got outside my mom wasn’t there so I thought well she must just be a little late she showed up about ten minutes later saying sorry she was late.

All the way home we rode in silence, but when we got in the house I was about to ask my mom what was wrong this morning when she looked at me with tears in her eyes and said “We need to talk, now.”

“Okay so what’s up?”

“Well Rachel I know you’re not going to like hearing this but I’m not your real mother, your real mother is dead. I hate to tell you this but we have to go now get our things and meet me in the car in ten minutes, we don’t have much time to spare there coming to get us.”

She sounded serious so I ran upstairs and stated throwing things in my suitcase I didn’t really know what I was doing but I didn’t care. I grabbed a few things I thought I would need and ran downstairs. My mom was sitting there waiting for me she said “Put your stuff in the car and let’s go.” With that we were in our car and on our way to where ever we were going.

After about ten minutes in the car my mom finally said “were moving to Nebraska to get away from here. I just can’t be here anymore, it reminds me of the death of your father and it has been bringing me down so were leaving, so we can both start new. I know I should be getting over him but I can’t and so I decided were getting away from here.”

I sat there silent for a few seconds, but then I decided this would be good for me to start over. I needed this, it stinks that Hunter had just asked for my forgiveness but I’m absolutely fine with this. I can start over I would just be known as the new girl and I’m absolutely fine with this. I’m quite excited, my mom is telling me the details of our new house and where I will be going for school. This place sounds amazing I can’t wait to get there!