SHARDS (Not Edited Yet)

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"BEEEEEP!!! BLEEEEEP!!! BLEEEEEEP!!! BLEEE-"

I slap my hand over my alarm silencing it. Groggy and tired I slowly get out of bed and make my way downstairs. Elana and Jack are sitting across from each other at the table playing tug of war over a plait of pancakes.

I drop some bread in the toaster and push down the handle watching the wires inside turn orange. Getting my plate and glass of milk I wait for the bread to brown up.

The toast shoots up. Sliding it onto my plate I slather on some butter. Opening my mouth I crunch down on the golden-brown bread. The warm buttery bread melts in my mouth making me groan. Quickly, I demolish the remaining pieces of bread and hop up the stairs to get ready for school.

Feeling fresh and clean with my backpack in hand I make my way to the car. Elana and Jack are bickering in the back. No surprise there.

Sliding into my seat in the front I notice mom looks haggard. Deep purple shadows shade her eyes, her hair is all frizzy, and her clothes are all wrinkled and lumpy. "Are you ok mom?" I whisper. Mom jumps looking around wildly, her hands held in front of her like she was about to fight something off. "Are you ok mom?" I say once again. 

Her voice quivers "Uh yes, um, I'm ff, fine". Mom drives as if what just happened never happened. Her eyes strained onto the road. Refusing to look over at me. Common mom, I think to myself, what's going on? What aren't you telling me? I stare at her, but she doesn't give.

We make it to the school faster than I anticipated. Hesitantly I clambered out of the car. Mom still won't look at me. Grabbing my bag I walk up the stairs.

Something pricks to my attention. Turning around I find mom staring at me through the window with what looked like sadness and desperation in her eyes. What are you trying to tell me, mother? Then in a moment, the look in her gaze is gone. Turning back to the road, she drives off, leaving me with questions and no answers.

"Hello!", I turn around. A boy with floppy brown hair looks down at me. A baseball cap is tucked neatly onto his head, a few freckles dot his nose and cheeks. I recognized him from English class yesterday. He's the one that waved at me from the back of the room.

Closing the distance between us he says "What's your name? Mines James". His eyes are an earthy brown "Thomas" I say, shaking his hand. He smirks at me "I see you've met my cousin". 

"Yep! Hey do you want to come to eat lunch with Megan Annie and me down at the football field?".  He pauses considering his options "Sounds good," he says.

"Hello"! James and I turn around at the sound. Megan and Annie stand there, both beaming at us. "So you guys ready to go to class?" Megan says looking at all of us each in turn. James smiles and gives a thumbs up. 

"Onwards to science class!" James yells pointing towards the door and with that, he sprints up the stairs and disappears through the hall not bothering to look back to see if we were following. 

Annie chuckles "Ok, let's go". We make our way to the entrance of Westchester school at a much slower pace than James.

Walking into the room I notice James at the way back of the room talking jokes to the person in front of him. "Hello, Thomas, it's so nice to have you join our class"! Mrs. Everheart comes out of nowhere and advances on me. Leaving the only way around her is out the door.

"Today we are doing partners in a project and I have partnered you with James, he is the one all the way in the back," Mrs. Everheart says pointing to the far end of the room. "I know who he is," I say. "Splendid"! Mrs. Everheart beams down at me. "Hurry along then," she says shooing me away.