Chapter Three

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            After I'd finally stopped crying about my mom, I let go of Fern and climbed in my bed. Fern turned the lamp on the desk off, laid an extra blanket on me, and went to go to sleep.

That night, I didn't get a single second of sleep. I couldn't stop thinking about what we were going to do tomorrow. There's still school, and then we only have a little bit of daylight time afterwards to follow the map. We didn't even have a plan.

Fern practically fell on me to wake me up the next morning.

"What are you DOING?" I yelled at her.

"Uh waking you up cause we're going to be late?"

"Well you could have done it a bit more gently!" I said while pushing her off my bed.

We were going to be late, though. School starts at eight, and its already seven thirty. I ran to the closet, and grabbed a random sweater and leggings. Then, I ran to the bathroom, changed my clothes, brushed my teeth, and then my hair. When I got downstairs, Fern was already at the door in her red turtle neck sweater, and black leggings. I hate turtle necks, but for some reason, they actually look good on Fern.

"How did you do all that so fast?" I asked her.

"I've been up since six," Fern replied.

"Well then why didn't you wake me up?"

"Because you looked so peaceful when you were asleep," She said with a smile.

I guess Fern's sometimes too nice. But she tries her best.

Fern and I ran down the street like we do almost every morning. Running past all the houses, because we often miss the school bus. We ran and ran, until once we got there, we'd forgotten our lunch bags. We had no time to go back, which means we'd just have to eat the weird school food.

I can't begin to describe how much I hate school. And it's not just school itself, it's the people. I guess you could say I have a major case of social anxiety, which is another reason I decided to not make any new friends. I don't know what it is, but I constantly feel like people are staring at me or judging me. I always feel like I look weird or I say the wrong things.

Now, Fern has a bit of social anxiety too, but it's gotten a lot better. I used to be the one protecting her, now it's the other way around.

Fern intertwined her fingers with mine, and looked over at me.

"It'll be okay. After tonight, we shouldn't ever have to be here again." She said in a soft, soothing tone.

I squeezed her hand and smiled at her. Then, we walked through the doors. The walls and walls of people surrounding us. But I stayed calm, and kept squeezing Fern's hand. Every time I looked over to her, she smiled, and mouthed something encouraging.

We made it to our first class, which wasn't together. I sat in that room stressing over how I didn't have Fern's hand to hold onto, and how I really just wanted to see her again. And I know I've got to get over being away from her, but I can't, and I don't know why. Maybe it's just because we've been together for so long, and I feel like I might lose her if I let her go.

Finally, my first class was done. As soon as I got out of that room, I ran down the halls and hugged Fern as tight as I could the second I saw her.

"Hey it's okay! All our classes for the rest of the day are together, remember?" Fern was so understanding of my weird mental issues.

"Yeah, I remember. I just missed you so much." I said to her, as I was trying not to cry a river.

The rest of the day was a ton easier. Once we'd gotten out of school, it was about three in the afternoon. I decided we should go back to the house, pack things up, and then tell Keira we were going to the library again.

Fern and I ran home again, trying to think about what we would do next. Once we got home Each of us ran upstairs to our room.

"What are you doing?" Keira's younger daughter asked us.

"Nothing Mimi, just going to the library!" Fern lied to her.

She looked back at us like she again, knew something about us. I don't know what's wrong with this town, but it's rather weird.

Fern opened the door to our room, and we grabbed some backpacks out of the closet. We couldn't bring much, but we could bring enough essential items. I packed a hairbrush, two extra sets of clothes, some snacks I had been hiding under my bed, and this random necklace that I have had ever since I came here. Fern shoved pretty much the same stuff in her bag, except she also shoved a ton of paper and pencils in too.

"What are those for?" I asked her.

"Well, I guess we could take notes on them? Or leave notes for other people?" She said.

I was starting to get a little emotional again. Even though I want to see my mother, I haven't seen her in years.

"What if my mom... doesn't exist anymore?" I said quietly.

Fern walked over to me and pulled me down to the floor. She hugged me and then whispered,

"She'll be there. And even if she's not, you've got me," Fern smiled.

"Well then, you've got me too," I smiled back.

We sat there a little longer, just lying on the floor thinking about things. About how home would be like. What people would be there. That no matter what we face, we'll do it together. We won't be separated. 

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