Waves

CHAPTER 19

(}--|January the first day of school|--{)

NORA

Nora woke up long before her alarm was set. School started at 8:30 and ended at 3:00, which was a shorter schedule than Nora was used to. She was looking forward to the change, and looking forward to her classes.

When her alarm finally beeped at 6:45, Nora popped upright and hit the off button. She slid her legs out of bed and dressed in blue jean shorts and a white shirt with a picture of a cat staring up at her.

She put her hair in twin french braids and then added a light touch of mascara, and a bit of blush to her face, before scampering out of the hallway.

Mouse was leaning against the counter on his phone, already dressed for the day in board shorts, a white top with sleeveless side slits, and his signature backwards hat. He looked up when Nora arrived, and grinned at her.

"Hi there," Nora said with a small smile.

"I made you breakfast for your first day," Mouse slid a plate over to her and she thanked him, "Are you nervous?"

Nora nodded ever so slightly. Sure, she was nervous. She was going to a whole new school in an entirely different country, and the education in Australia was said to be so much better than the education in America that Nora was nervous she would be behind the rest of her classmates.

But most of all, she was nervous because her starting school sort of also started a timer. A timer that would end at zero days left in the country she'd already fallen deep in love with. And when it ended, she would have to go home again and bounce from foster home to foster home until she was eighteen years of age, and therefore allowed to lead her own life. Most likely, she would never be able to get back to Australia again.

Nora ate her breakfast in silence beside Mouse, who seemed to understand that she was nervous, albeit he wasn't entirely clear on why, and thankfully he let her be silent.

In rapid time, Nora was picking up her plate and taking it to the dishwasher. She rinsed it off in the sink and then loaded it and closed the lid of the appliance. The clock read 7:25.

Nora walked back to her room and opened her door. She slipped inside and found the new backpack she'd gotten for herself at the back of her closet. It was bright teal, and much larger than her previous one. Talia had already explained to Nora that she should come home packed with loads of homework every day.

Nora slipped the backpack over her shoulders, grateful for having packed it the night before. It didn't feel too heavy, despite the ridiculous amount of notebooks, folders, and writing utensils that she had packed. She'd also made three or four copies of her schedule, which she'd received the night before, and then spent at least an hour color coding the school map she'd also been given. She was well prepared.

Nora clipped the little buckle that would hold her straps together and walked out of her room, but not before grabbing the worn out pair of blue converse that she'd used since she was ten. She slid them on her feet and tied them by the door, aware of Mouse's eyes on her but too lost in her thoughts to acknowledge him.

"Okay, I'm going," Nora said, standing up.

"Best of luck," Mouse offered her a kind smile, which grew wider when she returned a small one of her own.

Nora turned and walked out of the front door, closing it quietly behind her. She checked her pockets for her phone, keys, and a couple bucks of cash just in case, and then hurried down the hall and out the lobby doors. She had a twenty five minute walk to the school, which she didn't mind since she loved walking.