Since 2004

one

                        September 3rd finds it's way to me a little too soon. I've spent the last two months basking in Aiden's absence. I've partied almost every night, I've slept over in countless people's houses, and I haven't done a page of my summer reading.

But now, it's 6:00am on Monday, September 3rd and it's time to get back to reality. Aiden came home late last night. I heard the car doors slamming again, just like I had the morning he left. But this time, I didn't bother getting up. I'm not happy he's back whereas I was ecstatic when he was leaving.

I flip my blankets off and roll out of bed, switching my alarm off. I blink a couple times to get the sleep out of my eyes and shuffle into the bathroom and then down to the kitchen.

My mom is downstairs when I get down there, reading something on her phone at the kitchen table. She looks up when I walk down.

"Morning, honey! Ready for the first day of senior year?"

I nod meekly. It's all I can really muster at this hour. Just the thought of having to wake up at the ass crack of dawn for the next 180 days makes me want to walk out the front door and find the nearest cliff to jump off of.

"Well, you'll be delighted to know that Aiden is back from his camp healthy and happy," my mom says, looking up at me again.

"Is that supposed to be a happy thing?'" I ask.

"Of course, honey!"

I try my hardest not to scoff. "Thanks for ruining my morning, mom," I  reply, glumly.

"I think it would do you some good to go to a camp like that. I think you would benefit from a detox. I'll have to ask Sandra how she found out about it.".

"A detox from what? School? Unfortunately, that's illegal."

"A detox from your phone and the other demanding pressures of this world, Sophia."

I cough to cover up a laughing. But then I pause. Wait-- you're telling me Aiden's camp thing didn't allow him to have his phone? For the entire two months?"

"That's why it's called a retreat, honey."

I raise my eyebrows. "Send me off to one of those and I will jump off a ten story building."

After a few more lovely exchanges with my mom and a granola bar for breakfast, I head back upstairs to actually get ready. My favorite and least favorite part of the morning . Luckily for me, I've had my first day of senior year outfit planned out since the last day of school. It was going to slap and I didn't need to worry about that.

I've chosen cargo pants, a red, long sleeve cropped shirt, and belly chains. I put on white converse and straighten my hair. It falls to my elbows by this point because I haven't cut it all summer. It looks good though. All through last year I had kept my hair just below my shoulders because I thought it made me look more put together. I don't think it was doing much for me, though.

In terms of actual looks, I think I look a lot different then last year. I had thought that females stopped growing at age fifteen or something like that, but I have definitely gained an inch or so since last school year. Along with that, the gym has been nothing but good to me. Too bad I'm a fucking fat ass because I'd probably be a skinny legend by now. My countless trips to Starbucks this summer did nothing for me or my bank account.

I throw on my favorite pair of big hoops and then sit to do my makeup. I end up having to redo my mascara four times because every time either one of my eyelashes looks like shit or both of them do. By the time I finally perfect it I'm pretty much late. Fuck.

I grab my backpack and my keys and rush down the stairs. I'm yelling bye to my mom as I'm opening and closing the front door.

I'm in my car in record time. I throw my backpack in the passenger seat and skid backwards out of my driveway. I will not be walking into my first period late.

***

I end up walking in late anyway. The parking lot was worse than expected because all the good spots were gone. I had to park in the pits of hell of the senior lot and the walk up to the school building was nothing short of a hike.

My first period is AP Calculus with Mr. Browning. I've always been scared of him, so this is just great. I had him last year for Calculus AB and he did not like me, to say the least.

I stumble into class five minutes after the bell rings and every single head in the classroom turns in my direction. I like being the center of attention, but not in this kind of situation.

"Ms. Santiago. You do know when the bell rings, correct?" Mr. Browning gives me a fucking stink eye and leans back against his desk, folding his arms.

"I do. I'm sorry for being late, it won't happen again." I can think of several choice words and phrases that I would much rather say to Mr. Browning, but I'd rather not get detention on the first day of school.

"Now I need to figure out where to put you. I need groups of two and unfortunately, you are the odd man out."

Maybe I can just move to a different class, then! Just as I'm thinking that, the door bursts open behind me. I turn around and see someone who looks disturbingly familiar but I can't really figure out why.

Mr Browning's attention finally moves off of me. He now looks to the person behind me. His face lights up when he sees whoever this person is whereas when he saw me he looked like he just received the worst news imaginable.

"Mr. Brooks! How good to see you! Did you have a good summer?"

To say my jaw drops would be an understatement. It practically hits the floor before I come to my senses and snap it back shut. The person standing right behind me was not a stranger who I thought I had seen before, it was Aiden fucking Brooks. My fucking neighbor. My fucking arch nemesis. And holy shit did he look different.