the way back

one

High school was almost over, Witney thought, and I haven't even decided what to do with my future. It wasn't that Witney never thought about life after high school, she thought about a lot, she just couldn't find a place where she felt she belong. Every college she visited just wasn't the right fit. And maybe there was a small part of her that was reluctant to let high school go.

She shook the thoughts of her future from her head as she pulled into the school parking lot. The drive to school, Witney decided, was the best place to think.

As she got out her car, she looked around at all the familiar faces in the lot. I won't even remember most of these people in a few years. Soon all these moments, with all these people, will just be memories, Witney thought.

She shrugged her bag onto her shoulder and made her way to the building.

As soon as Witney entered the main hallway she pushed her way through the crowds of people until she spotted her group of friends clustered around a row of lockers.

"Hey Wit," her friend Sarah said as Witney made her way over, "we missed you at practice yesterday." Witney had left school early to visit a college a few hours away, and she hadn't made it back for cheer practice.

"I was at college visit number nine. I'm sure you guys were fine without me." Witney said with a smile.

"Oh please, you know we can't work on our stunts without you there," Witney's other friend Gabbie said, rolling her eyes.

Witney laughed, "Well don't worry I'll be there today."

As the girls chatted, catching up on all the latest gossip of La Vista Prep, the bell rang signaling that classes were starting soon. The girls said their goodbyes and wandered off to their first period classes. If there's one thing that I'm not going to major in, Witney thought as she entered the classroom, it's chemistry. Witney sat down next to her lab partner, Steven, without saying anything. She wanted this class over as soon as possible. Only a few more months, she thought to herself.

***

Kara was never late, however today seemed to be the exception. For a reason unknown to her, she had slept through her alarm. She'd rushed getting ready, and skipped breakfast entirely before getting in her car and speeding to the school.

For most people being late wasn't that big of a deal. In fact, most people at La Vista High were late a great deal of the time. However, for Kara, being late was unacceptable and simply, she just didn't have time for it. Kara was involved in numerous school activities, and still kept a 4.0 GPA. She supposed she could have her pick of any Ivy League school but she'd been set on the University of Virginia for as long as she could remember. It was where her parents had met after all.

The past year however, had been a hard one concerning her parents. They had separated, and were divorced soon after. In fact, her dad had only told her that he was moving to Pittsburgh after he'd already moved.

Kara rolled into the parking lot and had barely turned her car off before she was flying to the front door, dragging her bag with her. She reached into her bag to grab her phone that had been going off most of the way to the school. Mostly from kids in student council, she guessed.

Well at least my presence was missed, Kara thought as she hurried through the hallway.

In her haste, Kara hadn't looked up before she ran right into something hard.