Chris Stewart was a normal high school boy. Emphasis on was. Vanessa was crazy, certifiably so. She left him broken, uneasy, unsure of himself. Can he rebuild? Learn to trust girls again.
"Mom, are you sure I have to go?? Can't we like just home school or cyber school?"
Maddie Stewart peered down the stairs to gaze at her only child. Despite his height and size he really would always be a little boy in her eyes. "Chris, you know you can't do that. I fought too hard to get you to pass junior year. So get going, senior year awaits. Hurry and get dressed, I've got breakfast ready." With that she withdraws her head and goes back to the kitchen to finish up the food.
Chris heaves an enormous sigh and throws himself on his bed as his mother disappears from sight, lost in his own thoughts. He really doesn't want to go back there. Too many bad memories. And the people, his classmates. He really isn't ready for the stares. The judgement. Or worse, their pity. So he tries to stall getting up as long as he can, just laying on his bed alone with his own thoughts.
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"Christopher Anthony Stewart!! You better be ready and up here in two minutes or I am coming down there to drag you out myself!!"
Chris shakes his head as he pushes off the bed, hurriedly pulling on clothes and checking his reflection in the mirror. Honestly he doesn't look half bad, maybe even slightly attractive, if you look past the dark circles under his eyes. Or the faint white lines still noticeable, at least to his eyes, on his left arm.
He sighs and gathers up his school bag, heading upstairs before his mother gets a chance to pester him once again. Breakfast, as promised is on the table. Maddie looks at her son with concern as he begins to eat his pancakes. He looks tired, stressed out and the school year technically hasn't even begun. Slowly she takes a set of keys out of her purse and slides them across the table towards him, catching his attention as he cuts another piece of pancake. Chris stops with his fork halfway to his mouth, setting it back down on his plate as he examines what his mother just passed him.
"Mom??" Maddie smiles at her only child as he picks up the car keys. "What? I thought you would like to drive yourself to school today. I wouldn't want to embarrass you by driving you on your first day of senior year. And as a matter of fact, the old Subaru, well it is now yours. Your car." Chris's eyes instantly light up, "Seriously?!" Maddie nods as Chris jumps from his seat and all but tackles his mom in a hug. Quickly he gathers up his school bag and rushes towards the door.
It is the call of cellphone! that causes him to turn back. "Oh yea..." He grabs the phone that his mother holds in her outstretched hands, dropping a small kiss in her hair and then bounding out of the house. He has been in the Subaru plenty of times, but only as a passenger. Being able to think of it as his car, his own, it is rather exhilarating. He spins the dial on the radio, finding a pop rock station to listen to as he drives the small distance to Fairview High School.
The smile on his face as he pulls in to a parking spot is actually genuine, for once. Maybe senior year won't be so bad after all. Matt and Cam spy him right away as he steps out of the car and heads towards the school building.
"Dude..."
"Woah! Your mom just let you drive it today?"
Chris shakes his head as his two friends fall in step with him, smile a mile wide on his face. "Guys, she gave it to me. The Subaru is officially MINE. All mine..." Cam playfully punches his shoulder as Matt ruffles his hair, both happy to see their friend seemingly back to normal. He brushes both of them aside and runs a hand through his hair, patting it for good measure. "Dude, watch the hair."
Matt rolls his eyes as he and Cam veer off towards their lockers, "We'll catch up at lunch." Chris nods and heads towards the front office to collect his schedule before stopping at his old locker. He pulls the lock out of his backpack and tosses all but a few notebooks and some pens in the locker before closing it and snapping the lock in place. He is examining his schedule, trying to figure out what his first class is when a voice infiltrates his thoughts.
"Excuse me, I don't know where I'm supposed to go. Do you know where Mr. Hamilton's History classroom is??"
Chris turns to his right, at the locker next to his is a confused looking girl. She is easily a foot shorter than him, slight, strawberry blond hair. Hazel eyes look up at him curiously. She tries again, voice girlish and sweet. "Well do you?" He nods mutely, pointing past her down the hall. She cocks her head to the side, following his line of sight. "Okay so down that way??" He nods again.
She pats his arm and gives him a small smile, "Well thank you locker buddy, I'm Natalie. You can call me Nat if you want." Chris smiles shyly in return, opening his mouth to speak just as the first warning bell sounds. Natalie clutches her notebooks to her chest and sighs, "Well I guess that is my cue to head to class. Wish me luck, my silent locker buddy." She waves and begins to walk down the hall. Chris finally composes himself and calls after her, "Good luck. And its Chris."
Natalie turns around, walking backwards down the hall so that she can look at him. Wide smile on her face, "Well thank you again for helping me out Chris, my new locker buddy. I'll see you around." He smiles and waves back before heading to his class in the opposite direction.
