Being the Weakness

Chapter One

Chapter One: back to school

My feet sink into the warm golden sand beneath my feet as his hand slides into mine. A cool ocean breeze flows through my blonde hair as James turns to face me and kisses my forehead softly. The bell rings and I'm back to reality. It's my first day back at school and I'm already daydreaming about summer.

As the class files in my two best friends, Michaela and Audrey, walk in with wide smiles on their faces.

"Caroline! Oh my gosh it's so good to see you! How was your summer?!" Audrey exclaims giving me a huge hug.

"We missed you so much!" Michaela says wrapping her arms around me for another tight squeeze.

"Great! How was..." I start but was interrupted by our new chemistry teacher walking in.

"Hello lady's and gentlemen." she starts. "I am Mrs. Fink and I am your chemistry teacher this year. If you will please take your seats as I pass out your first assignments." She grabs a stack of papers off her desk and begins to pass them out to the front row as the three of us take our seats. "Don't worry it isn't hard you just have to read through the packet and you and your parent will have to sign at the back of the packet that says you must obey the following rules of this class." She continues. "Because it's the beginning of the year you will get today off but starting tomorrow we will work on unit one of your textbooks!"

Michaela, Audrey, and I instantly turn to face each other and share about our summer stories. Michaela went to Mexico with her family and Audrey stayed home and spent the summer with her boyfriend, Taylor. I told them about my three month trip to Florida and while my parents were at their business meetings I was meeting and spending the whole summer with James. I wish I was still there but I'm glad to see my friends again. It's hard to spend every single summer away from your friends and be practically invisible to your parents.

The bell rings and I start towards my next class which just happened to be my least favorite class, history. Michaela and Audrey have Geometry and English 2 so we are all on our own for second period.

As I take my seat I recognize my ex-boyfriend, Andrew, with his new girlfriend, Kristina. I duck down hoping that he doesn't see me, but just my luck he sits right next to me and so does Kristina who is glued to his hip.

"Hey Caroline!" Kristina says in a voice that is way to cheery for my taste. I'm caught! Can't go back now!

"Hey Kristina, Andrew." I say nodding in his direction as he sits up straight in his chair realizing that he is sitting next to me.

Before he gets the chance to respond I'm saved by our teacher walking in the class asking everyone to take their seats before the bell rings or they'll be tarty.

"Hi everyone. I'm Mr. Tanner and this is my history class." the teacher says in a strong voice. "You all should know the normal rules of a class room so we don't need to go over it, right?!"

"Right." the class says in unison.

"This book is large so let's not waste time and get it learned before the school year ends. Everyone open your books and turn to page eighteen and read through chapter one and what you don't finish is homework we will go over it as a class tomorrow. In the mean time I want silence!"

The rest I the day was a blur of meeting teachers and getting packets about the year ahead. I only had one other class with Michaela but none with Audrey. All I remember is that a couldn't stop thinking about James and I touch the shell necklace he gave me before we left and reminded myself that he is real and I wasn't just dreaming.