• My alarm startled me awake. I moved my hand to whack the button to shut the stupid alarm off but it wasn't there. I blinked away the sleep that made my eyes sticky.
    "Wake up!" A familiar voice yelled in my ear. Clay. I jumped so fast that I fell out of bed. I grumbled as I got to my feet. He didn't offer me any help he just leaned back against the computer desk and watched me pick myself up. I whacked me fist of his arm hard enough to send little pin pricks up my arm but he didn't even move.
    I learned at an early age that hitting him didn't hurt him and at his size it didn't surprise me. He was about 6 foot 2 as big as wide my door frame. His brown hair would always fall to cover his blue eyes so he was constantly brushing them back. He looked like Hollywood's perception of a school bully but he couldn't be nicer.
    Me on the other hand, well lets just say I'm known for hitting before thinking. Every one under estimated me, at 5 foot 6 I couldn't blame them. I was a modern day Barbie except I had green eyes. Well actually I'd like to give myself that much credit for being a fighting machine. I had a temper but I never acted on it the only time I had hit someone was in forth grade when the school bully had called me short and I had tried to deck him only giving him a black eye. My mouth on the other hand ran wild.
    I looked over at the alarm clock he had moved to my dresser and swore. I spun and sprinted into my walk in closet. He gave a low chuckle and I heard the jingling of the bells on my backpack. He cursed.
    "Put the backpack down." I growled through the door. I heard him throw it onto the bed as I scrambled out of the closet. I slipped on the tile floor as I raced into the bathroom and slammed into the counter and my hair fell over my face. I straitened and brushed through my hair as quickly as I could. I heard him leave as he headed down to raid the fridge. I put my hair in a pony tale and brushed my teeth and raced out of my room. Half way down the stairs I heard him laugh.
    "Book bag." I heard him chuckle as I back peddled up the stairs. I grabbed my bag and headed down the stairs. A few stairs from the bottom my feet flew out from under me. As I slid down the stairs I saw him sitting at my kitchen table eating cereal. His eyes danced with amusement as I landed at the bottom with an oof and a curse. He got up and put the bowl in the sink and thew me a granola bar over his shoulder as he grabbed his backpack.

    School was hell. Two test one period after the other that I forgot to study for. Though I did have something going for me, photographic memory. I had looked at the notes, last week. I didn't sweat the test though photographic memory helps, a lot.
    By lunch I was ready to go home and give up the circle of school and tenth grade geometry. I plopped down beside Clay. He looked up and gave me a have smile that would stopped a heart dead if it wasn't me. " Hard day?" he asked. It was meant to be mocking but I could hear a hint of concern buried deep.
    "Week."
    "It's only Monday." My way of telling him I was okay was sarcasm, understanding filled his eyes when he understood that the little hint of concern had been found. His smile was full blown now and I could see girls the next table down gawking and trying not to drool and failing.
    "My point." I sighed as I picked at a hamburger bun. "I hate geometry." He smiled again then subtly changed the subject. If there was one thing I knew that he didn't like to see me complain or be mad. In truth he was the first person to truly make me smile and that was back in second grade. He had said it out front that he liked it better when I smiled then we I frowned.
    "So whats up with mom?" We were so close that I called him father dad and he called my mother mom. We both lost a parent to we decided to share. "She's been out a lot lately."
    "Yeah I know. I can just feel it that somethings up. Dad's been around a lot more though. What's up?"
    "He says business is slow but his phone is always ringing. Mom always seems guilty when she comes home. They never talk anymore." We looked at each other.
    "A disagreement?" We said at the same time. Mom and Dad had never had a fight in the whole time we were friends. This was something big....

    More to come. Please comment.
    Luv Megs