Where the Moon will Shine

Chapter 5

"RACH!"

I rubbed my eyes, feeling tiredness sink it. It was as if I was just hit by a bus.

"Rachel, we're leaving! Come on get up!" I felt someone shaking me back and forth, gripping my arm tightly.

"Huh?" I managed to get out.

"Let's go! Wake up!"

I finally was able to recognize the voice of my little sister, then realization sunk in. I shot up out of my bed, and looked over to my clock.

Rest assured, it showed a blinking display of 6:00. I must have forgotten to actually hit the button that set my alarm itself.

I clicked the 'cancel' button on my clock, and the real time showed up. 7:06. I could feel panic overtake me.

"Jess, tell mom I'm coming right now. But, stall for me if you can, k?"

"Rach, I don't want to be late again!"

"I know Muffin, I promise we won't be. I just gotta grab my backpack, then we'll leave." My sister gave me a look of sadness that made my heart ache.

"Just hurry up..."

"I will!" After my sister left my room, I ran to my closet in a frenzy.

Oh no. I forgot to pick out my outfit. Last night I'd been on the phone with Lucy, so I had never decided what skirt to wear. Since I didn't choose a skirt, I didn't pick out the rest of my outfit.

Floral, I quickly decided. I threw it on along with a last minute outfit, brushed out my hair, and then zoomed out the door. This time, I managed to remember my backpack.

"So you're deciding to join us today after all?"

I sighed, then slammed the car door. I was not in the mood to deal with my mom's jokes.

"Yeah, you know I was very unsure. But then I remembered that they're serving chocolate chip cookies at lunch today so-"

"I'd advise that you stop talking, unless you want to live without your phone for a week." Wouldn't that just be the end of the world, I thought.

I was convinced that all moms were the same. Honestly, I could live without my phone if I wanted too. She thought that she had all this control over me and my emotions. Sorry to break it to you mom, but you don't.

I stared out my window, thinking back to the trees. I bet they don't have tree moms yelling at them all the time.

So I wouldn't make myself crazy over trees, I decided to talk to Jessie.

"Jess, did you like your first day of middle school? You barely talked to me last night." She looked down at her lap and sighed, "Yeah, sorry."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing... it's nothing..."

"Well it sounds like something." Jess looked up at me, but before she could say anything the car jerked to a stop.

"Have a good day honey," my mom said. Jess slowly climbed out of the car, and waved bye.

"Mom, why didn't you say anything?! Obviously something was wrong with her!"

"She got in trouble with her teacher yesterday for being late. She was embarrassed all day about it and no one let her live it down. She didn't want to make you feel bad about it, so she didn't say anything."

Oh...

"We were five minutes late, why would anyone give her a hard time about that?"

"Five minutes? Rachel it was more like fifteen!"