Dear Dakota | Academic Rivalry Story

One | Note

D A K O T A R E I D

"It's for you." Delaney puts a white envelope in my hold then walks to the other side of the kitchen island to pour a glass of water. She takes a sip, "I don't know who it is from. There is no return address."

The soccer bag that was on my shoulders is now on the floor while I look at the penmanship on the front. She doesn't need to know who it is from when I can immediately recognize the handwriting.

"It's from Nyla," I inform her, causing her head to pop up. She stands straight with Oliver, the ginger cat we would say is literally immortal, in her arms. "She sent the note," I say, already opening the back fully.

"Well, no shit. Open it!" Delaney tells me and I roll my eyes pointing to the broken sealed back. "You're being sassy today. Did you sleep well? Oh, you lost at soccer didn't you?"

I lean my head to the side. "I haven't gone to practice yet." She waves me off and points to the letter. If I don't open it now she might as well snatch it and read it herself. "Laney it is addressed to me, not you." I am now holding the note midair and my sister is jumping to reach it.

"Our names aren't that different. So yeah, I lied. I guess it is addressed to me."

I groan, "Delaney move. I will hold it then we can both read it."

She shrugs her shoulders. "Fine."

I set the note on the counter in front of us and we begin to read the letter. My heart starts hammering in my chest as soon as I read the first sentence. Delaney is screaming and running down the hall and into my mom's office. I hear a thud, she slipped on the hardwood. Typical Delaney move.

I reread the note three times to make sure I am not going out of my mind.

Nyla is coming back. The girl was my best friend. Am I dreaming? I must be, right? She told us she wouldn't be back.

That is why there were moving trucks at her house when Atlas, Laney, and I were coming back from school.

That is also why there is no return address. It's not like I would return it anyway.

I swing into my mom's office, tripping on someone's shoe. "What are you doing on the floor?" I ask bewildered then sit in the chair in front of my mom's desk.

"She busted her ass as she was yelling that Nyla was coming back." My mom laughs, typing away on her computer. I show her the note like I am a child lost in the woods. I completely understand what is happening but I am also so confused. "I know."

"You knew?!?" Delaney and I ask in unison, looking at our mom.

"Mhmm for a few weeks." My mom clicks her tongue, nodding. "Her mom let me know they will be back tomorrow night."

So soon? How do you prepare to see a friend you spent every second of your childhood with but not one millisecond of your teenage years with? Yeah, that makes no sense, I know. I am just as confused.

"Actually it was your dad who got the news. He told me soon after." I lean back in my seat, my hands coming down my face. A beep of my dad's car makes me jump. My mind is all over the place to the point I forgot I had practice. "Have fun at practice, D." My mom tells me and I stand up to hug her.

"Bye Dakota," Delaney says, I flip her off for no reason and walk out of my mom's office to grab my bag.

"Dakota!" I hear my mom yell.

"Love you too mom!" I laugh, leaving through the front door.

I run down the steps of my house and see my dad was not the one beeping. Aw man, the Dubois family. My favorite people in this world. I knock on the glass lightly so Julian can unlock the car.