unbreak the broken ✘ shawn hunter (BMW)

T E N

The second I wake up and get a sense of my surroundings, I get deja vu.

The smell of bacon is wafting in the air, similar to how my house used to smell when Mom was still alive. She made breakfast almost every morning for us before I had to go to school.

I throw on a pair of tights and a mid thigh length black skirt over them with a burnt orange long sleeve on top. My black combat boots go on after I put my jewelry on and I leave my room.

"You're awake," Keith announces as I shut the door behind me.

This is so weird.

"Yeah, I have class in about an hour." He hums and turns around, handing me a cup of coffee already made. "Thank you, you didn't have to."

"Do you want something to eat? I made bacon and eggs, I can throw a bagel in the toaster for you too," Keith holds the bag of bagels up, odd because I haven't gone grocery shopping and we ran out of eggs 3 days ago.

"I'll have eggs and bacon," I stand up to grab myself a plate when he puts one right in front of me.

I look down at the plate for a handful of minutes before eating. There have been small things happening recently with Keith where I can't help but want to cry in relief. Relief in the fact that he is finally acting like a father.

"How have classes been?" He sits next to me at our tiny kitchen table for 2.

I swallow before answering, "They've been good. I never really had a problem with school."

He wouldn't know though. He didn't even show up to my high school graduation. No one did. Everyone had their families to celebrate and I had myself.

"Good, good. I'm thinking of getting pizza for dinner, will you be home?"

Dinner too?

"I'll be home after work, so around 8. "

"Okay, I'll have it ordered before you get home, so we won't have to wait to eat," Keith stands up and grabs my empty plate from me and puts it into the sink. "I've gotta run off to work, see you tonight."

I nod, also making my way out of the house and towards the car. As I get into my car, I can't help but replay what just happened in my head.

Is this what I've been yearning for? A simple conversation people have everyday in a normal family?

-

I got to class a couple of minutes early so I opened my notebook and started doodling on the notes.

"Ms. Bell, good morning," Mr. Feeny greets me from the front of the class.

I say good morning back and continue doodling when he comes and sits in the desk next to mine.

"How are you doing, Ms. Bell?" Mr. Feeny asks, probably trying to start the same conversation that we've had a million and a half times.

"I'm good, Mr. Feeny. No reason for your concern, if that's what you're wondering," I close my notebook and face my body towards him.

"Actually, I want to talk about you. I was looking at your student file and noticed that you're ahead of your studies. Have you though about what you want to do after this?"

"Like career wise?"

Feeny shrugs, "Career wise, life wise, living here or moving away. Anything?"

I shake my head and almost chuckle, "Mr. Feeny, I have no idea what I'm going to do with my life. I want to be a travel journalist, but who knows? Maybe I'll leave here and never look back, or maybe I'm gonna be stuck in this town forever."