Invisible string; lando Norris

Somebody there

We headed back home, and as usual, the mood in the car felt heavy. The silence lingered, like a weight pressing down on all of us. It always felt this way when we left. Everyone was a little quieter, a little more reflective. Saying goodbye was never easy, not for any of us. Every person in that family had become like a best friend to me, and leaving that behind those familiar faces, was hard.

I stared out the window, lost in thought, when I suddenly heard the flight attendant's voice. "Ma'am, water?" she asked, gently interrupting my quiet moment. I looked up at her, offering a small, apologetic smile. "No, thank you," I replied softly, but the truth was, I'd been a little distracted. My mind was elsewhere.

I couldn't deny it, I missed Charles. He wasn't just a friend; he was my best friend, the one person who always had my back. The person who believed in me when no one else did. And I felt the same way about him. I kept thinking about him. He was my constant, my anchor, and it was hard not to feel a little lonely without him around.

To distract myself, I pulled out my laptop and started scrolling through my assignments. It was a long flight, and even though school hadn't technically started yet, they let you work ahead. I figured I could make the most of the time. My eyes fell on a question: *"Name a moment when you were happy for someone (extra credit)."*

Without thinking, I wrote down Charles's name.

I thought about him for a moment, letting the memories flood my mind. Charles had been through a lot in his life, ups and downs, moments of doubt and struggle. But he had worked so hard to get where he was today, fighting for every position, every award. His dream was to drive for Ferrari, and sometimes, it seemed so far out of reach. But I always reminded him: *It's not just a dream. It's a future reality.*

I didn't know exactly when it would happen, but I was certain it would. If he had already made it to Formula 1, if he had overcome so many obstacles to get there, then Ferrari was the next logical step. He had already proven so much.

I had so much faith in him. Charles had always believed in me, so it only made sense that I'd give him the same energy, the same unwavering support. He deserved it more than anyone.

Before long, the plane touched down in New York, and we all shuffled out. My parents had their personal driver waiting to take them home, and I could only imagine how much my roommates had missed me back at the apartment. My driver, Steve, was already waiting for me at the airport. He was the best, honestly. He always made everything feel so smooth and easy.

But honestly, I didn't have the energy for much else. The ride back to the apartment was mostly quiet, and before I knew it, I'd fallen asleep, the exhaustion of the trip finally catching up with me. It had been an intense few days, and all I could think about was getting home, relaxing, and recharging before the next adventure began.

You can choose either of those doesn't matter.

Gracie and Lola, had just started their second year.

I walked into the apartment each step slower and threw myself on the couch, I was exhausted and groaned. I was tired and sad, everything all at once.

Gracie was going through some papers, "Did you guys know if we were to stay another year in this apartment it would be paid off" she said, New York is expensive but I love it.