Let Me Explain

F O U R

WAKING up this morning disappointed me severely.

The only thing that kept me going was my motivation to outlive my mom.

I was driving to school, unusually on time today. I remembered back when I had first got my car. I would get in trouble for not being at least ten minutes early to school.

It caused her to put AirTag in my car since she couldn't trust me to get to school on my own. It was either a tracker in my car or her driving me to school each day.

I'd choose the tracker any day.

I pulled into the parking lot, finding the spot I paid for. Asra's car wasn't parked in its normal spot beside me, so it was either she was late, or she rode the bus this morning.

Turning off the car, I reached over to the passenger seat to grab my backpack. I opened up the car door, getting out and closing it afterwards.

Pressing a button on my car keys, I locked the door. Half way across the parking lot, I started debating whether or not I should walk back to my car and get inside to drive back home.

I probably wouldn't even make it out of the parking lot before my mom would call and ask me why the tracker notified her that I was leaving school property.

Opening up the school doors, I walked inside the school. Immediately, I saw signs made for the football team.

Encouraging words and bright colors filled the hallway up. It was decorated with red and blue school spirited decorations. A few students that were part of the spirit club held up signs, reminding us to head into the gym for the pep rally.

It was the first football game of the season. I don't know how I forgot about it.

Maybe because I tried to leach away from anything dealing with school as much as I could.

I continued on my walk into the gym, seeing how it was packed with the students who were already here. The cheerleaders were in their uniforms, standing on the gym mat. Some of them were stunting while others were tumbling.

The band was already playing in their own little section on the bleachers. I never understood how they never got tired of playing loud at 7 in the morning.

The football players had their own section, talking with each other as some of them started a few chants, an attempt to bring more spirit for the pep rally.

I noticed Salem over there. She was standing beside Easton. A few people front the yearbook staff were in front of them, a camera held up as they took a picture of them.

The players were wearing their red jerseys for the football game tonight. Salem was wearing the white one. The number 2 was on the front.

She smiled for the picture, her arm around Easton. After the picture was took, she smiled more, turning her head to meet his gaze.

Switching my gaze, I looked around the gym to find Asra. She was towards the bottom section of the bleachers, sitting with a group of girls. I didn't know a lot of them since I hardly talked to anyone at school.

I just so happened to know one girl, Aliyah. We had a project together back in biology 1 freshman year.

"Hey," I took a seat at the bottom row, sitting next to her. On the row behind me was my cousin. She was nodding her head at something another girl had said.

"I was waiting for you to get here," Asra brought her attention to me. Her hair was in a ponytail. "I didn't feel like suffering alone."