Begin Again (Formerly known as Reese)

Chapter One - Change

It was one of those things you never expect to happen to you. It wasn't like everything changed all at once, but then again, maybe it did. My entire life I had pictured change as some evil monster, but he changed everything...for the better.

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It started on a cloudy Monday morning in the beginning of June. We were all counting down the days until school ended which by my calculations was about fifteen more days. Someone kill me, please. Lest I explain myself further, let’s just say I hate school to the extent where I find it literally paralyzing to wake up in the morning and show up. Staying there is a whole other problem for me. I’m all too tempted to just get up and leave. I used to do this regularly, not really caring what anyone said about it. I mean, I am in charge of my own well-being; why does it matter if I want to leave? No one’s making me stay--except the truancy tickets that keep piling up.

“Ms. Capell?” Mr. Tyler called to me, breaking the thought process that had been circulating inside of my brain and causing me to jump a bit at his voice and the sound of my last name.

“Hm?” I asked. I had been staring out the window at a kid I’d never seen before. His hair was dark and hung in his eyes. He wore a black t-shirt, his pants baggy but fitted, rolling along on a skateboard with earbuds in. I watched him do a small flip with it and suddenly it was no longer underneath his feet but rather in his hands as he proceeded to walk along the sidewalk, away from the building. I wondered where he was going, envying his freedom to leave this hell hole.

Mr. Tyler let out an exasperated breath. “Did you finish your assignment that is due today?”

I pursed my lips and looked him right in the eye as I explained. “Unfortunately, no, I didn’t. You see, I was extremely busy this weekend, contemplating the reason for my existence. By Sunday I concluded that everything is simply meaningless--including the assignment unfortunately.” I tapped my pencil on the edge of my desk, raising my eyebrows at him in an innocent way.

His face became stoney, his gaze rather harsh. I sat back in my seat as my fellow classmates snickered at my reasoning with a slight smirk planted on my face. “Then I suppose you’ll find the zero you will be receiving for the assignment meaningless as well.”

“I suppose I will,” I shot back, having already lost interest in the topic. The bell rang loudly and I grabbed my backpack up, slung one strap over my shoulder, and proceeded out the door of the classroom. As I walked down the fluorescent-lit hallway, I couldn’t help but keep thinking of the guy I had seen through the window. I wondered why I had never seen him before and what his name was. Did he just move here? Would I ever see him again? I didn’t know why I cared, considering I hardly care about anything, but something similar to hope flickered inside of me.

“Reese!” a familiar, male voice called to me from behind me. I didn’t bother to turn, knowing Patterson would eventually catch up to me. He always did. Once he made it to my side, I didn’t even look at him. “What’s up?”

I shrugged. “Dodged another bullet with Mr. Tyler again last hour.”

“Which is a surprise to me how?” he asked, intrigued.

I gave him a look.

“Anyways,” he continued, realizing I wasn’t in the mood to be messed with. “We’re going to the skatepark tonight. You’re coming, right?”

I thought for a minute. I’ve been going to the skatepark for about four years now. I used to just go there to meet cute guys, until I met my ex boyfriend, Blaine. He taught me how to skate and that’s what we bonded over. When we broke up, the world just kind of turned upside down. It wasn’t like I stopped being myself; I pretty much stayed the same me, but I found another part of me that I didn’t know existed before. I liked this side of me, and the more I embraced her, the more I evolved into her. I used to have her on a leash, but I let go of that leash a long time ago.