A Month to Fall in Love

The beginning

Maggie

I breath out quietly, even though I am alone, that sense of being quiet has become a habit of mine. With the pitch-black darkness around me, I can only catch sight of a sliver of light seeping through my shut, grey curtains. I hug my knees tighter, not wanting the morning to come. For when the morning comes, I will find out, and I don't know whether that is a good thing or a bad thing.

My brother will tell me. Matt will inform me of who it is. Of who I am to be with for a month. It could be his friend, AJ, who cusses like a sailor. It could be Kyle who is a complete sweetheart. It could be Jacob who is insanely smart. I don't know what I am going to do. I'm only fifteen! How am I supposed to force myself to find love with someone?

The distant sound of a door slamming causes me to flinch, fear overtaking my sweaty body. The footsteps are outside the living room doors, and I quickly dash under the covers of the light blue comforter as the foreboding feeling is still evident. The distant clanking of boots hitting hardwood over takes my mind. I can picture the officer in his black uniform, ready to strike at any moment if one of us were to leave.

I turn on my right, grabbing my phone from it's previous resting place on my nightstand, the charger hanging over slightly. I press the home button, and am provided with the bright light illuminating the night. I squint, eyes adjusting to catch the time; 2:30 a.m.

I must go to sleep! I need to go to sleep, but the butterflies in my stomach won't stop fluttering. My train of thought won't stop racing. The possibilities are endless to all the chaos that could run once the plan is in place.

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"Hey!," came the cheerful voice of one of my best friends, Jane, as she bumped into me, to draw me out of my inward cascade of fear. Her naturally wavy dirty blonde, reddish hair up in it's normal high pony tail as she is the athletic one of us.

"Hey," I place a forced smile on my face as I nudge her with my shoulder also.
"So, today's the day! Who do think it's gonna be?!," she asked, grinning like a Cheshire Cat, her braces evident, almost the only thing we have in common. I glance down, rubbing my arms nervously through my long cardigan with a light shade of grey, and dark shade mixed. It is placed over my black shirt with gold jewelry hanging loosely over.
"I don't know," I look back up at her, my blue eyes meeting her cloudy ocean ones.
"Oh, come on, you have to have at least an idea, Maggie!," she counter-argued.
"Well, it's not like you have anything to worry about! You have Brydon!," I respond, moving out of the entrance of the apartment building to be met with the street.
"You don't either! You have Michael looking out for you!," she continued to haggle as we crossed the street to the school, my ancient black converse hitting the pavement.

'Chicago Central High School: One Month Program' is placed on the sign above the old brick building. I heard that once upon a time it was quiet beautiful, especially in my grandparent's day. Now, it's just used for a program that has become a necessity.  Once we have entered the hall with our A.P. History class in it I touch up on the subject that she had began, "I just, I know Matt's friends. I don't exactly fit with any of them," I let out, fearful of an unwanted outcome.
"You could fit with Kyle! Maybe even Jacob!," she offered. Shrugging in response. "Also, I bet that Matt might choose someone who isn't one of his best friends."
"Yeah, I guess that's valid. I'm just anxious. I get like this whenever something is out of my control," I inform her. While she may be one of my best friends, we don't know a lot about each other. After all, we only met four weeks ago. So far I learned that she and Brydon went to the same school and both have secretly liked each other for over a year: therefore, she got to choose who to be with.
"I get that, but your brother has it under control! You'll be okay!," she laughs at the end, trying desperately to lighten the mood. "And think about how funny it would be if you ended up with Brydon's brother! That would be hilarious! Then we could be sister in laws!," she hit my arm lightly.
I laugh in reply, "But it's just a relationship, it's not like we're getting married."
"Maybe not now, but sometime, eventually," she shrugged nonchalantly. She goes about the world as if it isn't a big deal, and I don't know how I can get into that state of perfectly ignorant bliss.
"Maybe, but I don't have to. I truthfully feel like I am too young for this-like we are! I mean, we're only fifteen!," I continue in my believes as we enter the classroom, quickly escaping to our seats near the back left corner.
"Everything will be fine, Maggie!," she gave a finale struggle to convince me, but I'm not really sure if it worked.