See that girl?

January 15th Monday 08:00

Taylor

Addy didn't live far from me; only a block away in Kelner Avenue where as I lived in Scotts which was only two blocks away from Everton High School.

We visited and saw each other literally everyday (school not included of course). Yet again, it was hard to miss each other as Everton wasn't a very big town. It was the type of place where everyone knew everyone else and all the latest news spread like wildfire.

It was really nice how close together everything  and everyone one was. How connected it all seemed to be.

Everton High was just opposite the park and opposite the park opposite the school was the mall. Not too far from that was the book store, the library and my favorite little café; Le Petit Paris.

It was one of our favorite places to go after school. Le Petit Paris was originally just a bakery with one or two tables to sit and drink a quick coffee that later turned into a proper café since people wouldn't go for just a quick coffee; they'd stay for hours sitting and chatting and ordering their delicious pastries.

We loved it there. We were part of the people guilty of sitting there for hours and talking. But that didn't bother the owner, he loved having us around. He said we were his best customers.

We'd go there everyday after school and order cappuccino for Addy and their famous hot chocolate for myself (since I don't drink coffee) then go and sit at our little booth in the corner by the window to watch the people pass by while doing our homework. It wasn't really a booth; just two little armchairs in our little corner with a small brown table between us where we balanced our books.

Everything so little and perfect in our perfect Le Petit Paris.

That booth had so many sweet memories...We had gone there the day Addy had broken up with Kyle Reeves for cakes and milkshakes to make her feel better. We had sat there for hours laughing and gossiping about Kyle. Sitting there for what seemed like forever on the soft red couches giggling over the cute new waiter.

We had gone there for my birthday last year too and sat in our booth. Even though it had rained it had been nice sitting in the corner watching the rain come down in tiny pouring streams from the roof and hitting the pavement outside...The current weather adding a sense of nostalgia to the sweet memory. I could still hear the rain hitting the pavement although it was now sunny. I could still hear the other customers in the café talking softly to their lunch partners and see others hurrying through the rain with umbrellas. I could smell the sweet smell of croissants baking in the oven and the scent of cocoa coming from my hot chocolate...

"Right," Addy says sternly, snapping me back to reality. "School starts today and I plan to make a great start to this year."

"And how do we do that?" I enquire with a faint laugh; Addy had a plan for anything and everything that could and did happen.

"Okay, well I think we can both agree that we need to vote a good grade president onto the board. Thomas McAdderly wasn't that great yet. I don't feel that he was very...on top of things, if you understand me Tay?"

I knew what she was talking about; Thomas McAdderly wasn't the greatest grade president we had had. At times he had forgotten to mention some very important messages to us; such as that the pajama week had been cancelled for the last week  of school. Our grade was the only grade out of the whole school to show up in their pajamas and slippers on the Monday. No one could forget the day the grade nines wore their hello kitty pajamas to school...especially Addy...who the hello kitty pajamas belonged to...

"We need a good representative this year! We need someone who is organized, confident, on top of things, liked by the grade...not only the teachers...THAT'S IT!"

I practically jump out of my skin by her sudden outburst; "What?"

"That's it Tay! I know what I'm going to do this year to make a difference and improve my standings at school!"

"And what is that? And can I get in on this plan?" I was joking but not entirely; I was very involved in school activities. Don't get me wrong I was a good student and the teachers liked me, but I was practically invisible when it came to the rest of the grade. You could classify me as the shy girl in this high school drama I guess. I didn't do much. I just liked to hang out with my close friends or snuggle up with a good book.

I wasn't really the going out type of girl like Addy and I didn't have that much 'confidence' like her. We were good friends none the less...

"Tay I'll run for president! Well not of the state...not yet...but I'll run for Grade President! I'll bring order and status to the grade. Help us shine! And you can be my vice!"

"Sure Addy." I was immune to her extravagant and bold ideas and plans by now and wasn't really shocked at the ambition, because knowing Addy; she is determined. There is no denying Adeline Jamerson what she wants. What she wanted, she got.

Addy began to rattle on about all the things she would do as class president but I couldn't focus. I don't know why I was so distracted this morning...

I caught small pieces of what Addy was saying; Improved bathrooms for the grade 10s, short breaks in between double lessons that usually lasted an hour...I was more distracted however by the small things around me...Walking down the last block I could see the school coming into view. I could see the people running up to hug their friends (not like they hadn't seen them yesterday since Everton was that small), I could see Thomas riding his bike past the park as usual, the girls sitting and giggling on the front steps leading to the double door entryway to the school. We were walking past the park but now I could see something definitely unusual.

There was a gathering of boys by the bike rack playing with what I think was a hackie sack. Some of them looked familiar; there was Kyle and George, Michael was there too and Thomas had stopped to talk to them but there was one boy I didn't recognize.

I'd been living in this small town my whole life and I'm pretty sure I knew everyone living here. He had to be new in town.

Snapped back to reality again by Addy, we start to discuss our class schedules. We had the same teachers, just like last year it turned out. I couldn't daydream anymore, I needed to focus.

We walk up the front steps and into the familiar corridors of Everton High; our first classes of the school year in mind and the new boy outside forgotten.