Rainy Days

***1~Mason

"Mason!" My mom yelled, startling me awake. I pulled my pillow over my head and groaned.

"You're going to be late for school, again!" She yelled a few minutes later, after I had ignored her and rolled back over. I heard her heels clacking against our kitchen tiles downstairs.

"I'm getting ready right this second, mom!" I yelled, stretching and standing up.

"Don't lie to me, young man!" My mother yelled jokingly up at me. I heard the front door shut as she left for work. I checked the clock. 6:15a.m, already?!

"I'm going to be so late," I muttered, throwing on my favorite hoodie and blue jeans and running a hand through my blonde hair. I slipped on my dirty sneakers and snatched my iPod off my dresser, digging under my bed to procure my earbuds from where they had fallen the night before.

Here in Maine, everyone got up early and went to bed early, but I'd never been good at doing either, therefore I was always late, to my mother's everlasting stress.

My mother is a single mom with no thoughts about getting into a relationship. She adopted me when I was eight, and she's loved me as her own ever since. I shudder to think of what would have happened to me, a moody little brat, if she hadn't. I'd probably still be there today. She works as a veterinarian and, as far as I know, is very happy as one.

I grabbed my bag and ran down the stairs, two at a time, and shot through the front door. I turned around and fumbled with the lock for a second before hopping onto my bicycle and speeding down the sidewalk, rushing down my street on the way to school.

I was going so fast that I didn't see the bump in the road and skidded right over it, landing in a heap on the middle of the sidewalk. I got up, brushing the dirt off of my jeans- which were now ripped- and wheeled my bicycle the rest of the way to White Pine High, the school that's named after our state tree(which, by the way, are planted absolutely everywhere).

Once arriving at school, I leaned my bike against the bike rack and jogged up the numerous tan steps up through the doors and into the building, finally escaping the frigid Maine air.

Just as I was about to arrive into the classroom, the bell echoed through the halls, making me groan and slip into the classroom, earning yet another tardy. Well, this day is going great so far.

***2~Lilli

I woke up to the sound of my alarm clock screeching in my ear, nearly giving me a heart attack as I shook off the remainder of my dream from my fuzzy brain. I yawned and slammed my fist into my alarm, silently wishing I could throw it out the window and forget about it.

Instead, I got up and combed my tangled brown curls, tossing them into a ponytail and sliding into sweat pants and a green Hollister shirt. I couldn't find my flip flops, so I settled on my running shoes. My dad and stepmom had both already left for work, leaving me to walk to school. I walked down the quiet hall and into the orange walled kitchen, popping some waffles into the toaster. The oven clock read 6:05, meaning I was right on time. I had about a twenty minute jog from here to the school, and school didn't start until 6:39, giving me plenty of time.

I jumped as my waffles sprang from the toaster, slightly burnt, and grabbed a bottle of water and my iPod, sprinting out of the door. I twisted the key in the lock and began my jog, trying to beat my record of 18 minutes.

I made it, almost making 18 minutes but not quite, and bounded up the steps. My best friend, Val, was waiting for me at the top, grinning at my winded appearance.

She and I loped arms and stopped by our lockers (which would have been right next to each other if someone had not swiped the locker next to mine), and grabbed our books for first period. I had Chemistry and Val had Physical Ed., so we parted ways and I walked alone to Mr. Darius's class, hoping that the next eight hours would be over quickly.