How Far We've Come

Chapter 23

    The next morning, I jumped out of bed and got ready in an excited daze. And before I knew it, I was in my car on my way to school.

    Just like for Justin's Ferry, my dad dropped me off at the school. After helping me take my bags to the parking lot, he gave me a big hug.

    "Text us when you reach, okay?" he told me. "And have fun!"

    I smiled. "Thanks Dad. And don't worry, I will."

    I watched him walk away, getting smaller and smaller until he seemed to disappear. With a sad smile on my face, I turned back around to see Clary setting down her bags.

    "You ready?" she asked, a grin across her face.

    "Absolutely." I replied, with a smile blooming across mine. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Mr. Cardinal carrying a heavy box of who knows what. "Mr. Cardinal!" I called. "Do you need any help?" He gave me and Clary a loud grunt, which I interpreted as a yes and ran over to help him.

    "There will be a bunch of silverware in the Greenhouse," he choked out. "Put it in the red box with the black lid and bring it out. It shouldn't be too heavy."

    I nodded and waved my arm to Clary, signaling for her to follow. We jogged into the Greenhouse and scanned the storage room for what Mr. Cardinal was talking about.

    The Greenhouse was usually extremely neat and tidy, not to mention organized. It had to be with the fish tank and various types of plants there. Just from the storage room, I could spot about five types of flowers and maybe seven other plants that were not yet blooming. The aquamarine waters of the fish tank were filled with a few clownfish, dianos, and a few others I couldn't name. The whole building was just blooming with life.

    Shaking my head, I turned to the rusty walls of the storage room. A wooden picnic table was littered with so many supplies, I could barely see the table itself. At one corner of the table, all piled together, I spotted some silverware. From spoons to forks and serving spoons, there was pretty much any serving item one could imagine. Together, Clary and I threw all the silverware into the black and red box on the concrete floor. With a final clatter, the last knife fell in and Clary closed the box, snapping the large lid on.

    With a soft grunt, I attempted to pick up the box. Immediately, I could feel the effects of gravity as my arms snapped straight and my back was pulled. My eyebrows knit together and my face contorted. After a moment, I couldn't do it anymore. My fingers gave way and the plastic box dropped to the floor with a loud thud.

    Clary bit back a laugh. "Are you okay?" she asked teasingly.

    I rolled my eyes. "You try and pick it up!" I challenged.

    Almost effortlessly, she picked up the box by the handles and carried to the parking lot. As I ran after her, I let an annoyed sigh escape my lips.

    My thinness had resulted in one more side effect... being pretty weak. I always hated Gym class, as I was the last runner or the last one picked for teams. It was the worst. My face brightened when I realized that it would be soon over.

    Clary set down the box on the hard asphalt road and pushed my shoulder. "You know I was just kidding," she told me, concerned.

    I grinned. "Yeah, it's cool. Physical activity is definitely not my strength."

    "Yeah but mental is," she laughed. "Miss I-have-straight-A's."

    I gave an embarrassed laugh. Those grades had taken a lot of effort to achieve... but not as much effort it would take me to run a mile.