A Little Too Much

Chapter 2

The craziest things happened then, the school was strangely different, but probably because it was the last year. My heart had always been set on going to Harvard next year and getting my degree in journalism/photography. I wanted to be a traveling news gal, and Steven was the one who encouraged me to chase my dreams back in the 9th grade. I had pushed myself to attend more classes and get better grades than anyone in my town. I did volunteer work in Africa, volunteered at the small hospital outside of my town, and worked daily from 3-9pm at a diner in town. I never had a free night, I never partied, and I never disappointed the people around me. My dad left me and my mom when I was just 3, he said he couldn't be held down and he went off with some bandmates and toured the world. Of course he didn't really make it big, but he still sends home monthly checks for me to put towards my Harvard dreams. He sends my mom money too for her dreams and to keep up with me, but she just puts it in the Harvard savings. She told me that I was her dream. How could I protest though? I mean, I'm pretty great.

"Oh, locker I am not going to miss you" Missy exclaimed, snapping me out of my acute nostalgia.

"Have you even used it once this year, Missy?" Ada and the rest of the trio laughed at her remark, Missy was one for skipping school and being cool (I rhymed). The only reason Missy hangs around us is because, as she claims, she's trying to make us cooler and considers us a charity case.

So there's really just me, Missy, Ada, and Clara. Clara doesn't really chip in anything unless it's school related, which is really fine with me, I need her to keep up my perfect grades.

"Alright ladies settle, settle, we need to put our stuff up and get to class asap, we don't have time to lollygag this year" I start to walk towards my locker in a sarcastic huff.

The funny thing about Franklin is that nobody really is in a rush anywhere, we all know where classes are and who is who, there's no need to catch up on who got the coolest haircut or who is sleeping with whom. Everyone already knows through the amazing grapevine I like to call, my town. I spot the girl who got pregnant this summer, her belly is already starting to show signs of baby-ness, as you can tell I don't really favor kids, they really aren't in my future. For real. No.

My first class is British Literature, something to tickle my fancy and should be relatively easy, I excel at anything literature related. All books are my genre, and anything with the word "British" automatically makes me perk up. When I walk in I'm greeted with the stench of filthy teenager and the sight of the unsightly. Why the utter heck Steven Harris thought it would be funny to be in my class was BEYOND me. He doesn't even like British people, he told me that they talk funny and he can't stand the Queen. When he saw me he smiled, SMILED at me as I sat down 2 rows in front of him. I didn't need any distractions today, or ever. The day droned on with introductions and class overviews, personally I wish that they would just start the class day one but that was beneath them. I sealed my locker shut and glanced at my watch, 2:45pm, just enough time to smack a soda machine around for a drink and then hit the job.

As per usual, my crew hit the diner at 4pm for their meal of fries and then Steven and his crew came in at 8:45pm right as I was getting off. He always watched me pour the old man at the bar a cup of coffee, and he always nodded at me when I left at 9. My heart sinks every time I leave the diner and he doesn't rush after me like a love movie and confess his undying love for me. He only stares at me because we used to be friends and he still has concern for me, and he's just polite with the head nodding and smiles.

His killer smiles.

I hate them.

I walk home from the diner and the air begins to feel a bit crisp with the anticipation for fall and snow. New Hampshire always turns into some sort of wonderland during the fall and winter, kind of like a fairy tale. The perfect time for changes and for new things. But they never happen to me, and each year my hopes crash down because yet again, nothing happens in Franklin, and nothing ever will.

(A/N) HOPE YOU'RE READING I'M GOING TO POST FREQUENTLY