Regretfully Yours, Brenyn

Chapter 1

I stepped out into the refreshing summer breeze, sighing in relief. It's the end of the school year, and that means a lot of stress of my back. If you think about it, the standards set by public schools are almost unreachable-get good grades, sleep enough, maintain a social life, do all class and homework assignments, show up on time every day-and they expect us not to get stressed from all of that. And what do they do if someone does get overly stressed? Absolutely nothing. I glance over at the old, dull building. That's when I notice my sister running my way, for the last time possibly. Definitely the last time until two years from now-I would be going up to highschool, and applying for a boarding school centered around the arts. You get to choose whether you have a roommate or not, (that's a miracle right there) and I'm obviously going to say let me live alone-just like I've wanted it for years now. Living with mom and Amity has been nice, but it can be a bit much-if I were alone, I could choose what pet I had. Not those damn sugar gliders mom got us for Christmas last year. They're nocturnal, so they sqeak and rattle their cages in the middle of the night, it's impossible to focus on anything-studying, homework, writing, sketching, sleeping, the list goes on. Amity had been the one going on about getting a couple for months, and even she's sick of them. And sometimes the stupid things escape their cages, and who's job is it always to put them back? You guessed it, the only one who stays up late enough to know, me. Amity stays up sometimes, but even then I know she'll argue her way to making me go put them back, so I won't even bother. Amity is....stubborn, to say the least. She came up to me and started talking about how her day went, as usual. We passed by the buses, and I scoffed. "Who would subject themselves to that? A small, enclosed space of hype middle school kids-that has to be uncomfortable." Amity just shrugs, "I feel worse for the drivers. Imagine trying to deal with that one guy that should have never gotten a license while a bunch of kids behind you are screaming and throwing things at each other." I simply chuckled, "Yeah, you're right. Then the bus driver yells and puts everyone on silent and suddenly they're the bad guys." I added. She broke into a fit of giggles, "And then they get assigned seats." "Assigned seats are the worst. They don't even try, usually. They just throw you next to a stranger and expect you to buddy up." I had assigned seats once. The driver threw me next to the toughest girl in the grade. It was awful-so I started walking to school. That was four years ago, and I do it to this very day. After about two years, Amity saw the light of walking. Fresh air that didn't blow in through a window, nobody extremely obnoxious or terrifying to have a chance of sitting next to, no yelling, no hype. Just you, possibly your sibling, and nature. I've been in it all, snow, rain, a hurricane, blazing hot sun, you name it. And yes, I did say a hurricane. See how desperate I am to get off of school buses now? Yeah, it's a serious issue. That's part of why I want to got to this boarding school in California. No buses need be involved. "Riding the bus really is torture, huh?" Amity looked up at me. I looked back down, "Yep." It was funny how we were even related-my hair has a dark brown color, and my eyes are brown-but my skin is abnormally pale. But Amity on the other hand, has these hazel eyes, auburn hair, and a nice natural tan. We look absolutely nothing alike-and we don't even have different dads. "Hey, you're staring." "I'm thinking, Am. Thinking." She shifted her eyes and crossed her arms, she wasn't too fond of the nickname 'Am.' I've heard a lot of people say that they thought we were a couple who just ironically shared the same last name, until I explain I'm gay and she has a boyfriend. "So, what were you thinking about?" She asked loudly. "How different we look." She examined me thoroughly, then herself in her phone's selfie camera. "Our face shape is similar. And the shape of our facial features. Other than that, you're right. Plus, we're both pretty thin. But hair, skin, and eyes we look nothing alike." She was really good at analysing looks, as she wanted to be a cosmetologist someday. It was something she'd been working really hard on as soon as she was old enough to pick up one of mom's lipsticks. This was the first year she was allowed to wear makeup to school-and she's pretty great at it. It came at the cost of me wearing makeup to a party once, but that didn't quite matter. It looked good. I peered upwards, and noticed Amity had started rushing ahead of me. I shook my head and started running towards her, nearly tripping and falling. She slowed down and turned to face me, "That's what you get, slowpoke!" I mocked her by mimicking her in an obnoxious voice, in which she replied by pushing me gently. The walk home was pretty nice, the weather was decent for May, and there were a lot of animals out. Squirrels and birds amongst the many trees, and where there was flat land, tons of bunnies hopping freely. "I wish I would have been born an animal," I said, "humans are gross." Amity just chuckled and turned the corner, walking up our driveway with me. If only I had known what this summer would be like.