Four Days Later, Early February
"Adelaide," Bea calls from outside my small bedroom. I open the door and look up at her. She sighs. "It's time to think about going back to school."
Of course that's not what she meant. What she meant was, you're going to school today, and that's final. Oh, and you're going to have to meet new people at this new school in this new city.
I don't want to go to school, I want to go back home. I think to myself.
I nod and retreat to the back wall, where my dresser is. I hear Bea's footsteps from behind me as she leaves the room. I sigh, searching through my small assortment of clothing. I settled with a plaid grey button down shirt and black jeggings.
Before leaving I leafed through my box of old polaroid pictures.
As I looked through, I gave each picture a number.
1. Chelsea and I hugging in the front yard at home
2. Chelsea laughing at something I said
3. Me smiling at Chelsea
4. Us wearing tiny dresses to our first birthday party
5. Chelsea with pudding on her face at Christmas two years ago
6. Me, wearing my first pair of overalls
7. Chelsea and I holding hands as we go down the slide at the playground
8. Chelsea and I walking in to our last day of third grade
9. Me doing homework while Chelsea jumps on the bed
10. Chelsea smiling at the camera before sledding down the big hill, only a few seconds before the accident
I put this one on my nightstand and stare at it. It's the last picture ever taken of Chelsea. I give it one last glare before standing up, a single tear sliding down my cheekbone. I wipe it away so Bea doesn't see. Then I take a step forward and open the door.
Bea is sitting at the kitchen table, staring at my empty bowl of cereal.
"I'm not hungry," I tell her, throwing my canvas backpack over my shoulder.
She looks at me. "Please eat something," she begs me.
"No thanks."
She sighs, defeated. "Do you want to walk to school, Adelaide? We passed it on the drive here. It's the brick building down the block."
I nod and open the apartment door. "See you later," I call, and I race down the stairs to the busy street below.
***
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Paper Wings
General Fiction"You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it." *** Adelaide Thompson spent her whole life waiting for something interesting to happen to her. On her thirteenth birthday, something did. Her twin sister, Chelsea, died in an accid...
