Dear Richie

Just Leia

Leia stepped outside her house, arms stacked with extra textbooks and binders that just would not fit into her backpack.

Her older brother Lucas honked the horn to his bright red camero. "C'mon, Leia, we're gonna be late for school!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" She calls out, nearly tripping over the one step just outside her door. Leia dashed to the car as fast as she could manage. 

Lucas opened her door from the inside, reaching across the seat because she was having trouble with her arms being full.

"C'mon, you can't even open a door right."

"Sorry," Leia mumbles, tossing her books and binders into the back seat before hopping in.

Lucas begins backing up the car. He glances at her as he does so, almost disgusted.

Leia catches him eying her and stares down at herself. She wore her soccer jersey, having tried out for her mother's sake.

Leia loved soccer. It was her passion, her past time, her life. Last year as a freshman, she had wanted to try out. But something stopped her.

This year, her mother begged for her to pursue her passion. So, on behalf of her mother's happiness, Leia signed up on hopes of making the team.

Coach Zimmerman, although unwilling to admit it, was impressed with Leia's performance. He even recommended her for varisty, but she modestly declined.

But since Leia's mother discovered that she had an early chance at varsity, she had boasted to all other soccer mothers. Word got around fast, leaving not all other sophomore girls satisfied with the predicament.

"Why don't you try wearing some make up some time?" Lucas interrupted Leia from her thoughts.

"Ummm, I just don't like it that much." Leia admits, staring down at her hands.

"Well, you should try some. It'd look good on you, I think." 

"...Okay..."

They rode the rest of the way to school without another word, the radio humming softly.

Once at school, Leia grabbed all of her items and headed for her locker. She'd rather keep them in her brother's car, but Lucas wasn't in complete agreement with that. 

So she carried all of her stuff to her locker, barely able to see over the large stack in her arms.

Then out of nowhere, flop, she falls to the ground. Students around her laugh harshly.

Leia has been known for her clumsiness, but this time was an exception.

This time a foot had reached out and tripped her. All of her loose papers from her binder scattered about, her books falling open. Leia tried to grab all of her items, but others decided to kick and step on all of them, rendering them useless or damaged.

She held back a few tears as she continued to scramble for her things. It wasn't until the bell rang did everyone stop teasing her to head to class.

When she thought all hope was lost, someone tapped her on the shoulder and handed her one of her giant textbooks.

"I believe that this is yours." It was a boy with somewhat-shaggy dark hair with bangs that flowed across his eyes. He wore a long sleeved shirt that contained a comical math pun.

Leia takes the book, mumbling a simple, but meaningful, "thanks."

"You must have AP classes?" The boy hypothesized, having glanced at some of her papers that were on the floor.