The Bucket List

f o u r t e e n

Daniel and I headed to school together on Monday. Late. And on purpose.

I was nervous and excited at the same time. I was hoping to get my first detention but that also meant I had to have my first detention with Daniel Ross, who happened to not care about getting a detention. But when we arrived at school, only Daniel got a detention whereas I got a warning.

Daniel wasn't happy about that. As the man-child he was, he grumbled under his breath and ignored me for most of the day. Well, I wasn't entirely sure why he was upset at me. My two guesses were that he got a detention, and I didn't, or I kicked him out of my apartment after watching those movies. Neither were legitimate excuses, and I wouldn't peg Daniel as unreasonable.

As a week passed, Kyle has kept asking me to hang out with him. It got more awkward each time he asked and I said no, that I was beginning to get irritated. But even then, I considered it. Kyle was cute and he was nice. It wouldn't be bad to go out on one date with him, would it? Mia said it was a bad idea and that Daniel would make my life a living hell if I did. Mia was very convincing.

"Okay, pause for a second, will you?" Mia ordered.

I frowned as I glanced up from the small square paper in my hand to Mia. She began taking photos of me with her phone, the light flashing, causing me to flinch.

"Um, why?" I asked.

Did something happen to her and I was the only person who didn't know about her brain injury? She looked over her phone and then to me with an arch brow, as if the question I asked had to be rhetorical.

"There's a math test tomorrow and here you are, making small paper cranes," Mia gestured to the thirty paper cranes sprawled across the floor.

"What?" I yelped. There was a math test tomorrow and I didn't even remember?

I looked at the paper crane in my hand and threw it on the floor. I jumped on my bed, pulling out my math textbook. I flicked through the pages, searching for the chapter we were learning.

How did I lose track of time? How did become so irresponsible? I promised that my education would come first and then the bucket list. I've always been on top of everything and for the first time, I completely neglected an exam until the night before. How was this even possible? What was happening to me?

"Maybe it's a good idea to press pause on the bucket list for a while," Mia suggested. "You're in senior year and if you already forgot a test because of it, it's better not doing it at all," Mia explained.

She was right. If this was what happened when I do something else, I was being stupid. How could I ever put the bucket list before my own education.

"I know, you're right. But I'm so determined to finish this list!"

"Maybe it's Daniel? He seems to want to finish he list quicker than you do," Mia suggested.

No, it couldn't be because of him. Could it?

"Or..." Mia paused, thinking thoughtfully.

"Or what?"

"Do you want to know my theory behind all of this?" Why was she treating my life like a science report?

"Yes, I do. What is it?"

"I think you're not distracted by the bucket list, but rather, I think you're distracted by something else," she said.

I furrowed my brows together. What was she referring to now? Immediately, as soon as it dawned onto me, my eyes widened with shocked.

"No, no, no," I said, standing up and pointing a finger at her. "That's not the reason why I'm distracted."