Our Hopes And Dreams | February 5th

Prologue

Welcoming day.

A day where all the new students younger than I, are welcomed into high school. Let me tell you, kids. School is hell. Piles of homework, nagging teachers, mean principals. But the best thing about it is the people. Of course, there will always be that one kid who's annoying or that other kid who's just stupid or even that mean kid. But through it all, you have friends.
My friends, André and Adrian—the Kidd twins—have been my best friends since grade 5. I think of them as family, my siblings. And I'm grateful. But I won't actually admit it to them because, well because I'm not gay! It's total girl talk.
I'm 15 years old, in grade 8, secondary 2 and I've learned a lot. I play soccer on the schools team and I also did track last year. Life is going great.
The girls like my style, you know, how I roll. I mean, who wouldn't? I'm a pretty cool, adorable, smart guy. They all say so. But I never actually said yes to any of them because I'm waiting for the one. As stupid as that sounds. The Kidd twins say it's because I haven't met puberty yet. Pfft, I've met puberty. There's a chest hair growing in the middle of my chest. Just one? You all may be asking. Yes, just one but it proves that I, Cole Hemmings, have met puberty and puberty has met me.
But now, my birthday is approaching and I'm turning the big 16. I'm going up a grade. Today, nowadays, it feels like somethings changed. Like throughout the course of my whole 15 years of living, people are starting to change. Not people who pass by, I'm talking about the ones in my life. I feel...distant from them. And I can't seem to understand.
It's like, when the echo of the bullet from the gun shot went off, everyone started running. Everyone was at the same pace as everyone. And even though some were slower and others faster, we all kept at the same speed. And then, one day, the faster ones took off. The slower ones gave up. The smell of the cheese was intoxicating. But I stayed at the same pace as always because, well, there's nothing really waiting for me. The cheese is a little mouldy anyway.
How do you know? How do I know? Well, I can smell it. Besides, rat races aren't really my thing. I'm more of a dog person.