flashback

t h e e n d

Danyelle

So I could tell you all about how my mom fought in court for the kids in the alley, and they went to live with their Godmama Suzanna’s brother in Adabler, about a 20 minute drive from us, but that’s not as important. Though I will tell you how we live now.

Ceon comes to my school. At first, he was put a couple grades behind because he hadn’t been tutored since he was 12, but he caught up pretty quick. He’s 18 now, and graduating from Ruby Studebaker High this month. I’m 16, and now a junior.

Things have changed. I’ve become pretty popular since I ran off.

People think it was “cute.” People don’t know anything.

But I got the school to shut down SSR. My dyslexia doesn’t bother me anymore. I’m not known as the girl who can’t read anymore, but the girl who “broke a train”. People are so stupid.

After Dad came home, he helped me with all of that reading stuff. I’m much better now—and Mr. Brennan is my favorite teacher.

Fletch is almost 14 now, and in 8th grade. He’s graduating in a week and a half, much to his dismay. With the stories me and Ceon tell him about RBSBH, he’s not exactly looking forward to moving up.

Mario is playing college basketball for the Adabler Arioles. He’s doing great, the team’s star player and the power forward. All the jocks and I talk to each other, and Eric? He’s been on Teen Jeopardy the last time I’ve seen him, but we talked to each other the other day, and he’s going to an Ivy League and doing great. I can’t wait to see him again.

Sarai and Matt have long stopped their frou-frou language, but they’re still inseparable.

They’re in the 3rd grade, and they read more books together than they can count, especially Roald Dahl, who they think is "surrendipitious". That's their new word of the week, by the way. Surrendiptious. I visit them all the time, and I always have a pack of gum waiting for them.

The last day I saw Theodore, he had run off—I haven’t seen him since.

I don’t mind—I hope he’s doing well, I know he is—but I’m doing just fine without him.

Last month Mom opened up her own attorney’s office—she’s the boss, and she picks her own hours. She’s home most of the time now, and she says she’s never been happier. I don’t doubt it for a second.

As for me and Ceon, we’re still going steady and strong. He’s my best friend, and yet so much more. Since May 17th, we’ve been perfect.

We’ve had lots of ups and downs and all, but we always make up. Always. Dad always laughs and says we’re joined at the hip. It’s partly true.

Ceon says he wants to do social work in college—he just got into Stonybrook University, and Mr. Sean, Godmama Suzanna’s brother, was ecstatic. He’d be perfect at it.

As for me, I’m just floating along with the breeze. I don’t exactly know what I want to be yet, but it’s going to be good.

All I know is, I’m moving up.

So like I said, the kids in the alley, though they’re not kids anymore, changed the way I viewed Cottondale. They changed the way I looked at things.

Maybe I’m the only one who knew about them, but maybe no one could put together the pieces of their history as well as I could.

At least the puzzle’s complete, and if you ask me, it’s quite a pretty picture.

e n d