Static [Riley Mattews]

22 - Eighth Grade

Noah had the best summer so far.

He spent it all with Dean. 

They traveled to a new city almost every single weekend. As soon as Noah finished summer camp on Friday, he and Dean would rush to the airport and travel to whichever city Dean had worked at.

There were two weeks where Noah missed Monday because Monday was the earliest they could fly back to Boston.

Whenever Noah wasn't traveling with Dean or at summer camp with Aaron, Noah would be going to different movies with Aaron and music shows. 

Noah wished he could live with Dean full-time, but he knew that it wasn't a possibility. 

He loved Boston. He wanted to visit as much as possible, maybe even live there, but right now, he can't.

On the first day of eighth grade, Noah woke up early and went over to the Matthews apartment.

He saw them the day before, which was the day he landed back in New York.

"Are you ready for a brand new school year?" Mrs. Matthews asked.

"Yeah, I guess," Noah shrugged.

Noah followed Mrs. Matthews to Riley's bedroom.

Mrs. Matthews opened the bedroom door and exclaimed, "Who's ready for a brand new year?"

Riley was in her bed. She had the blanket covering her entire body.

"Why are you still in bed?" Mrs. Matthews asked her daughter.

Noah took a few steps in.

Riley uncovered her face.

"Is he gonna be my teacher?" Riley asked.

"No," Mrs. Matthews assured Riley. "We're not gonna do that again. That was crazy. New year, new teacher."

Noah knew all about what Mrs. Matthews was talking about.

She and Mrs. Matthews had a teacher, Mr. Feeny teach them from middle school until college.

Noah understood how Mr. Feeny would have taught them the entirety of their middle school years and maybe high school, but college? How he managed to do that, Noah had no idea.

"Get excited," Mrs. Matthews said, "because you and your friends are the kings of middle school now!"

Riley smiled at those words.

"First day of the new year!" Mr. Matthews said, walking into his daughter's bedroom, excitedly.

His excitement disappeared in an instant seeing RIlet still in bed.

"Why are you still in bed?"

"Are you gonna be my teacher?" Riley demanded.

"No!" Mr. Matthews said. "Your mother and I went through that with Mr. Feeny."

"Yeah, our teacher from sixth grade to college," Mrs. Matthews chuckled alongside her husband.

"How could that happen?" Riley asked.

"That's what I'm wondering," Noah said.

"In an unexpected..." Mr. Matthews began.

"But completely believable way..." Mrs. Matthews continued.

They both tried coming up with an explanation but neither one of them could think of anything.

"Every year," Mr. Matthews said as if the realization was just hitting him.