Stand by Me

One

New place. New people. New school. Nervousness haunts my soul.

Riverwood. A place that is completely alien yet so old to me. It is a beautiful town with a perfect blend of all the seasons. The azure of the bright skies is reminiscing, in a new persona. The atmosphere here is serene and waking up to a morning full of  enchanting chirpings of the birds is too surreal to be true. However, this is true and I am in a concussion to believe and witness it.

It has been a week since we shifted to Riverwood. My Dad keeps asking me to calm down and face my fear. Mom is busy with the customory toils of moving to a new place. Jake, my little brother, has been a bubble of excitement to go to school. This fact remains a queer confusion to me.

Anyway, we all know that first day is always a wreck. At least for me it is. I keep foreseeing images of me messing up.

Help. Me.

"Mom, where's Dex?", first the nervousness and now my guitar. No no no. Dexter is my baby. He and I are always together.

Always.

"I don't know. I thought you packed it"

"I thought you did..."

"Honey, I'll look for Dex. It's getting late. You better get going."

She's right. I am. I hear Dad calling for me outside, asking for me to make it quick. Jake is all ready to go. Ugh. I got in as soon as possible.

"Vanessa,stop clenching your fist. It's gonna be fine.", Dad says, starting the engine as he notices my unstable hands. He knows this strange habit of mine that I clench my fist when I'm worried, scared or angry.

It's the first day of high school for crying out loud. I repeat, High School. Well, first day of sophomore year to be precise. But, that's still a first a day of high school. We all know how crazy that can be. Also, a reminder about the completely alien , NEW town! How can he not get that?

I am too nervous to say anything. I just keep glaring at the window of the car. A delicious and cool soft breeze hugs my face as it gently sweeps my hair aside. Fresh air would probably help. No, the truth is that I am ignoring him.

Why?

This is all because of him. Mom and Dad never really got along. Okay. Actually, never. The memories in my head for the last few months have been full of them fighting, arguing. At first it was hard. Really hard. But as time passed by, both Jake and I got along with the flow. We're not even sorry anymore for them getting a divorce. Both were indulged in their secret affairs. Well, not so secret anymore! And I'm fine with it, because after all those months of agony and hope for them to get back, my feelings have become stone hard. All this lead to Mom having to move here, to Riverwood. Dad will stay here for a week or so for helping us unpack, formalities, new registrations blah blah blah.

There is still a part of me that wants them to get back and be a proper family together. I sigh at the thought.

Oh, how I wish Dex was with me right now. We could just sing the sorrow away. If there's something that a person should know about me, it is that I LOVE to sing. It means EVERYTHING to me. It's the only thing that stays with me, even at the saddest of the grim times. My body and mind enter into an enigmatic realm as I rejoice at the memory of the glory of singing my heart out.

Holy shit!

We're almost reaching! And I'm clenching my fist, really hard. And...the engine goes off...We're here.

Dad seems to be saying something. All I can make out was his lips were moving. Everything's mute all of a sudden. My head is a vortex of overwhelming thoughts and emotions.

And I'm gonna die.

I am staring at the 'RIVERWOOD HIGH' sign in big red letters. I unlock the door, step outside and close it behind me. So many kids walking around.

I start walking and here goes the first day.

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