Young

1.

"Kelsie wake up."

"Daddy I don't wanna," my two year old self told my dad.

"Kels you have to wake up."

"Come On babygirl wake up"

"Kels, wake up."

"Wake up."

"Wake up Kel-"

"Ms. Kelsie wake up," Mrs. Evans, my English teacher, kinda shouted at me. "Since you were sleeping, tell me something about Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet."

"I'm sorry but I don't anything about that play or who's Shakespeare," I told her. Everyone started to laugh at me. It's not the first time I've been laughed at but it probably won't be the last. Mrs. Evans just signed and went back to the front of the class.

"Can anyone tell me about it then," she asked.

"Romeo and Juliet was about a boy and a girl who fell in love with each other, even though their families hated one another," my best friend, China, stated.

"Thank you China. Well since today's a Friday, I will let you guys out early. Class's dismiss." Everyone got up and left while me and China were taking our time. "Ms. Kelsie, may I talk to you alone?"

China told me good luck and left to wait on me so we can walk to our next class.

"Yes Mrs. Evans," I asked.

"You know that you're going to have to stay after school today right?"

"I know and I'm sorry for sleeping in class."

"I know you are. Are you still having those nightmares about your dad?"

"Yeah. I'm just, I'm really really sorry," I said trying to avoid that topic.

"It's okay. You know that if you need anything, you can come to me right?"

"Yes. Sorry for cutting this short but can I leave now? I really need to get to class."

"Yeah sure but please don't fall asleep in my class again. Ok?"

"Okay Mrs. Evans. See you later," I told her walking out of her class. China was waiting by the door for me and started to walk by my side when I exited the classroom.

"What did she talked about this time," she asked.

"Just the same thing as normal," I told her. China knew not to keep going. Last time she did that, I lashed out on her and didn't talk to her for three weeks. That was three years ago. Even though she's my best friend, the only thing she knows about my nightmares is that they're based on my past. The only thing I told her about my past is that my parents gave me up for adoption.

I don't know what happened to my mom, but the last time I saw my dad I was seven. I don't talk about him much. from what I remember, the coward wasn't really fit to be a father to me. I still have the note he gave me before he left me for good. Two months after he was M.I.A., someone came up to me and said that he passed away and the only reason they even knew me was because he used to show them pictures of me that he took of me when I was two. That was the last time I've seen him be nice to me.

"You okay Kels," China asked me. "You seems like you were out of it back there."

"Yeah. Sorry for doing that...again."

"It's okay. I know that it seems like Mrs. Evans is being hard on you, but she only wants the best for you."

"Yeah it seems like she really doesn't like me at all."

"You know that you can talk to me if something or someone is bothering you. Okay?"

"Okay," I told her while we walked into algebra class.