Peripheral Vision | ✓ [NOW PUBLISHED AS HUNTINGTON AVENUE]

Chapter 32

 C H A P T E R  T H I R T Y - T W O

Kelsey's P.O.V.

"Can I skip school today..?" I asked my mom with pleading eyes from underneath my hoodie. "I don't want to go."

"Why?" my mom inquired as she approached me from the kitchen. "You sound okay to me."

"I just don't want to go..," I protested while twiddling my thumbs in my hoodie pockets nervously. "I don't think I'm ready..."

"I think that's fine with me," she hesitantly replied while putting her arm gently around me. "But you're not staying inside the house all day," she continued with a knowing smile. "Let's have some fun."

To my surprise, she actually is letting me ditch school today, which she has never let me do in all my born days.

I gave her an enthusiastic nod as I took my hands out of my pockets, embracing my mom into a giant hug. She always seems so strict when it comes to school, yet today was different, and I'm not sure why.

"So, what kind of fun where you thinking of?" I asked after we broke away from the hug.

"I was thinking, maybe take Ace out for a walk and then get a late lunch afterwards?" Mom replied while motioning towards our dog, who was sleeping peacefully on our couch. "Sound good?"

"Sounds fine to me," I replied while walking over towards the heavily snoring Ace. I gave him a small pat and he lifted his head in an instant, his tail wagging so hard it was about to fall off. I couldn't help but smile as I scratched the loving dog behind his ears.

"Want to go for a walk, boy?" I asked playfully while staring into his puppy dog eyes.

At the sound of the word "walk," Ace leapt to his paws, jumped off the couch, and started running in circles. I followed him to the front door and grabbed his leash which was hung on a hook by the door. Carefully, I attached it to his collar and opened the front door.

"You coming?" I inquired to my mom in between giggles. Ace seemed extremely excited.

"Boy, you're in a hurry," she exclaimed with a playful tone as she slipped on a pair of shoes and followed me out the door.

"Yeah, I guess so," I implied with a small smile. "Ace hasn't been out on a walk in a long time."

I would take Ace out on walks several times a day if I could but I can't due to school. I watched Ace as we walked down the sidewalk on our street and he would get extremely excited over every single little thing. The occasional butterfly, every street light, and every tall patch of grass would get him to be hyper.

With a smile on my face, I watched Ace hop around eagerly as we entered our neighborhood park, which was only a few houses down from our home. The park consisted with lots of looming trees overhead and a large, grassy field close to a lake which was on the other side. Ace seemed to give us both a doggy smile as he hopped around in circles, taking everything in.

"He sure seems excited," I exclaimed while watching our hyper dog practically drag me across the park.

"He sure does," my mom replied as she walked next to me. "You do too."

"I'm just getting my mind off of things," I sighed while gazing at Ace romping around.

"You mean Zach," she retorted, looking at me with knowing eyes.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I mean," I answered while fighting off a saddened expression. "Friday was tough.."

"I'm sure it was," she comforted with a soothing expression. "It'll take some time, but you'll get over it soon enough."