Dear August

|Two|

Dear August,

Today's my first day at a new school. I don't know how to feel. I'm apathetic. Nothing excites me anymore. I'm feeling more and more heavy each day without you here. I suppose this is a good opportunity to meet some friends so I'm not completely miserable and lonely here. I'm sure you love me writing to you about my depressing life, I bet you're having a better time than me, wherever you are.
I feel caught in the middle about being here. I have a longing to go home but, there's nothing really to go home to. Is there? Nothing but emptiness now. I want to go home to you. It's not home without you.
So my only option is this. Whatever 'this' is, I can tell it's going to be quite hard without you. Anyways, school awaits. Wish me luck,

With love,
Riley.

I shuffle slowly out of my room, yawning. Mom was already up and gone for work. I read the yellow sticky note on the fridge as I open it to get something to eat.

At work till 7. Here's the school address. Make sure you bring a sweater with you it's chilly. Love you, see you tonight.

Great. Our first day here and it's cold. Everyone told me that Colorado was cold. Of course I believed them. But I didn't want to actually deal with the cold.

I sigh and shuffle back into my room. Still, nothing was really unpacked. I don't even know which boxes have my clothes in it. I push a few boxes to the side until I read one that has "closet" written on it in sharpie. Feeling to lazy to put any effort into how I look, I pull on a black hoodie and a pair of jeans. I don't really care what I look like.

The walk was only slightly brutal, the tip of my nose and my cheeks turning a rosy pink by the time I reach the school building. I stare up at it as kids shuffle in, going around me, probably wondering about the weird girl looking at their school. It looked cold, empty, like it sucked all the happiness out of you. But what am I saying that's every school ever.

"I'm Denise Rumsy, the principal of AHS, it's nice to meet you Riley," a kind, middle aged woman greets me as I walk into her office. I smile at her as I take off my beanie. "Have a seat, please." She gestures at the seat in front of her desk.

I continue to shiver as I plop myself down on the chair and take off my black bomber jacket.

"Is it cold? I mean you did just come from a generally hot state."

"Yeah," I laugh awkwardly. "It's a big change." She smiles and we sit in an awkward silence for a few seconds.

"So," she breaks the silence. "I'll call in my T.A. To show you around the school and show you to your first class." I smile and nod.

As if right on cue, a small knock rings on the door and I turn around in my seat.

"Come on in," Principal Ramsy adjusts her name plate as she rests her hand on the back of her neck.
A small framed girl with dark brown hair and bright blue eyes peeks her head in the door.

"Oh, Finley come in please."

Finley opens the door all the way and stands awkwardly just past the door frame, fiddling with her hands.

"Finley, this is Riley, the new student from Arizona."

Finley approaches me and reaches out her hand. I look down at it awkwardly for a second, as if trying to remember how a proper handshake works. I look back up at her striking blue eyes -resembling August's and my mother's- and snap out of it, taking her hand and shaking it.

"So you're the new girl everyone's been buzzing about," she smiles. Her smile was bright too. Shes a bright person.

"Huh, never thought I would be the talk of the school," I joke.