RAVEN'S HOPE

1- YOU

----5/02/18---

---7:30AM-----

When I was little, I was obsessed with counting. I was obsessed with the idea of counting. It also led to a mini obsession with time. I counted my steps, the time, books I was supposed to read for English. I counted. My mum once said that it was my anxiety. She told me that if it helped me calm down, then she's cool with it.

My mum was my therapist, although I hated it, and I was glad it was her and not some weirdo. Based on her theory about me, she thinks I inherited my anxiety from her but her divorce triggered it. Most times she blamed herself for my condition.

My dad, on the other hand, thinks I'm normal. He thinks I'm not depressed, neither do I have anxiety disorder. He believed that I was a perfect daughter and maybe that's what put a strain on their relationship after the divorce.

Even though I was used to having an abnormal life, I was half expecting today to be normal. Abigail, my best friend, pulled up into the parking lot of Willow Creek High School and I quickly slipped out of the car and into the school building. It wasn't too hard for me to locate my locker. It was the only locker that had a picture of Sara Michaels on it. I opened the locker and dumped my bag into it and picked up my World History textbook and shut the locker. Leaning on the locker, I watched the population of students. Abigail and I always come early because we liked to be totally prepared for the day and also we could spy on other people.

"Rave, did you do your creative writing homework?" I heard a familiar voice ask and I turned to the direction of the voice. Abigail sighed as she stepped up to me. I nodded and she smiled. "Oh, thank God! I didn't understand shit. I'll try to use yours as an example."

I spotted Josh by the corner talking to Geraldine. "It was quite easy. If you're flunking, why don't you switch classes?" I had asked her this question a lot in the past few months but the same reply came.

"I'm not flunking." She said with a hint of anger laced in her tone. "This is the only class that we have together." I watched the way Josh placed his arm around Geraldine and the way he smiled at her. Did he ever look at me that way? Of course he did. Maybe he didn't. "Rave, you need to stop stressing yourself over Josh. We're not in the same friend group anymore. It has been a month."

I turned away from Josh to Abigail. "How is it possible that I don't get to move on but he does? With Geraldine of all people. At least show some respect to Sara." Abigail sighed and I decided to let the matter be so we stood there in the midst of the population of Willow Creek High, watching everyone pass by until the bell for first period rang.

"I'll see you." Abigail said before running off. I casually walked to my first class of the day. World History, my least favorite subject in the whole of Willow Creek High and not because of the bulkiness but because of the teacher.

Stepping into the class, I noticed something was odd. Someone was in Sara's seat. He was talking to someone seating in front of him. I felt the need to ask him to leave but I couldn't. I walked to my seat beside Sara's and I sat down. I was tensed up and irritated. I gripped my right wrist, tightly, and closed my eyes for a 5 seconds before opening them. I repeated it, five more times and I felt relieved a little.

"Hey." He greeted me and I nodded. I glanced at all the little writings on Sara's table and my heart melted. "I'm Vincent Lloyd. What's your name."

"Rave." I replied and turned to the teacher who walked into the class. "Are you new?"

"Kinda." He said and I decided not to ask more questions. I didn't want to have a conversation with someone who wasn't acknowledging Sara.

----4:12PM----