Everything has changed

Too Much That Time Cannot Erase

"Ethan, CJ! Y'all know the bus does not wait for you," Ashley Miller yelled to her two boys, who seemed to have missed her gene of punctuality. As Ethan, the younger and shorter of the two, rounded the corner into the kitchen, he was still fixing his blond hair into the spiked fashion that was popular.

"Where is your brother?" Mrs. Miller inquired.

"He's putting his shoes on," replied the boy in his high, fourteen-year-old voice, as he looked up at his mom with excited, piercing blue eyes.

"Oh my God, I can't believe I overslept on the first day of school!" cried the frazzled voice of CJ as he came running into the kitchen at a breakneck pace. As he skidded to a stop in front of his mother, his face stretched into a smile, pushing his freckled cheeks out and squinting his sharp green eyes.

"How do I look?" he asked proudly, gesturing to his khaki shorts, short-sleeved button-down, and styled light blonde hair.

"You look like a handsome prince," replied his mother, smiling a bitter-sweet smile at CJ's expression.

He rolled his eyes. "Mom, I'm fifteen now. I can't be called a prince anymore or I'll be made fun of."

"You'll always be my little prince," she replied ushering her sons to the front door. "But, it is time for my prince and his little brother to go to their bus stop. Remember to be polite to your teachers and have a great first day of High School!"

"Yes mom, we know," both boys groaned in unison. With a final kiss, she closed the door and watched them as they walked to the end of the driveway and climbed onto the bus, wondering how they had gotten so big so fast.

∞ ∞ ∞

"Give me my phone back!" Ethan yelled at two boys who had been harassing him since middle school. "CJ! Can you please help me?" he begged while grabbing his brother's shoulder, desperate for a reprieve. CJ shrugged him off, determined to maintain his cool facade in front of his friends. Suddenly, he spotted a certain someone's face in the crowd, his determination to appear "cool" quickly forgotten, along with any social skills had previously.

"There she is! Oh my gosh, what should I do?" he sputtered, his nerves going haywire.

"I don't know! Hmm... Let me think. Maybe slap her?" his friend Clay piped up sarcastically.

"That's not funny, I'm serious!" CJ exclaimed, getting more and more distressed by the second. He had had a crush on her since middle school. She was one of those girls that was very popular: no haters, impeccable hair, flawless smile, and don't forget the omnipresent makeup that came with being a cheerleader. Her name was Jennifer Claire Johnson. When CJ saw her, his heart would threaten to beat out of his chest and he would start sweating, which was exactly what was happening to him at that moment.

"Just try to talk to her," suggested Samuel.

CJ opened his mouth as if to reject the idea, but she was approaching quickly. "Jennifer? Hi," he stammered nervously.

"Hey" responded Jennifer, somewhat disgusted. She kept walking, not even sparing CJ a passing glance.

"Dude, she doesn't even know you," Samuel stated bluntly.

"I don't care, she said hi," replied CJ. He didn't care if she didn't know him, she talked to him and that's what mattered. CJ and his friends headed to class, leaving Ethan still struggling to retain his phone.

"I'll tell the teacher that y'all have my phone," Ethan warned the two bullies, Lucas and Jeffrey, shakily.

"If you do, you'll regret it" retorted Lucas who then proceeded to hand him his phone back. Ethan took off before it was even all the way in his hand, determined to not be late.