Shallow Water

Tara woke up, startled by the sound of the alarm she had already put to rest twice. It was Tuesday, the worst day of the week by a long shot. She managed to pull herself up, but only enough to let her legs dangle for the side of the bed.

She was always tired anymore; Enough sleep was never enough. It was all the pressure. This was her senior year of high school. Between college applications and AP classes, she barely had time to think. No matter where she went she was always asked the same questions, "Where are you going to college?" "What's your major?" "Are you excited?" The truth is, Tara couldn't answer any of the questions she was asked on a regular basis; she had no idea.

She had plenty of time to think about it though. No one ever called or came by. There were no parties or movie nights. She couldn't remember the last time she had a real friend. That was a lie, she could remember. It was her freshmen year. Somehow, somewhere down the line, she'd lost the only real friend she'd ever had.

"People grow apart," her mom had said, but this was different. It felt different.