A Drop in the Ocean

"Time is like the ocean. You can only hold a little bit of it in your hands." -Anonymous

*

The fog lingered outside of my window like it had done every day since we arrived. I sighed, rolling out of bed. It was the first day of school. School. Homework. Tests. Grades. Sleepless nights. A kid's worst nightmare wrapped into a less than convenient 7 hour session. Yippee.

I tried not to act too unhappy about the upcoming school day. I didn't want to worry Mom. But I couldn't help it. By the time I was getting into the car, she had apologized to me about moving what seemed like 50 times.

"It's okay. Really." Is how I replied every time. Even though it wasn't.

I got to school a whole hour and a half early. Yeah, it might be overkill, but I just hate being pressed on time. I had to get my schedule and find my locker before the bell rung at eight. My stomach churned at the thought of first period. Would people like me? Or would I be a total outcast?. I suspected the latter. I was never really good at making friends. Not because I'm really mean or anything, I'm just kind of shy. Not cute shy, but more like "Does that girl have mental issues" shy. When I'm not in the water, I don't really have good conversation abilities.

The lady at the main office gave me a stiff smile as she handed me a paper- my schedule. I returned what I hoped was a smile, but it must have been just as stiff as hers. I decided that I liked her.

Period one was P.E. I'd be glad to do it in the early mist. It wouldn't be as hot as later in the day. Besides, P.E. was never really hard for me. Just a way to burn off a little energy. Period two was Algebra 2. Then came English, History, and Biology. I almost squealed with joy when I saw what I had for sixth period- photography.

It was my dream job. I had been taking pictures ever since I can remember. Stealing my mom's dinky old Kodak, I'd run to the beach and photograph everything. The majestic palm trees lining the sand, the sun, glistening shells, sea turtles, waves... Everything! They never came out very good due to the camera's old state, but it still made me giddy to be able to capture the world in one moment to be saved forever.

I smiled at the fond memory, and started walking to find the gym. I managed not to bump into anybody as I made my way through my classes. I wanted to know where each one was to avoid panic during the four minutes that we had in between. It was a breeze, as each classroom was clearly numbered. Then I found my locker- number 125 -and opened it within two tries. By then, I still had ten minutes to spare. I roamed around, locating bathrooms, the library, and the cafeteria. I was getting bored when something hit my side with extreme force, almost knocking me down.

"Summer!" Ravyn squealed, hugging me tight. I couldn't contain a laugh, hugging her back.

"You almost knocked me down! What's up?" I exclaimed, brushing the hair out of my face.

"Oh, you know. Just the first day of school. How's the schedule thing going?" She grabbed my paper, scanning the classes.

I snatched it back, hugging it to my body. "Fine. I mean, it's okay. My teachers look nice, except for Mrs. Carter. She was yelling at some kid when I came in. I don't blame her. Teaching Algebra must be stressful." Ravyn pouted, shifting her backpack.

"We have no classes together!" She cursed, looking at something in the sky. "Will you come with me to get a schedule change?" I nodded, and again I was face to face with the stiff office lady. She tapped her long nails on the keys of the computer, clicking the mouse every once in a while. I stared, mesmerized, at her clearly dyed blonde curls as they bounced on her shoulders. Everything about the lady was artificial. But she had a new schedule for Ravyn, identical to mine, in no time.

We were skipping out of the office, arm in arm, when the bell rang. Off to gym. The start of a whole new school year.

And the end of Summer.