Don't Go Out in the Woods Tonight...

"KATE! WAKE UP!" My mother yells at me from downstairs. "This is your last warning or so help me I'll ... I'll send TROY up there with a bucket of rain water!"

It took me about two milliseconds before I got to the staircase from under my covers. Yelling my reply to my mother as I race down the stairs, I get halfway down before trouble starts...

"I'm awake! I'm Awake" I shoat at the top of my lungs. "I'm Awa--- AAAHHHHHHH!! --oof"

I sit up and hold my head. I fell down the stairs... again. Mother rushes over to me, trying to help me up but failing miserably.

She took my arm and hauled me up but let go too soon and I fell again. I finally manage to call her off, and push her away. I look around the living room and into the kitchen.

There he sits, still in only the pants I gave him last night, with an awful little smirk on his face.

"What are YOU looking at?!?" I scream at him. I turn and catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror on the other side on the room.

Pillow hair. Enough said.

I let out a small little shriek and plow back up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Thank You, God, I didn't fall!

I return fifteen minutes later, much more presentable. I tug on my other converse, hopping on one foot to the kitchen table. I give one last tug and lose my balance.

I whisper a colorful word as my hand misses the table and I see the floor coming closer to my face. I stop short of the floor, I open my eyes one at a time.

Troy looks down at me, his arms wrapped around my waist. I push away from him and just kind of stand there, staring at him. He shrugs, turns around and sits back down.

I look at the clock and wonder why it’s so early. I get out milk and cereal and ask Mother what’s with the early wake up call.

“Honey, we have to drop Troy off at his house,” My mother explained to me, “and then I have to take you both to school.”

“Why can’t he walk?” I whine, “Or why can’t his parents come to get him? Why am I stuck with hi—“

“Stop. Right. There.” Mother says the words really slow and spaced out.

I clamp my mouth shut and sit down at the table, across from Troy. I notice that Father isn’t around and guess that he already went to the collage.

I tuck into my cereal and finish it quick. Troy reaches over and takes the bowl from me and carries it to the sink with his own dishes. Mother just sits at the head of the table smiling like a lunatic.

Troy runs up the stairs and comes back with yesterday’s clothes on; they were dried in the dryer last night, I presume. I grab my school bag and Mother grabs the car keys and we head out like a stinkin’ parade.

I stick my earphones in and try to block out the directions that Troy is giving my mother. We stop at the end of a driveway that seems to twist around forever into the woods, my woods.

I pause my music and listen to Troy trying to convince my mother not to drive up to the house. I just stare down the drive, trying to catch a glimpse of the house through the trees.

Finally Troy wins and hops out of the car. Five minutes later, I watch him come out of the trees, stuffing some random paper into his bag.

He closes the door and Mother makes a u-turn and heads towards the school. We’re not even two minutes off schedule. I remain silent and so does Troy.

About a block from school though, both of us try to talk Mother into stopping the car and letting us walk.

“Please! We can’t let them see us;” I plead “They’ll jump to conclusions if we get out of the same car. Together!”

“She’s right you know,” Troy adds, with a dark edge to his voice “Kids here like to jump to conclusions.”

“Pish, posh; there’s no conclusion to jump to,” Mother keeps driving, “besides why should you two walk when I can just drive you?”

Troy and I exchange glances and prepare ourselve for the student drop-off zone. Where, of course, there is half our grade standing and waving good-bye to their parents as they get dropped off.

They stop waving and start staring at us as we get out and walk silently into the building. I feel them boring huge hole in the back of my head.

Troy and I walk in opposite directions once we’re in the building, going to our lockers. I get to class first and take my seat in the back. Joanna and Jonathan stare at me.

In such a small school it seems as though everyone knows everyone else. And everyone seems to know who everyone else came to school with.

So as the seven other students walk in each one stares at me. Lastly Troy comes in and sits in the desk next to mine.

I don’t watch him; I don’t even take my eyes off the black board. But I still see the people staring between the two of us, until the teacher comes in and starts class.

I could give you my word that even the teacher stares at us once or twice.