What Happened to us?

I sighed as I walked into Vale High. Today was going to be the day I was going to put everything in my past behind me. I would forget everything, even Jake, my lost friend, the glimmer of light in the darkness, if it meant moving on to better things. I missed him too much it hurt. Over the last five years my height had shot up to being pretty much an average 5′6″ and I wasn’t so short anymore. I blended in with the crowd as I pressed my books to my below average chest (compared to some of the preps here) and pushed my way to my locker. Halfway there I bumped into someone and my books dropped to the ground. 

“Sorry.” An all too familiar voice said as they bent down to help me gather my stuff. I was at a loss for words. Jake stood up and I followed him with a confused look. We hadn’t talked for weeks. He looked into my eyes and was surprised. “Margaret?” He asked. I just looked at my books which were in his hands still. I didn’t want to see his facial expression because I had promised myself I would move on.

Jake handed me my books. I turned around without saying a word, and walked away, not caring where I went. I heard footsteps behind me. “Margaret!” he shouted. I froze remembering the day my mom announced her engagement to Jeff Jameson, my sixth grade math teacher, in eighth grade.

“Margaret!” she had called from the kitchen. “Get inside! I need to tell you something!” 

I complied, and walked into the air-conditioned house to find my mother and my old math teacher, whom my mother had been dating for a year, holding each other’s hands. I wasn’t confused, because they had been together many times.”What’s up?” I asked wanting to go back outside and swing on our tree swing again.

My mother’s eyes filled with tears, and she smiled at Jeff. “We’re getting married! Veronica and Jeff are going to move in. Isn’t that great?” I watched as my mom and Jeff locked lips.

“Yeah that’s great!” said, lying. I was still torn up from my dad’s death, and I didn’t know what being an older sister would be like. I backed up. “I’m going to go tell Jake the awesome news.” I ran out the door and grabbed my bike that was lying on the front lawn.