"When will you come home?"
"I don't know"

Three days had passed since mother told me I could go to my prom and I can hardly wipe the grin from my face. Although I still have a year to wait until I even start my senior year, its the best news I've heard since moving here.

Clyde: Hey
Me: Mornin'
Clyde: Wyd
Me: Just woke up
Clyde: My mom was wondering if you wanted to come school shopping with us and Clarrisa, seeing as we already know what you'll need
Me: That sounds cool! I'll ask my mom

"Mom!" I call, sitting up in my bed, my head rushes and tells me I sat up to fast.
"Yes dear?" I hear her footsteps as she approaches my door.
"Madison from next door wanted to know if she could take me school shopping with Clyde and Clarrisa," I set my feet onto the ground.
"When?" My mother sounds as if she's leaning on the door.
"I'll ask," I type quickly to Clyde.

Clyde: 2 pm

"At two," I answer her question.
"That sounds ok. Do you need money?" She aks.
"Seeing as you have my debt card, yes, I need money," I roll my eyes and sigh.
"Oh, woops, of course you do. I'll give it to you when you leave."
"K."

Me: she says yes
Clyde: Cool, see you then

I get out of bed and start searching for something to wear. Depressed sad girl would defeat my first impression, army chick was already my first impression, Greek god stuff may not be appropriate because I don't know their religion. Ugh. I finally settle on my black jeans and a plain red shirt along with my favorite black vans I painted flames onto.
Once I'm dressed, I take a few selfies, trying to take one that I felt good about to send to Ash- which is not hard to do, I send her basically any selfie I take. Finally I settle on one and send it to my group chat, sending all previous attempts to Ash.

Ash: Awww
Me: Heh

Ash sends a selfie and I instantly save it to my phone, it will go among the other ones I have of her. I take a moment to study the image, noticing her jet black hair shining almost as much as her blue grey eyes in the light of the lamp in her room.

Me: very Pretty 🖤

My phone buzzes and I switch over to look at the group chat.

Jake: nice
Katy: Yesssss
Zack: You look good

I set my phone down for a moment but it buzzes a few times and I reopen the chat to see that I had received several images.
The first image was a mirror selfie from Katy, a full face of make up with a crop top hoodie is all I can see in the toothpaste speckled mirror in the bathroom she shares with two younger brothers and soon, a baby sister.
The second picture is of Zack. I study his deep brown eyes, if you look close enough you can see they change to a green color in some spots. I look to his chestnut colored hair, his blue shirt- it always had been one of my favorites- and his black framed glasses. God he's adorable! I swoon inwardly.

Me: You too

The third image finally loads to reveal Ella posing with a serious face with one of her pet rats on her shoulder.

Zack: Wyd?
Me: Nothing much, waiting to go shopping with my friend. wbu?
Katy: Oooo fun!
Zack: you have friends? 😂
Me: Shoosh 😂
Ash: sjehfhajsjfjwnw
Zack: im about to go get lunch with my fam

I glance at the time on my phone.

Me: Its not even 10!??????!??
Zack: Its 11:27 here...
Me: Ah, yes, time zones 🙄 I wish I could just come back, then we wouldn't have this problem, we could have lunch around the same time instead of two hours apart
Zack: Knowing you we probably would still have lunch two hours apart 😂
Me: Fair point

I think about all the times I've had breakfast after 2pm, sometimes as late as 5pm. I'd just forget to eat until someone put food in front of me.

"Come have something to eat," my mother says at my door.
Speaking of breakfast.
"Alrighty," I yawn before sliding my phone into my pocket and opening the door.
I follow my mother into the kitchen where the twins are sitting at the table, staring at a plate of odd colored, misshapen, pancakes.
"Why are they pink-?" I break off.
"Sprinkles!" My mother exclaims.
My mother had never been a good cook, but even I can make a good pancake.
I raise an eyebrow, "ok then," I sit down in the chair beside Kelly and continue to stare at the pancakes.
My father comes into the kitchen, dressed in suit and tie, distracting me from the pink alien pancakes.
"What're you dressed up for?" I ask, looking him up and down.
He takes a moment to adjust his deep blue tie with rubber duckies on it, "interview at the local hospital."
"Oh, that's cool!" I say, "what position?"
"They're looking for a new Cheif of Pedes, so hopefully that one," He picks up a coffee cup from the counter and takes a sip, his face twisting as he blinks at the cup, "this is your mothers..." He trails off, glancing at my mother.
I press my lips together and try not to laugh as he shudders and sticks out his tounge. My mother drinks her coffee black.
"Good luck at your interview," I watch as he picks up the other mug on the counter, taking a long drink with a happy sigh afterwards, "and nice tie."
The twins giggle beside me.
"Hey, I'm a kid doctor," he shrugs, "should give me an advantage."
I laugh, "good luck!" I stand and hug him tightly before he goes to the entrance hall.
My mother leans over from the stove and kisses him on the cheek, "You'll do great," she smiles.
"Good luck dad!" The twins chorus.

•~•~•~•~•

"Hey," Clyde waves once, standing behind his mother.
"Hey," I swing my purse over my shoulder and exit the house, I had already said goodbye to my parents before leaving.
"We're sitting in the back of the car," Clyde motions to his moms red SUV parked in front of their house.
We get over to the car and Clyde opens the door for me, "ladies first," he waves a hand towards the seat as I roll my eyes, laughing, and get in.
I sit on the far left, behind the drivers seat, and Clyde sits on the far right behind the passenger seat where Clarrisa is sitting.
"So you three will be going to school together, do you know if you have any classes together?" Madison asks.
"I haven't memorized my classes, I think I've got Strings, Science, English, Math, History, and Art," I look at my hands in my lap, "in no particular order."
"I have Mr. Sharp for Science, Mr. Quip for Math, Ms. Yellowstone for Art, Mrs. Opten for English, Mrs. Ashley for History, and Mr. Pennel for Woodshop," Clyde recites.
"Wow, you memorized all that?" I ask, eyes wide.
"Well I had several of the same teachers last year," Clyde shrugs, "Ms. Yellowstone, Mr. Opten, Mrs. Ashley, and Mr. Pennel."
I nod slowly, "makes sense."
"And I have the senior classes; English with Mr. Peters, Jazz Choir with Mrs. Jean, Marketing with Mr. Quip, Child development with Mrs. Reed, and Science with Mr. Sharp," Clarrisa lists off her classes.
"Thats only five, isn't it?" I raise an eyebrow as I try to recount in my head.
"Yeah," Clarrisa nods, "I go to school later, except on days when we have assemblies."
"Cool," I nod.

As we walk into the entrance of the large cream building, I think of the main store back home and how different the two are. Back home, I knew the layout of the store and where everything was meant to go, but here, the tall white aisles were a mystery to me. My heart aches, longing to be back home.
"Mom! Mom! Mom!" Clyde tugs on Madisons sleeve.
I follow his eyes to see he's looking excitedly at a bouncy ball dispenser and giggle momentarily at Clyde's childish behavior.
"What?" Maddison says a bit harshly.
"Bouncey balls! Hand me my wallet!" He dives his hand into her purse.
"Or- yeah- alright then-" she blinks wildly as he rumages through her purse.
Clarissa rolls her eyes and crosses her arms as she waits.
"Lana?" Clyde presses, "do you need any quarters?"
"No- I have some," I grab my wallet and pull out three quarters.
I wait for Clyde to get his ball before I step forward to get myself one.
I put the quarters in and turn the cold metal knob. There's a few quiet thuds before the little door opens for a second from impact. I reach in and pull out a slick, colorful confetti ball.
"Cool!" Clyde peeks over.
I roll the ball in my hand, "yeah."
My phone vibrates in my pocket.

Zack: Hey

Ahhhh

Me: Hey
Zack: Wyd
Me: At the mall with my friend
Zack: Oh ya 😂
Me: I can prove it 😂
Zack: do it

"Clyde, wait," I lean towards him as I open my camera.
He takes the opportunity to cross his eyes and stick out his tongue.
"Perfect," I laugh.
"Let's go," Clyde nods to the right side of the store, decorated with orange pencils and the other basic school stuff.
I send the selfie to Zack quick then slide my phone back into my pocket.
My phone buzzes again but I fight to ignore it. The one time I'm to busy to talk to him.
I look around the notebook section.
"That ones cool," Clyde looks over my shoulder and points to a spiral notebook with one of those binder cover sort of sheets on it that makes it so that you could slide your own cover in.
"Yeah," I nod.
I put six of them into the cart in a neat pile, establishing my section of the cart. Clyde gives a small chuckle before putting a few in for himself along with some of the regular, cheaper, spiral notebooks.
Clarrisa picks out two of the binder cover notebooks and two of the regular notebooks and places them into her own little pile between mine and Clydes.
"Just a moment," Maddison points to a door at the end of the end of the hallway, "Ladies room," she heads off towards it and I read the 'employees only' sign.
"She works here," Clyde assures.
I nod, silently 'oh'-ing before going back to looking around the aisle.
"Notebook paper," Clye slaps a packet of notebook paper onto each of our piles.
"Binders?" I look around the aisle, seeing none.
"Those should be an aisle or two down," Clyde shrugs.

We continue our shopping excursion, picking out binders, pencils, pens, and other supplies. As we near the check out I grab a small sketchbook and throw it into my side of the cart.
I let Clyde and Clarrisa go first. Clyde piles his stuff into bags randomly and steps aside for his sister to scan her things. Once they've both scanned their items, Madison steps up and pays for them.
Once it's my turn I neatly arrange my things into bags and pay the fourty eight dollars and seventy two cents.
We head out to the car, bags in hands, and climb in. The way home is filled with conversion about the teachers and classes at my new school. I wanted to be prepared for what I would be facing when school started.

"Thank you for taking her shopping!" My mom calls to Maddison from our front door.
"No problem," Maddison smiles and waves before heading into her own home.
I grab my bags and climb out of the car, Clyde just behind me.
"Bye Lana," Clyde smiles to me before following his mother in.
"Bye," I blush slightly and head swiftly towards my house.
I pass under my moms arm and head into the kitchen where I drop my bags on the table.
"Whatd you get?" Mom asks after closing the door and heading in after me.
"Let me show you," I start rummaging through bags and pulling things out to show her.