"Oh- I'm so sorry!"

I stared at the girl I had accidentally bumped into, frantically scrambling back to not be in her personal space longer than I needed to be. I heard the loud smacking sounds of textbooks hitting the floor, making me wince. I glanced at the books, then back at the girl, who was glaring daggers at me. 

"I-I'm so sorry, can I-"

"No, just go, Patrick," the girl snapped, her tone anything but friendly. The sharp words made me flinch once again, and I took a step back. She glared at me once again, before kneeling down to pick up the textbooks that had been in her hands.

I took that as my que to leave, quickly walking away from the girl, my hands holding onto the straps of my backpack as I navigated the bustling hallways of the high school. My eyes darted around, the noise of kids talking and yelling filling my ears. I hated the crowd, I just wanted to get out.

Finally, the doors appeared in sight. I walked just a little faster, practically running out the doors and into the cool autumn air. 

I headed quickly down the sidewalk, away from the area where impatient parents were picking their students up in the craze of cars. I didn't blame my parents for not wanting to deal with that, it was a miracle that car accidents didn't happen on a daily basis. Instead, they had me walk to and from school, which I didn't mind. It gave me time to myself, to calm down from the school day. 

Different colored leaves drifted down from the trees that towered above me as I ventured into the neighborhood, walking at a decent pace. I looked up, watching as a beautifully colored maple leaf fell from the branch of a tree, drifting through the air, only to land on the ground, where it would probably stay all throughout winter as well. 

Chicago was always cold in October, usually staying that way until April or May. I didn't mind, it was something I was used to from living here my whole life. 

I crossed the street a few times, knowing I was only a block or two away from my house. The street was somewhat quiet, even from the after school traffic. My neighborhood consisted mainly of retired people, but there were the few that worked, or had kids, like my parents. They were older, but they still worked and had me. 

I almost walked right past my house, my mind having wandered far from the fact that I was walking hope. I quickly stopped in my tracks, turning to face my house.

It was a small, two-story modern colonial home. There was a small porch in the front, and was painted a dark blue. It was definitely newer, we had moved into it just a few years ago, nearly right after it was built. I liked it, it was simple. It was home.

I walked up the front steps, opening the door and walking inside, being greeted with the wonderful scents of pumpkin spice, and the faint smell of something spicy. Chili, maybe? 

"Mom, I'm home!" I called as I took my shoes off, making sure to shut the front door behind me. I walked through the entryway and into the kitchen, seeing my mom standing in front of the stove, stirring something in a pot. It smelled good, that was for sure. 

She turned, a kind smile appearing on her aging features. Her long, dark brown hair was pulled into a bun, which was how she usually wore it. She walked over to me, pulling me into a hug, which made me smile.

"There you are! I was waiting for you. I want you to taste test dinner," she said, pulling away from the hug to return to the kitchen. A bit of excitement flashed through me, and I nodded quickly, setting my backpack in the corner before joining her in front of the stove. 

"I'm guessing that means Dad isn't home yet?" I asked as I watched Mom pull out a spoon from the silverware drawer. I stood on my tippy toes and peeked into the pot, seeing that it was definitely chili, and it smelled amazing.

"Yes, he isn't home yet, but you know that you're my little taste tester. He's too picky," Mom said with an eye roll, ruffling my blond hair. A smile spread across my face as I chuckled, taking the spoon as she handed it to me. 

I dipped it into the pot, bringing out a spoonful of chili. I blew on it a few times, not wanting to burn my mouth, then put it in my mouth. The flavor was strong, but it was good. I smiled, nodding my approval.

"It's amazing," I said, setting the spoon in the sink. Mom nodded in agreement, turning back to stir the pot more.

"Good. Now go set the table."

*********

After a multitude of things, I finally flopped down on my bed in my room, already dressed in my pajamas. It wasn't much, what I wore to bed usually consisted of sweatpants and a t-shirt. I was exhausted after doing homework and cleaning around the house a little. It was nearing midnight, and I knew I needed to sleep if I didn't want to be exhausted for school tomorrow.

I slid under the covers of my bed, pulling them over me as I laid my head against the pillow. It felt like the same routine every day, over and over again. It was tiring, to be honest. There wasn't much to do to break the cycle. I didn't have a lot of friends to go and hang out with, and the ones that I could maybe even call friends, were just ones that I talked to at school. I didn't have a phone, so there wasn't really a way I could contact them outside of school.

I sighed to myself, staring out the window that I could see from my bed. I had the curtains open, being able to see the starry night sky from where I was laying. It was pretty. I always loved the stars. Astrology wasn't something I was big on, but I could always admire their beauty. 

Staying up much later wasn't a good idea. I rolled over, facing the wall. I closed my eyes, hoping it wouldn't take long for me to fall asleep, as it sometimes did.

As I was drifting off, I had an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach, but had no clue what it meant. It was probably nothing, my anxiety just decided it wanted to act up while I tried to sleep.