"Attention all students, until further notice, school will be canceled starting Monday March 16, 2020, due to the coronavirus. Please bring all school materials that are needed at home. Stay healthy and stay safe."

Of course we celebrated. It's not everyday you hear an announcement saying school is canceled.
       "I think we all saw this one coming," my friend said. We sit next to each other in history class.

I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, this virus is getting worse."

Who would've thought that this new decade would start with a pandemic waiting for us? Covid-19 has already killed thousands of people across the globe. A global disease with no cure? No wonder we're all being quarantined.

The dismissal bell rang overhead. Everyone filed out of the classroom while talking about regular teenage stuff. Video games, sports, Instagram likes, TikTok videos, boys, girls.

"Did you know that Skylar broke up with Ryan? She told me during lunch," I heard someone say.

"Skylar was with Ryan? Oh come on, she can do better," someone else said.

"Dude, all of the sporting events are canceled! What are we going to do for the next couple of weeks?" one of the jocks asked. Of course the boys would be worried about their football games instead of a global death sentence! No chances of getting the coronavirus from a football game, right?

I headed to my locker. The hallways were crowded as usual. Traffic never flows easily in middle school. It kind of makes you feel a little claustrophobic sometimes.

"Bring your notebooks home! Be sure to check your email for any updates on our online sessions!" my science teacher was yelling at everyone that passed by. Her voice was very loud up close. Especially when she's yelling. Too bad my locker is right in front of her classroom.

I tried to drone out the noise. I never liked large crowds. They're tight, loud, and super uncomfortable to be in. But with this virus going around, that just adds one more thing to the list of things I don't like about crowds: They spread germs. One of the rules of quarantine now is to stay away from large crowds of people. You'll never know if someone in the crowd has coronavirus. That's another sucky part.

I always ride the bus home. And let me tell you, it is not always the best experience. I once saw an entire fight between a high schooler and an elementary kid. The kid just kept kicking at the high schooler. The guy was trying to get him to stop so that another kid, i.e., me, could get through. The aisle was small, so there wasn't enough room to go around them. I'm telling you, buses have to be the least enjoyable way of transportation ever. It's also another crowded place with more people that have a lot of germs.

I was finally relieved of all the people when I reached my house. Even though the house was empty and dark, it was still welcoming. I listened to music while I did my homework. Even though we're staying at home for pretty much the rest of the month, I still wanted to complete all of my school work as soon as possible. That way I won't have to do it later. More free time for me.

I felt a soft vibration beside me. An indication that someone had just texted me. It was my best friend, Spencer. She was happy about school being canceled for the rest of the month.

Spencer: I can't believe we're actually out of school until April! That's wassup!

Me: I know. It's so awesome.

Spencer is in high school which sucks because we don't get to hang out during school. The high school is only a few minutes away from the middle school. It's a pretty short walk.

Spencer: Are you guys coming over later?

Me: I'm not sure. I'll ask dad when he gets home.

Dad's remote controlled cars were scattered all over the dinner table. There were parts and batteries everywhere. He likes to work on them as a hobby. I sometimes help him with his cars. They're pretty fun to play with. They can also drive on any type of terrain. My dad once drove one of them at the beach. It blew sand everywhere! He managed to cover us both with sand. It was pretty funny.

I heard the garage open up outside. I could see dad's BMW through the window. Once he got inside, I asked him if we were going over to Spencer's.

"Maybe in a bit. I need to change first," he said. That meant yes.

I texted Spencer.

Me: We're coming over.

Spencer: Cool, I want to talk to you about something. 

Hi everyone! I know no one's really heard from me in a while. But you know what, it's okay. I'm still here alive and breathing. I've been working on so so many new stories. That's the thing with writing. You can start a new story and then one week later, you already have a new story idea. It's so fun to write your imagination into existence.

So I hope you like this chapter and the next chapters that are coming.

Yours Truly,
MSORAR

P.S. I know I keep promising to update Spy School: New Beginnings, but this time I'm not going to make promises that I can't keep. I will try to work on the story, and I will let you guys know when I have updated it.

Until next time.

P.P.S. One more thing! Everyone please stay safe and healthy.