My New Best Friend

Never, ever, lose hope. Not even in the darkest moments.

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The sunlight was so strong yesterday I find it hard to believe that now it is like this. The sky is blocked out by a great number of gray clouds, and the soft and calming breeze that yesterday went, free and moving everywhere, does not belong anymore. Instead, a ferocious breeze hits the window, along with heavy raindrops and the sound of thunders. Today is October 3rd and, with this winter that starts showing us how hard it comes, it's the first day of school, for me and every other student of Middle and High School.

Elementary School had some fun. They started two weeks ago, and I'm pretty sure the kids could enjoy the Sun on every break they had. But no, I am an older guy, and with my 15 years, I'm forced to go to school right when it starts raining and storming. Growing up is fun, isn't it? And this is not even the best part of it.

I'm sorry for this, I should not be complaining but it's hard not to. I pick up my bag, and start filling it with the usual shit. Books, notebooks, pencils, folders... Even though I know I'll use less than half of the things I'm putting inside, there's something that makes me put them in. Perhaps I'm hoping our teacher is going to check personally if everyone brought everything and give us more points if we did... although I don't really care for extra points. I'm not a bad student, at least not if you consider being the third in the honor list as not bad. That's not my problem.

I see the street through my window. A guy is standing there, still, with an umbrella. What is he waiting for? He should be going to school. For a moment, I think he's looking at me. Naw, that's not possible. Why would he do so? It's not like if I have a sign in my forehead: "HEY, I'M LOOKING AT YOU, WHAT DO YOU THINK?". I'm back to packing up my things, as it's going to be late for me soon.

With my bag on my back, I go downstairs. My parents are nowhere to be found, nor is my little brother. There's a note in the table: "Sweetheart, we're taking Jared to his school. You know where the cereal is. Good luck in your first day. Mom.". Great, I'll be lonelier today. I grab a bowl, I gotta have cereal. I don't really want to eat, but I know I must do. I still have that feeling of hope, I don't know how to explain it. I just have some hope that things will be different this year. I know they won't. I don't have any friends, my classmates are really different than me. They've changed a lot from what they where a pair of years ago.

Finally, I get to the street, not before I grab my hoodie. It's all I've got to cover myself from the cold rain. I gotta catch the bus... no, I'm five minutes late for that. Geez, I'll have to walk. The guy with the umbrella is nowhere to be found. I'm somewhat intrigued because of him. What was he doing there? I haven't seen him in the neighborhood... it's not like if I'm outside everywhere, but I usually take a look through my window a pair of times everyday. The streets are lonely. There aren't a lot of cars going on, like they are almost every morning. There's nobody walking, perhaps due to the weather. I'm alone, yet again.

After some walking, I'm finally there. I'm at the school. Of course, as I came walking and not on bus or car, and as I went out late, I'm late for the first hour. I couldn't do anything to avoid it, but who cares? It's only an hour and I'm sure the principal will take it for telling us to behave, and that we have more responsibilities this year and all the crap he always says. I guess I'll have to wait outside my classroom's door until the principal comes out.

I can't believe this. This has been my first-day routine for the past years. Everything is happening the same, and there has not been any changes. No, there is a change: now I'm more realistic and less optimistic. Time goes by, but the principal is still inside the classroom. There are no students running on the hall, or teachers going to other classrooms to ask silly things. I could say this school was desert if I hadn't seen the principal talking through the little window at my classroom's door.

The classroom's door is opened. The principal goes out. He just said something like "My, my, you're here again, late as always" but I don't care about what he said. I don't usually care about what my teachers say. I just pass him and enter the classroom. It's the same classroom with the same classmates and the same... no...

I notice something different.
The seat right next to mine, that has always been empty in past years, had someone on it.
I see a wet umbrella next to it, and then I see a smile.
Perhaps this year is not going to be boring after all...