CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
Old Friends
I woke up early. Something that rarely happened on a school day. Like most teens, I usually had to drag myself out of bed and force myself to go to school.
But not today.
Today I was going back to my school!
I got dressed quickly, hoping I might get the chance to pick up some of my clothes soon since I was close to home. I was down the stairs before I could really take a good look at my Beatles T-shirt and jeans.
“Good morning,” I sang out, sitting down at the table and picking up a piece of toast.
“Peanut butter?” Lucy asked.
“My name’s Lucky, but I’d love some peanut butter,” I quipped. She laughed.
“Can I get you anything else?” Paula asked.
“No thanks. Cynthia said I could just walk to school?” I asked, standing back up.
“Yes. But I can drive you if you’d like.”
“No. I’m fine. Does Lucy walk too?” I asked. Truthfully, I didn’t want to wait. I was dying to see Ryan and everyone else.
“No. I take her.”
“Okay. Well…have a great day!” I headed for the door before remembering. “Oh! I was hoping to drop by my house…where I lived before…to grab a few things. Is that okay?”
“Just be back for dinner,” Paula said.
“I will. Bye, Lucy.”
She waved, her mouth full of something I couldn’t identify.
I couldn’t stop looking around as I walked to school. Ryan had offered to pick me up, but he had the school paper in the morning and had to be there early, so I declined. I was coming from the opposite direction of my house, but I knew the neighborhood, and after being away I couldn’t stop staring at everything that was familiar.
The walk was over far too soon, and I was climbing the front stairs of my old school before I knew it. Kids I had known most of my life were watching me walk up.
“Hey, Lucky!” one of the drama kids called out. “Are you back?”
“Yes!”
I barely knew her but she ran over and hugged me. I hugged her back. I was finally home!
“Hi, Lucky!” someone else called out. Taylor. I did know her and rushed over to give her a hug.
“Hi!” I was still hugging Taylor when I heard a shout from the parking lot.
“LUCKY!”
I turned and saw Ryan running toward me like a linebacker.
“OhmygodRYAN!” I shrieked and, dropping my bag, ran for him. We collided somewhere in the middle, and he wrapped his arms around me and flung me off my feet. I was literally crying. And I never cried. But suddenly, after all the stuff I had been through, having Ryan right in front of me was just so incredibly overwhelming.
“Are you crying?” he asked, trying to pull away. I clung to him like a spider monkey.
“No!” I insisted, wiping my eyes on his shoulder.
“Oh my god! Lucky Robinson is actually crying!” he crowed. “You never cry.”
“I’m not crying!” I squeezed the breath out of him. “I missed you so much!” I told him.
“I missed you too.” I looked over his shoulder and grinned.
“Hi, Thomas,” I called out.
“Hi, Lucky. Welcome back. Sorry…I didn’t want to intrude.”
“You’re not.” I finally let go of Ryan to give Thomas a quick hug. “So are you guys…official?”
“You know I don’t subscribe to labels, Lucky.” Ryan grinned.
“Ignore him. The answer is yes,” Thomas said, taking Ryan’s hand and kissing him on the cheek.
“Aww. You’re adorable.”
“Please shut up.” Ryan smiled happily.
“I don’t know if you guys have plans, but I want to drop by my house after school to pick some stuff up for Grandma.”
“Thomas has basketball, but I can take you. Just…please tell me you’re going to pick up some clothes too?”
“Whatever do you mean?” I asked innocently.
“I mean…what look are you going for here?” he asked, gesturing toward my jeans and T-shirt.
“You bought me this shirt.” I laughed.
“Well, I do have impeccable taste,” he admitted.
“Come on. I have to drop by the office so I can get my schedule.”
We walked into the school like I hadn’t left. If I could manage to stay out of trouble, my life would almost be back to normal. I’d be going to my old school with my friends, right near my house. At least until Grandma came home. I vowed right there in the foyer of the school that I would not cause any trouble this time. Or let anyone cause trouble for me.