"Last week the world was in the worst crisis it has ever seen. We must all come together in these times of crisis. If you have anything to donate to the people who have lost everything please go to donation centers that have been placed at various schools around the city." Says Maria the newscaster that is on the TV every morning. Walking past I stopped listening after that. I would turn it off but my mom is engrossed in this news report.

I usually would watch the news with my mother but the news stations have been running with the same story for a week now. It was about the freak storms that happened all around the world all at the same time. Some places were hit pretty hard. The death toll is over a million and still rising while rescue operations are still underway. My heart goes out to those people. But I can only hear about it so much without slipping into a deep depression.

Thankfully we weren't hit that hard. We had a tornado but it didn't touch down that long so nothing was damaged. We were one of the states that got away pretty well after the disaster. This is why only a week after this tragedy happened I am going back to school. After looking at the television I kissed my mom on the head and then ruffled my little brother's hair who was quietly playing with a Superman toy next to Mom. I then, screamed at my dad goodbye. Then I was out the door.

As soon as I got out of our two-bedroom house I started walking to my bus stop but something about the disasters was bothering me. Was probably bothering everyone, why did it happen? It was almost impossible for all of those disasters to happen at once. My dad thought it was a sign of the end of the world. So he started buying more food and bought my mom a new crossbow just for safety. He usually wasn’t paranoid like this, but when he went to go buy the crossbow there were literal lines out the door. 

Apparently, he went before the government made the announcement that they would be limiting the amount of weapons and food to be bought by a single person. They acted surprisingly quickly, though I guess if they didn’t utter chaos would have been the only conclusion to how some people were acting.

I thought my dad was just being paranoid like the rest of the people were being that first day. But Dad always says

"You rather be safe than sorry."

Just as I was thinking about him he ended up calling me. It’s freaky how that happens so often.

"Hey, Dad what's up?" I said in a cheerful voice.

"Joseph I was wondering if you can come to my garage after school? I can use your help on this Ford Truck so I can be sure that I can make the deadline." his father asked him. I didn't even know why he asked. I usually went there after school every day to help take care of my brother and with the cars. Since my mom works in the office as a temp right now she can't take my three-year-old brother to her job. Plus we can't afford daycare.

"Sure I will head right there after school. Let me know if Jace wants some snacks and I'll pick them up on the way there." I said to my dad.

"Okay I'll text you and pay you back for the snacks love you," my dad said and then quickly hung up the phone. Knowing that I'll start an argument. I hated it when my parents insisted that they pay me for stuff or pay me back for stuff. I'm almost old enough to get a job and once I am old enough I am going to get one and start helping my parents out. Though I am not looking forward to that argument.

As I was beginning to think of places to work I got to my bus stop and waved and said hi to everyone that would be heading to what I like to call daycare for teens. Five minutes later the bus came. I got in and headed to the back of the bus where I dapped up some acquaintances. As I soon got bored of the play fighting happening around where I was sitting, I started to look at the buildings go by. I started to remember memories of playing by myself. Playing adventurer, which would piss my parents off when they found out how far I explored. Memory lane was soon closed as we pulled up to the school. I grabbed my bag and headed out of the bus. Some saying bye to me, some ignoring me and going about their business.

As soon as I got into the school, I used one of the 6 entrances to the school. Got damn this school is way too big. Though I guess it needs to be in order to fit so many kids. As I’m heading to my rendezvous with my best friend. Which we’ve had since the first day of school I was attacked by someone. This annoying ass is lucky that I recognized she was the one trying to tackle me.  

"Talia what the hell," I said as she was laughing her head off. 

"I missed you, Joseph. Why you didn't miss me?" She said while batting her long eyelashes at me.

"Sure I missed you but stop being gross," I said while almost gagging at her attempt to flirt. It always made me uncomfortable and made her groupies look at me funny. Which was not something I wanted to experience more than I had to. After she stopped laughing at what she thought was a hilarious joke she began to speak.

"Ahh, that never gets old. But seriously you were so busy bonding with Jace that you didn't make any time for little old me." Talia said pretending to be hurt. Knowing full well that I never lost contact with her. After her fake pity party ended we were able to start walking to the 4th-floor bathroom. We usually head there before school starts so Bailey can get her vapes in without anyone seeing us.

"Yeah, Yeah, so do you know if it's going to be a regular school day, or are they going to have an assembly or something like that?" I asked curiously. I'm asking her, especially because with her network of friends she is always aware of what's going on in school. I’m pretty sure she has everybody’s dirty laundry in some secret folder.

"They're going to do an assembly at the end of the day and a moment of silence at the beginning of homeroom. Plus I heard most of the towns and cities are holding a candlelight vigil in honor of those fallen and without homes. Do you want to go with me?" She asked me.

I thought about it for a moment.

" What time does it start?" I couldn't say yes immediately even though I wanted to pray for those families because I already made arrangements with my dad.

"It starts at 8 pm on the dot, but there are going to be food vendors there so we might want to get there a little earlier," she said readily. Probably already knew I was going to ask. As I was about to answer I pushed open the door to the boys' bathroom on the 4th floor and walked in with Bailey.

"Yeah sure, then can you come to walk with me to my dad's garage, and then we can go to the vigil with my dad and little brother," I said already knowing that she would say yes. She loves my family, especially my little brother Jace.

"Sounds like a plan Stan," she says while bringing the vape to her mouth and me cringing at what she just said. It never is good when she says something like that. She’s trying to lower my guard. ‘Oh, she’s so adorable there’s no way anything devious could be in her mind’. That’s what she wants me to think. If she thinks, I think like that well she’s thinking wrong. Wait that’s too complicated. 

“I can see you thinking hard over there.”

Like a deer caught in headlights, I gawk at her for a split second and then regain my composure. I roll my eyes and shrug playing it cool.

“Alright, cool guy, I guess you don’t want to know.”

And she’s right I don’t want to know. It would just be something stupid. Some gossip she thinks is juicy or that she stubbed her toe this morning, or last night, or the day before that. I couldn't care less about that stuff. My face goes deadpan while looking at her.

“Come on, it’s really juicy”

I continue looking at her with no emotion and then she huffs and plays like she is exasperated. Even leaned back on the mirror while she sat on the sink and put a hand on her forehead.

“Fine, you got it out of me. You always know just what to say in order for me to talk. You should honestly think about becoming an interrogator for the FBI.”

I raise an eyebrow at her, cross my arms, and lean back on the wall. She quickly looks left and right, put her hands on the side of her mouth while smirking at the performance she’s putting on, and whisper yells. 

“Someone has a crush on you.”

I roll my eyes and start walking towards the door at this nonsense.

“Wait wait wait, it’s true someone has a crush on you. It’s a credible source as well,” she says quickly to catch me before I can reach the door.

“Yeah right even if it is true, you know I don’t have time for a relationship,” I said while looking at the door my eyes unfocused. Then quickly I came back to the moment when Talia started to talk. I turn back to look her in the eyes and smile. To try and say it was a joke. I wasn’t really going to walk out. Then I see her face and my smile falters.

“Is it because of what happened last year, you know she’s an asshole and could only wish to get a guy like you.” She said with a warm smile, but her eyes were sharp thinking about what happened. 

It wasn’t anything too detrimental. Or at least it shouldn’t have been.