"You're so weak 😂"
"Yes I am 😂😅"

Ash and I get out of the car, talking and laughing but suddenly I see a hurt bird and I push past and run to it.
I'm now on my knees, holding the bird, a pigeon, in my hands.
Ash comes and stands behind me.
My left side is to the lake and a car pulls into a parking spot just in front of me, I don't look up, I'm focused on the bird.
Zack and Jake get out of the car and come to me and Ash, I stand up and we begin talking and walking around the lake together.
When we get behind the trees Ash asks if she can hold the bird. I carefully hand the bird to her and as soon as the bird is in her hands safely I'm being pushed up against a tree, being kissed.
Its Zack. One hand on my face and one on my hip.
We stop and he looks at me and says "I've been waiting all day to do that" and I say to him "I've been waiting since seventh grade for you to do that" I laugh.
We begin walking again, I take the bird back

How weird was that? I laugh inwardly as I yawn and smash the buttons on my alarm clock.
I stand up and pull out my phone to check my messages as I walk over to the closet. There's some from my group chat with Ash, Zack, and Jake, though they were all sent a couple hours ago.

Zack: not excited for the second day 🙄
Ash: Same
Jake: 🤷
Me: understandable, have a great day
Ash: Lanaaaaaa
Me: Ashhhhhh
Ash: good morning
Me: good morning!

I grab my clothes and head to the bathroom to get dressed, still typing on my phone.

Me: welp, imma go get ready for school now
Zack: wow, such a slacker, not even ready for school yet
Me: I've been up for like 5 minutes
Zack: I know, its just fun to make fun of you 🤪
Me: 😂 weirdo
Zack: takes one to know one
Jake: get a room you two
Me: shut it

I close my phone and set it on the counter so I can get ready for school.
Once I'm ready I head to the living room to wait for time to go out to the bus stop.
After a few minutes the twins and I head outside to wait for the bus. The twins Huddle up with Chloe at the bus stop and I go to stand beside Clyde.
"Hey," I stand beside Clyde and adjust my backpack straps.
"Hey," he smiles back at me, "I brought you some little bites," he pulls two little packages out of his backpack and hands them to me.
"Oh my god, thank you!" I lean over and hug him lightly and take the muffins, then I laugh as I start to talk again, "I used to go to the store and buy these and come home and be swarmed by my sisters as I'm getting out of my car. They could like sense them."
"Your car?" Clyde asks.
"Yeah, we sold it when we moved but I had my own car," I shrug, "I miss having it but it wasn't that amazing of a car anyways. I preferred my car from before that one."
"You've had multiple cars-?" Clyde stares at me, wide eyed.
The bus pulls up to the bus stop and I continue the conversation as we get on.
"I used my moms old car when I got my permit and for the first month of me having my license which is when my dad bought and fixed up my car," I explain.
"Wow-" Clyde blinks for a moment as he slides into a seat, "I still need to do my written test. I failed the first time and I haven't tried again yet."
"Rip," I pat him on the shoulder as I sit beside him.
"Yep," he nods.
I rip open the first Little bite package, "want one?" I hold the package towards him.
"Sure," he takes one out carefully, "thanks."
After a couple minutes the little bites are gone and we're both on our phones.
"Hey, Clyde, look," I hold my phone up and smile at the camera.
I give him a second to smile and take the picture. We take a second one with funny faces and I send both pictures to him.
"Nice," Clyde smiles.
"Yeah," I smile back.
I send the pictures to Ash.

Ash: who's that?
Me: Clyde
Ash: who?
Me: the neighbor
Ash: ohhhh

Clyde glances over, "who you talking to?"
"One of my friends from back home," I smile looking at my conversation with Ash, "we've been friends since 7th grade."
"Huh," Clyde nods, pausing as the bus comes to a halt at what I have learned is Amber's usual stop.
"What's your deal with Amber?" I ask, staring at Clyde expectantly.
Clyde glances towards the front of the bus where Amber and the girl who's name I've learned is Belle Skarlet- as we share a 6th period- are standing along with a third girl who's name I still dont know.
"No deal," Clyde shrugs, "I just dont like her."
"Whatd she do?" I raise an eyebrow.
Clyde throws his hands up, "Nothing! She moved here in 8th grade and has since become-"
"Popular?" I ask.
Clyde shrugs, "I guess."
"Where'd she move from?" I ask.
"No clue," Clyde shrugs again.
I look towards the middle of the bus where Amber and her friends are sitting, "so she used to be the new girl, just like me."

"You're leaving early today?" Clyde asks as I get note from the office in 4th period.
"Yep, starting Physical Therapy today," I slide my binder into my backpack and sling it over my shoulder.
"Good luck," Clyde rubs his wrist, "I did Physical therapy when I was 8, I fractured my wrist. It sucked."
I head out of the classroom, saying goodbye to Mrs. Opten as I go.
Walking through the hallways was so weird. Halfway through 4th period all the kids from second lunch were crowded into the lunchroom and very few kids were in the halls.
I get into the truck with my mom out front of the school and we head to the physical therapists office.

I walk into the physical therapy office with my mom. We go to the counter and sign some papers when a woman comes out and asks my name.
"Lana Flame," I respond quickly.
She walks me away from the counter while my mom pays for the visit.
"Is this your first time at PT?" The woman asks, holding her clipboard and looking at me expectantly.
"PT-?" I ask.
"Physical therapy?" She looks at me with one eyebrow raised.
"Uh, yeah," I smile awkwardly and she leads me to an examination room.

She measures my knee and teaches me some stretches then eventually sends me on my way.
"I'll see you again on Thursday," she waves as I leave the office with my mom.

Later that night I do the physical therapy stretches in my room, stopping after just a few tries because it hurts so much. I'll try again in the morning, I tell myself. The physical therapist had moved my knee all sorts of ways and had me do the stretches in the office so I didn't really need or want to do them now.
I lay down on my bed and pull out my phone. I scroll around on social media and eventually find a bunch of memes.

Me: Hey
Ash: Hiiiiiiiii
Me: wyd?
Ash: totally baked lol
Me: O H pfft

I send some various memes to my group chat and wait for a response. Nothing yet but it's already pretty late there.
I look at the time on my clock; it's 11:34.
I yawn and roll over to try to go to sleep.