I remember watching the birds outside my kitchen window yesterday morning, singing and chirping through their songs. I remember coming home from my best friend’s house, after talking for hours about who knows what, only leaving because my mom called to tell me I was late for dinner.  I remember going to bed last night, but then reading until it was nearly dawn, with my thoughts swept up in a story. I remember waking up again today, tired since I was woken up by my alarm, just a reminder that I have to go to school again today. I remember walking out the door, smelling the soft spring breeze on the way to my bus stop, pulling my brown curly hair into a ponytail along the way. But then I remember walking past the bus stop. I didn’t mean to - I really wasn’t planning on it. But I did. I also got a couple weird looks from the other kids at the bus stop, but I’m not the type of person who would care. My feet move along the sidewalk, my sneakers occasionally scuffing against the grainy, cracked ground. I look around at my surroundings, all familiar but also different because I was doing something different. I wasn’t walking my dog, going to my friend’s house, or running down the street to the grocery store. It was also 7 A.M. I’m never out walking this early unless it is to the bus stop, but I’m obviously past that. I’m really starting to wonder where I’m going to go. So far I’ve only walked in a straight line, luckily this is a long street. The cool wind brushes against my exposed neck and slightly shifts my ponytail. I now realize it’s actually pretty cold, despite it being May. The bus usually comes before I have any time to get cold since I’m never on time. Wait. The bus. Panic rushes through my veins, feeling a panging in my stomach. What’s my mom going to think? The bus definitely left already, without me on it. The school will call her, telling her I’m not there and she’s going to get really mad at me. My parents are really strict, and I’m usually a pretty good kid, I guess, but whenever I do something I’m not supposed to, no matter how small, they make sure I won’t do it again. That means a lot of yelling and grounding for who knows how many weeks. At least I won’t have to face my dad. He’s still on his business trip. I really don’t know what I’m doing right now. I’m not the type of kid to skip school, except once in seventh grade, but that really isn’t important. I don’t even know why I’m still walking. My school is in the other direction, I might have been able to get there if I walked. But now it’s too late and I don’t know what to do. Now I’m in the town center, which is about twenty minutes away from my house. If I really can’t get to school, maybe I can find something to do here. I remember deciding to stop trying to get to school and just be rebellious for a day. I don’t remember why.