WHEN THEY CRY



PART 1:
Beginning


The suns rays were blocked by the thick curtains in my room. I awoke to darkness, Stretching, I rubbed the sleep from my face and squinted up at the clock.
Jumping out of bed, I put on a thin red T-shirt and a white shirt over that one. I ran down stairs, stomping all the way down.
“Morning!” I yawned to the empty hallway.
Then I heard a voice from the kitchen, “Good morning Kai. Eat up and get to school. Food's on the table, I disided to make some good stuff today.”
I didn’t respond for a little while, still recovering from my waking up abruptly. I yawned, “M-mom, I’m fifteen now. You don’t have to remind me.”
She didn’t reply as I headed to the dining room. A steaming hot stack of pancakes and some maple syrup caught my eye and I sat down in front of them.
I quickly ate them to my regret later and I was finished in just a few minuets. I needed to get ready for school.
My mother was dusting, so I brought my syrupy plate into the kitchen and rinsed it off.
I had my backpack and shoes already by the door so I made my way there.
I grabbed the white book bag filled with textbooks and slung it over my neck. I then quickly slipped on my brown shoes.
As my hand reached for the brass doorknob I heard my mother call, “Wait Kai!”
I paused at the door waiting. Then she came, holding a feather duster, “When you see Wren, say thank you for the pickles she lent us, okay? Remember, they made a nice dinner for you last night.”
Nodding, I opened the door and said, “Okay, I will!”
Then I stepped outside into the blistering heat. The sun was bright and I squinted as I made my way down the dirt road to school.
It’s been a month since I moved here to Hillgrove. It was here I learned for the first time that air has a taste. Hillgrove is a town in the mountains far in the country. Everything here is green and I love the scenery. I wouldn’t like anywhere else better then this place. The rolling hills and butterflies blanketed the whole world here.
Then I heard a girl’s voice as I walked up the dirt path, “Kai! Good morning!” It called out.
I looked ahead and saw a girl with bright orange hair. Her eyes were blue unlike my brown ones. They shone in light brightly.
“Man you’re early!” I remarked stopping in front of her. “You do know its okay to sleep in every once in a while, right?”
Then we started walking down the dirt path together.
“If I were to sleep in, I would make you wait,” she said as we walked together.
“If you did, you wouldn’t make me wait,” I grinned at her.
“Huh?” she inquired, “why not?”
“Cause,” I smiled, “I would just leave you behind.”
“You’re so cold!” she said. “I would always wait for you!”
“Now that you put it that way… I would just leave you right away,” I teased sneering at her.
“You are so EVIL!”
“I’m just kidding!” I said smiling back at her. “I would wait for you no matter what!”
She peered into my face and blushed, “Thank you.”
This girl was Wren. Ever since I first met her, she was always here and always walked with me to school. She really did seem to blush a lot. I met her a little fewer days then month ago when I first moved here. She was strange, but I really liked her.
“Oh, my mom asked me to thank you about those pickles you let us have, it made an excellent dinner,” I said, almost forgetting what my mom asked me.
“Your welcome, it was no problem. I glad you had an awesome dinner with them.”
We then walked in silence. Together down the path, the crunch of dirt and rocks beneath my shoes.
Finally we reached a wooden bridge, I river flowing beneath us and a water mill next to the bridge. Flowers grew all along the riverside, and the fish that lived in the river were abundant.
As we reached the other side, another girl stood there. This girl had black hair, though streaked with green and eyes bright emerald green.
“Finally you guys are here!” the girl said, her hands on her hips. “Both of you are late.”
“You’re the one who’s usually late…” I muttered under my breath.
“Morning May,” Wren said smiling up to the girl.
The girl May, replied, “Oh hi Wren!” she then turned to me, “Mornin’ Kai! How many years has it been again?”
I rolled my eyes as I answered, “I’ve only been absent for two days…”
We then started to walk all together down the dirt road.
The girl, Suzy May, is top in the class and one grade level higher then I am. She’s leader of the classroom and one of the friends I have here in Hillgrove.
“So,” May said casually as we walked. “How was your trip to the city?”
“I was only going to a funeral,” I replied. “I didn’t get to do much.”
“And did you find what I was asking for?”
“I told you I went to a funeral! I was not there to buy souvenirs!”

Hillgrove is a small town with only one school and one classroom. And the school has fifteen students who are all different grade levels in one room. There’s only one teacher, and she has it tough teaching different grade levels at once. I sure wouldn’t like to be a teacher like her, yet, she always managed to get the students to learn a lot.
I usually help the teacher by helping various students; sometimes I help Wren with her work, and occasionally May as well.
“Kai you really are good at teaching!” Wren beamed as she highlighted a couple of words in her text book. “You’re easy to understand!”
I sat in the chair beside her, my brain hurt and the room span from helping Wren do some intensely hard work. I replied a little shakily, “Y-you know, I don’t really understand much…”
May, who was sitting in the opposite to me said, “They say if you want to teach, you have to understand the work three times as much as the student.”
“Wait a second!” I shouted turning on May. “You’re a grade level higher than I am! Why don’t you help her!?”
“Oh, stop worrying about little things!” she replied as the bell rang.
Wren then changed the subject by asking, “Hey Kai, are you doing anything tomorrow?”
“Yeah, you should really come and see things in the town! But you can’t go alone…But we will be kind enough to show you some places,” May grinned.
I got out of my chair, “You know, you’re right May, I don’t know much about the town. I can’t even comfortably go anywhere alone. Well, except for school.”
“Exactly!” Wren smiled. “So we wanted to take you around town tomorrow! I’ll make lunch, so how’s about it?”
“You’ll go with us right?” May beamed.
“If I’m free,” I answered a little stonily.
“What’s with that attitude?” May frowned. “Are you blind or something? We’re asking you out!”
“If I’m free,” I said again to May’s frustration.
“So you are free, aren’t you?” Wren asked a little down at my answer.
“Don’t worry, I’m free!” I said hastily.
May punched me in the shoulder. “Why the heck do you say maybe to me and yes to her!?”
“I’m glad,” Wren blushed looking at me and seeming to ignore May’s comment.
“What’s with the different answers!?” May asked again holding up a clenched fist.
I stuck my tongue out at her.
“Hey Wren, how’s about you and me go home together, just the two of us. And then, tomorrow, you could show me around town.” I said slyly.
“If that’s what you want to do Kai!” Wren beamed.
“Traitors! I’m the one who thought of the idea in the first place!”