Chapter 17: Nature

Sorry this is so short. My muses keep trying to direct me to other tales to tell, so I have been struggling to tell this particular story. I hoping to get them back on board with completing this one soon. Feel free to send inspiring treats ;)

Chapter 1: Nature
Chapter 2: Nurture
Chapter 3: Nurture
Chapter 4: Nurture
Chapter 5: Nature
Chapter 6: Nurture
Chapter 7: Nurture
Chapter 8: Nurture
Chapter 9: Nurture
Chapter 10: Nature
Chapter 11: Nature
Chapter 12: Nurture
Chapter 13: Nurture
Chapter 14: Nature
Chapter 15: Nurture
Chapter 16: Nurture

Second grade awaited.  I nervously held my mother’s hand as we left the house. By the time we reached the school, I’d calmed my butterflies enough to quickly exit the car and blow her a kiss before waving goodbye. She waved goodbye and then bowed her head a little. As she slowly pulled away in response to a chorus of honks from the other parents in carline, I swear I saw her raise her right hand to flick something from her cheek. I didn’t give it much thought as they were diverted before they could form. 

“Opera!” An excited voice greeted me seconds before a tiny figure slammed into my body with such force that we barely managed to stay on our feet.

Enveloped in a rib-crushing hug, I gasped out my own greeting, “Maggie.”

“Our school,” she exclaimed happily, gesturing toward the brick edifice as she grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the bank of double doors.

A tall man with salt and pepper hair nodded at me in recognition as he opened the door for us, “Have a great first day girls.”

“We will! We will!” Maggie exclaimed excitedly, squeezing my hand with surprising strength.

“You know we’re not in the same class, right?” I try to stem the tide of her enthusiasm.

“But we’re in the same school, so I get to see you.”

I smiled and squeezed back, “In the mornings, at least. I can walk you to class.”

“It’s this way,” she enthusiastically agreed by dragging me down the hall to a doorway in which a familiar face stood smiling at us.

“Opera, I didn’t know you had a baby sister. I should have guessed though,” my former kindergarten teacher, Ms. Madison beamed down at us, taking in our clasped hands and excited smiles.

“She’s not my sister,” I looked down at my shiny new shoes.

“But I should be,” Maggie assured her.

“Sometimes friends become the sisters we pick,” Ms. Madison says sagely, “It was nice to see you again, Opera.”

I hugged them both and then hurried down the hallway toward my own classroom.