Free Back To You by Cindy Migeot Page A

have her in my biology class this year.  She is super smart, always asking questions and challenging the teacher.  Mrs. Fender loves it.”
    “She is like that in English.  It is like she has no fear when it comes to asking questions or challenging something the te acher says.  And she is nice to everyone, even that jerk Kyle that sits behind her.  He isn’t nice to very many people, but he talks to her.”
    “I wish I had the guts to ask her out.  But I am happy if she wants to be friends.  She is really cool to talk to.”
    “HA!  I did ask her out last year and she turned me down!  I felt like such an idiot.  Like why would SHE want to go out with ME.”
    “Don’t underestimate her.  Try again sometime.”
    “Nah.  Don’t think that will happen.  I don’t deal well with rejection,” Jack laughed.
    “Uh huh.  And yet you can’t stop staring at her when you get the chance.”
    “That bad, huh?”
    “Dude, you are worse than me!”  Randy teased.  “C’mon, it’s almost time to go back to class.  Catch you later.”
    “See ya,” said Jack as he dumped his lunch in the trash.
    Back in class, they got an assignment that was due at the end of the week.  Creative writing using satire.  Jack wasn’t very excited about the assignment.  Music he could do.  Creative wri ting?  Well, he would just have to wing it.
    By the end of the week, they all had to get up in front of the class and read their creative writing assignments.  Jack was very nervous when presenting his.  The teacher gave him a nod of appro val when he was done.  He welcomed the feeling of his seat when he was done.  Right after lunch that day, it was Suzy’s turn to go.  She did a complete comedic rewrite of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’.  The whole class was laughing by the time she was done.  A sort of change came over her when she got up to speak.  It was like she put on a mask that showed no fear and barged ahead, completely comfortable being up there.  Her writing was funny.  Jack found himself laughing out loud at some of the lines she had written.  But when she sat back down at her desk, Jack saw Kyle tap her shoulder and whisper something to her.  She blushed all of the way up to her hair.  “Thanks” was all she seemed to be able to say.  He felt his stomach tighten.  He was distracted for the rest of the class.
     
    *****
     
    I was glad to get that over with!  The inspiration came from sitting with Mom one night and goofing off with ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas.  It just kept getting funnier and funnier, so I wrote it down.  Thankfully it fit into my assignment!  Teacher liked it and the class laughed at all the right parts.  Even Kyle told me he thought it was funny as hell and he wanted me to be in his group for the next writing assignment.  It was nice to hear the compliment.  Once or twice I even heard Jack’s laugh come from the back of the room.  It was distracting, but I held it together.  I loved getting in front of class for things like that.  I might not be great at a lot of things, but I thought I was pretty good at speaking to groups.
    I don’t know how it happened, but the holidays came so fast!  Before I knew it, Christmas had come and gone.  Kim had moved down from Little Rock so it felt good to have family around.  Brent was no longer in the picture, thank God.  It was just sort of quiet.  I spent many late nights sitting in the living room with nothing on but the tree lights and soft Christmas music playing.  That was my time to think.  Daydream was more like it.  Whatever it was, listening to Christmas music and watching the lights blink gave me a sort of peace that nothing else really could give.  I longed to share the holidays with someone.  Buying presents, holding hands, even sitting and looking at the tree lights together in a peaceful silence was something I often dreamed about.  Someday.
    A couple of days before New Year’s Eve, Reneigh