Chapter 18
August 26
“Brian, up and at ‘em,” my mom calls up the stairs.
I lift my head and glance at the clock—6:45. I groan and lay back in the softness of my pillow.
It’s the first day of my sophomore year. A year ago, I’d been scared to make the leap from middle school to high school, from being the top dog to a lowly freshman. Now I have a year under my belt, and I have a steady girlfriend. Life should be looking up, but instead I’m filled with a sense of dread.
I shower and pull on a pair of jeans and a faded T-shirt. My sock drawer is empty. I’m sure there are clean ones in the laundry room, but I give the ones at the end of my bed a quick sniff test and decide they’re good for another day of wear.
Another glance at the clock. I have twenty-five minutes until I need to be at t
