There goes that bell again, right on time. You could hear the Friday screams from every direction, groups being formed and plans being made. I stood there lonesome, waiting patiently to see her face. The crowd started to move down the street and I had no choice but to join since the gates were about to be locked. I must have missed her with all the girls greeting me.

Suddenly a voice shouted my name, but the rules in a crowd are simple. You must say my name three times so that I do not have to look crazy trying to find the person calling me. I still looked crazy because I had hoped it was her.

She stood there with an abnormally large school bag like she had stolen something.

With a smile that made me smile.

"I thought I missed you. Wanted to walk you home again, if you do not mind," I said.

"Well, here I am. Do you mean you miss me or the other meaning?" she laughed.

For some reason, I never expected her to be so blunt; she always gets to me. I did not reply; I just took her school bag as a means of reply. It was heavy for books and, more shockingly, she carried it so easily. We continued walking until we got to where I had to turn around and not see where she lived. I did not mind as long as I could walk her home.

She hugged me and whispered in my ear.

"Would you like to go to the shopping mall tomorrow morning?" She asked.

My head moved in agreement, with my voice or soul nowhere to be seen. I was already creating instant pictures with her in the mall, feeling dazed. All playing in my head immediately. I probably stood there for a few minutes capturing her smell. No one saw it. The mental note was mine alone to cherish.

It was getting a bit late, so I rushed home to find the whole team already sleeping.

"They waited for you until they couldn't anymore," Grandmother said.

"I had an eternal day, and a friend of mine is in hospital, and on top of that I need to help another friend with shopping for items tomorrow," I responded.

"I know Friday is your favorite day and do not worry, your friend will be okay. Are you taking all your cousins with you tomorrow?" Grandmother asked.

"No!" I exclaimed.

In agreement, I went in search of food and my bed finally. The day did not allow me to think any further, and I went to the other world almost instantly after eating.

A glimmer of light awoke me from a door opening and then a bright light from a switch being turned on, followed by the noises I heard just earlier when the bell rang. All my cousins came running in, laughing and talking. One had a secret to tell me, the other a dance move I just had to see. The best of all one played a prank on me while I was sleeping, and nobody wanted to tell me.

I could not stop laughing at the new snake dance that Victoria learned and everyone copying her, even me. Friday is the day that everyone stays here, and we play all night or until the pranks eventually stop.

We all set down for dinner around the living room table, knights of the dinner table. We usually played a lot of different games, but some sore losers woke up Grandma and made all the games stop. Chess tournaments are always too long, and nobody wants to just watch so many games since there is only one board. The alternative is cards with snakes and ladders with a twist. You pick up a card and that is the amount of moves you can make. The laughter does not stop, and the fun is endless.

The clock indicated the end of the day, and everyone quickly got up and went to bed. The love was pure and consistent. No doubt in anyone's mind that the environment was family orientated.

While finishing up in the bathroom and brushing my teeth, I discovered something awful on my way to bed after turning off all the lights. There was hair missing. Someone tried to trim my hair and failed miserably. I did not scream because of the silence that was already present in the house.

I woke up with the sun and the characteristics of the sun. 

Someone will burn today. All the fingers pointed to Dwayne, who was already crying when I entered the room. My grandmother came running, but I explained, and she turned around and made him cry more.

I woke up with no appetite and no plan, but Jacqueline suggested I take a hat for the day.

I hate hats.

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Chapter 4 completed