The explosion rattled the school windows. Smoke caught in my hair, my eyes, my nose. I couldn't breathe. But it was over. Then end to a chapter in my life that I honestly was happy to see end.

I walked back in the school just as people began filing out to see what had happened.

The Heathers pulled me aside.

"What happened? People are saying you killed yourself!" Mac said, her face filled with concern.

Duke crosses her arms. "You look like hell."

"Just got back," I said, grabbing her by the shoulders and laying a big fat kiss on her face. I grabbed the scrunchie in her hair, using it to tie back my own. "There's a new sheriff in town, baby."

I turned to walk away and headed down the hallway alone.

Martha Dunnstock rode by on her scooter.

"Hey, Martha!" I said, catching up to her. "Betty, Heather and I were having a game night. Ya wanna join? It would be awesome if you could come."

She smiled. "I'd like that."

We kind of just wandered the empty halls for a while, occasionally talking. I was just using the time to process. But I think the new normal I was creating for myself wouldn't be so bad.

The next night Martha, Betty, Heather and I were all on Betty's couch battling it out in Call of Duty. Heather was absolute shit, Martha was too scared to kill anyone, and Betty and I were just continuously targeting each other for fun. After a while Heather gave up and instead started throwing popcorn at us.

"Heather!" I laughed, trying to deflect the popcorn.

Betty, intent on not losing her title as the best gamer, dove behind the couch, knocking over a lamp.

Martha snapped a photo of the three of us sprawled across the furniture, covered in food, wearing matching unicorn pajamas. She grinned. "This is my new wallpaper, she announced."

Later that night when everyone else had passed out, I stayed up and pulled out my trusty leather diary.

Dear Diary,
The beginning of my senior year was... tough, to say the least. But things aren't so bad now. I have an amazing group of friends. I can put my past behind me. I think that a new sheriff really has come to town. It's time to learn from my mistakes and move on. I'm young, I'm seventeen. And I intend to make this the best year of my life.

So yeah, senior year was rough. But I think I'm finally making things right.