I felt the warmth of sunlight hit my face as I lay in my bed. I could feel the individual rays pass through my blinds just to reach me. A good way to wake up in the morning if you asked me. I slowly opened my eyes. My covers were a mess, but I didn't mind. It was a beautiful morning. A cheerful song was playing on my radio. My cat lay peacefully on my chest, where the majority of the sunlight was. The smell of fresh bacon and pancakes hung in the air. Excitement jolted through my veins. We don't have a breakfast like this often! It really is going to be a perfect day!

        I picked up my cat, and lightly moved her off my chest. She let out a small meow, and I patted her till her eyes closed again. Then I rushed out of my room and into the kitchen where my parents were. My mom was at the stove, apron wrapped around her waist, her brown hair tightly knit in a bun, spatula in hand. Spots of batter were splattered upon her face and chest, but her smile was white and sparkling. She wasn't one for a mess, but she loved to cook, and never liked to follow a recipe. Her experimental attitude often led her to cause a mess. My father sat at the head of the table, holding a newspaper, his reading glasses hanging at the nook of his nose. He had black hair that was slowly fading, hints of gray hiding at the sides.

        "Wonderful news! Gas emissions have cut down tenfold due to mass production of machinery that uses renewable energy," my father exclaimed.

        "Wonderful indeed!" my mother said, flipping a pancake.

        "Morning!" I said, sitting beside my father.

        "How did you sleep?" my mother asked.

        "Pretty well!" I responded.

        "Good! Breakfast is almost ready. Would you go wake your brother?" she asked me.

        "Sure," I said, getting up from the table. I walked out of the kitchen, down the hall, and to his door. I stood outside, listening. Behind the door, I could hear the light breathing of my brother, along with the sound of his radio playing in the back.

        "...emostrates the ability to connect nerve endings causing memories to be relearned... Hudson Enterprises promises..." I heard the radio faintly say. The words felt familiar. I burst into the room.

        "Dude what the heck!?" my brother gasped, jerking upwards from his bed.

        "Walking on Sunshine! Yeah yeah!" a voice sang on the radio.

        "Sorry... I thought..." I stuttered, staring at the radio.

        "Is there a reason you burst into my room like a madman!?"

        "Uh... breakfast is almost ready..." I said.

        "Thanks. Now leave. Weirdo," he muttered, and I turned and walked out the room.

        "What's wrong?" my mother asked me when I returned to the kitchen.

        "Nothing... still a little groggy..." I said.

        "Nothing some breakfast can't fix!" she said, setting a plate down on the table. I sat down, and took a piece of bacon from the plate. The meat was crisp around the edges yet soft in the center. Just as I liked it. I took a big bite. The food was warm, and it felt as if all my confusion had left me. It was back to being a perfect day.

        "Better?" my mom asked with a smile.

        "Yes, thank you," I said, smiling back.

        "Of course! Now eat it while it's hot! And hurry too! Paige has been calling you all morning! Don't want to leave a lady waiting!" my mom said. The mention of her name made my heart race. I couldn't wait to see her! I scarfed down my food, then ran to my room, throwing on some simple clothing. I then put on some cologne, grabbed my phone and bookbag, and ran out the door.

        "There you are slowpoke!" I heard Paige say, waiting by the road.

        "I'm not slow, you are just early," I said with a laugh, running up beside her.

        "Uh huh, sure Romeo," she said, giving me a light kiss.

        "My day never truly started without that," I said.

        "Oh stop," she said with a smile, grabbing my hand.

        "Off to school we go?" I asked.

        "Off to school we go!" she responded. We then started to walk, hand in hand. The weather was refreshing. The nature was wonderful. It was all beautiful. There was a brisk wind that wanted to play, as it ruffled our hair and stirred the leaves from their slumber. The sun was relenting for once, it's great power was diminished by the position of the Earth in the great cosmic soup of the universe, as the year started to wind to an end, as a great rebirth was about to begin, a circular motion, perpetual, never ending.

        Then there was her and I, hand and hand, lovers on a walk. A connection, a bond, two hearts that beat as one. Our love blossomed much like the leaves, but as they fell to the ground, our hearts soared, high above the clouds. The world sang, and it sang a song of love. It sang for us, it sang for love, it sang for all lovers. Music that could not be heard. Music that you could not see. The song was there though. It was within our very essence.

        We reached the school within a few moments. I walked her to class, gave her a parting kiss, then walked to my first class. The clock seemed to slow as I walked to my seat, and as the class began. The teacher talked on, but his words were unimportant. I took notes, but I didn't care too much to try and comprehend what they were about. After what seemed like hours, the first class ended. I quickly gathered my things, and rushed to her first class. I caught her just as she was leaving.

        "Did you run here from your Spanish class?" she asked with a smile.

        "Me? Nah. Just happened to bump into you," I said casually, giving her a playful shove.

        "Right. Well there was a quiz in History today, so I suggest you study a little during lunch," she told me, taking my hand.

        "Thank you, you are a lifesaver!" I exclaimed, giving her hand a light squeeze.

        "So we are Biology partners today, right?" she asked.

       "I wouldn't have it any other way," I said. She smiled at me once more. Oh the things I would do for that smile. I would fall flat on my face just to brighten her day. In my darkest moment the light I would look for would be the one she held on her face. She smiled, and she smiled for me, she smiled because of me. I brought her light forward, I brought her happiness, and in turn, she brought mine.

        We arrived at Biology, and after a brief word of instruction from the teacher, we went to work. With her, this class was much more interesting than the previous. The work became play, and the bore of learning became the fun of knowledge. I didn't remember much of the experiment. All I saw was her. Then the class ended, and we were split apart once more. I wouldn't see her in any of my other classes for the rest of the day. That was my personal torture. Class after class went by, and she would be waiting for me to walk her to the next one. Even at lunch we were apart, due to her schedule being different than mine. Finally the last class of the day came.

        "Good afternoon Mr. Hooper," I said to the man sitting at the teacher's desk. Mr. Hooper was a strange man, but always nice. His face was the kind that you would recognize instantly, as if you always knew him, but you could never figure out his name. He taught History class. He scanned the class with his keen eyes, and stood rigid, waiting. His teaching style was always strange. He taught the class as if he himself had experienced the events. I enjoyed his class, but like the rest, I let my mind wander, waiting till I could see Paige again.

        "Brock! Tell me. What do you know about Hudson Graves?" Mr. Hooper asked suddenly, snapping me from my daze.

        "Sorry, what?" I blurted, shaking my head. That name... it was so familiar... and Mr. Hooper... he... he knows that name. Well of course he did, he teaches history, he just wants to see if I've been paying attention. Still, it made me feel... strange. It was the same feeling I felt this morning with my brother's radio...

        "Well, if you weren't off in la la land, you would have heard me ask you what you know about Martin Luther," he said. The class laughed.

        "Oh? I could have sworn..." I said. Did he say Martin Luther...?

        "Answer the question," he interrupted.

        "The activist one?" I asked. The class laughed again.

        "Not Mr. Luther King Jr.! Listen up, the quiz will deal with this stuff! So I'm talking about the priest that started the break from the Catholic church, the namesake for the branch of Christianity called Lutheranism. Now, Mr. Luther was a quiet man at first, but when investigating what the Bible stated and what the Fathers of the church were telling the people..." Mr. Hooper said to the class. He continued to talk, but even after being embarrassed, I couldn't stay focused. The question I thought he asked me still hung on my mind. Hudson Graves was a name I knew! Why did I know that name? I spent the rest of the class trying to put my finger on it. Before I knew it, school ended.

        "What's on your mind?" Paige asked me as we walked home from school.

        "Something about history class..." I told her.

        "Did you forget to study? I told you to study!" she teased.

        "No not that... before we took Mr. Hooper's class, did we meet him?" I asked.

        "Not that I know of, why? Trying to find a way to blackmail him for a better grade?" she asked.

        "No, he just seems so familiar. And something he said today... It threw me off..." I said.

        "You know what'll cheer you up? A kiss," she said, pulling me toward her. Our lips touched, and like that I felt better.

         "Wow! You really do know how to make me happy!" I said.

        "Only because you treat me so well! Now, what was it that he said?" she asked me.

        "I... I don't remember anymore. I guess it really wasn't too important," I said.

        "Probably not. Unless he was telling you what a horrible student you are," she said.

        "Oh wow, shots fired. I'm hurt," I said with a smile, and she smiled back. We then spent the rest of the afternoon together. We walked around the neighborhood talking to each other and whatever neighbors were about, then we went and played in a pile of leaves I raked up the other day, and after that we went to a coffee shop and watched people walk in and out. We made up funny little stories about their lives, and mimicked their conversation. Then it was late at night, and I had to walk her home.

        "Today was a wonderful day," I said.

        "Oh yeah? Even with school?" she asked.

        "No, you know I hate school. Minus the parts where I get to see you," I said.

        "So what was so wonderful about this day?"

        "This morning, walking to school with you. And this evening, going around, you were at my side. That was the wonderful part."

        "So I made it wonderful huh?"

        "You make my life wonderful."

        "Why are you so sweet? Especially today?"

        "Because you mean so much to me! I don't really remember being happy before I was with you. I just remember feeling lost and confused. Sad. And I feel like I don't let you know often enough, like I take you for granted! You may say that I don't, and I may not, but I always doubt myself."

        "It's okay. I'll always be here for you. I'm not leaving you anytime soon."

        "Good. Because I love you. There, I said it! I love you! Someone once told me that you should never leave the side of someone you love, nor hang up on them, without telling them that you love them. They said that you never know what could happen, and if you don't say it and something bad does happen, you'll regret never saying it for the rest of your life!"

        "That person must have been very wise. Well, I love you too! I mean it! Since we are getting all mushy gushy, my life was not interesting before you came. I was happy, but not as happy as I am with you! And I never knew I would fall for you, but one day I did, and I never regretted that feeling!" she said, a tear sliding down her cheek. I then pulled her into a hug, and we stood there, wrapped into each other's arms. Then with one last kiss, and an I love you at the door, she went into her home, and I was alone. I walked home and climbed into bed. I sat on my knees, and pressed my hands together.

        "I pray that everyday is as great as this one," I said, and with that, I lay down, closed my eyes, and drifted off into sleep.