The Beginning of Us Read Free

me and smiled.
    "Hey Teegan," he said with a nod of his head and a slight smile, then turned his attention back to his friend.
    He was oblivious to the fact that those two simple words nearly made me lightheaded. I took a deep breath, muttered an unintelligible response and kept walking. What was going on?
    Red took a seat on the row Jaxon was sitting so I sat beside her in the next row. I had a totally clear view of him.
    Dizziness took hold and I put my head down on my desk.
    "Tee, what's wrong honey?" I heard Red whisper. I just sat there stunned,
    What the hell was going on? That question had become my motto since waking up. I concentrated on my breathing and slowly raised my head. Red was staring at me, wide-eyed, and all I could offer her was a meek smile as I sat upright.
    "I'm fine. Just hungry." I explained. Nodding, she brought her book bag up in her lap and went to dig through it and producing a granola bar. She gently tossed it to me and smiled apologetically.
    "Here, that's all I have. Hurry and eat it before the bell rings."
    Whoever Red was, I could tell she was a good friend. I smiled appreciatively and unwrapped it as quietly as I could.
    All the while, the fact that I was in the same room with a teenage version of my husband took control of my mind. If this was a dream, which is was, it was the most vivid and strangest dream I had ever been subjected to.
    ***
    After what seemed like hours, the bell finally rang and the English class stood as the substitute rattled off a list of homework. Nobody paid attention. I felt appalled at the lack of respect these kids were showing to an adult. Was high school really like this? It had been so long for me, I’d forgotten.
    I needed to escape and regroup. I wish I could run on autopilot like so many days, but this was new. I was a teenager at some weird school during a school day.
    "Hey Red –" I started but stopped short, realizing what I had just called her.
    "Is that a new nickname?” she asked with narrowed eyes, “Tee, you're a mess this morning. I thought that granola bar helped?"
    I shook my head as a group of normal girls walked past us. Just like any other high school, there were the usual cliques; the cheerleaders, the band nerds, the jocks. But this group looked, thankfully, normal.
    "Hi Teegan, hi Raegan. Is there a sub in Mrs. G's class?" a pretty, but plain, the blonde asked.
    I rejoiced silently at learning my best friend's name.
    "Yes! It was great," Red, or rather Raegan, answered. The blonde girl smiled, gave another blonde in the group a high-five and they proceeded on their way.
    "Raegan, um, can I ask you a question?" I asked as we came down the hallway. Bright posters were tacked up all over, advertising things like school dances and pep rallies. Anti-drug and anti-bullying posters were everywhere too. The perfume-cologne mix was so strong. Did these kids bathe in the crap?
    "Yes of course. But hurry up because the next bell is about to ring."
    "What's my next class? Or better yet, what's my schedule?" I sounded like an idiot. The question made Raegan stop dead in her tracks. She pushed her glasses up onto the bridge of her nose and frowned.
    "Teegan, what is wrong ? Whatever it is, you know you can tell me."
    Hot tears sprang to my eyes and spilled down my cheeks in a split second and I hurriedly wiped them away. "I'll tell you at lunch okay? But please, I need you to tell me."
    Concern swept across her face and it made my heart soar. She pulled out a rectangular sheet of paper and thrust it at me. "Mulberry, Government, room 205. Hurry up 'cause he hates tardies." She pulled me in for a hug and whispered, “You owe me a big explanation at lunch. I'm worried Tee!"
    I released her and smiled, "I promise." I took off down the perfume-choked hallway. I turned to wave when I got to the classroom and noticed she was still standing there, head cocked to the side with eyebrows furrowed. She wiggled her fingers at me and turned down another