With Wings I Soar Read Free

school guidance counselor or the nurse for any emotional, social, or physical needs.
    “Counselor Bailey will be back next week, and Nurse Holbrook's office is down the hall.”
    Tabitha thanked Principal Raven and assured him that she would manage just fine. He smiled jubilantly.
    “I know you'll be fine. You're a good kid. I can tell.”
    Just then, a knock sounded on the door and a scrawny, gangling boy entered the room. His blonde hair was cropped short, showing off ocean-blue eyes. The boy grinned. “What's up, Mr. Raven? I'm here to show the new girl around.”
    Principal Raven smiled and introduced the boy quickly to Tabitha. His name was Ryan, and he was in the 11 th grade. He had been home schooled in elementary school, so he understood how difficult the transition from home education to public education could be. That was why Principal Raven selected Ryan, out of all the students in the school, to be Tabitha's buddy for the day.
    “The buddy system is our way of making new students feel welcomed,” the principal explained. “You'll skip home room today and instead, Ryan will give you a quick tour of the grounds and help you find your classes. It's just for today. Tomorrow you'll be on your own.”
    Tabitha nodded and thanked the principal before following Ryan out into the hallway.
    “Well, off we go!” Ryan offered his arm to Tabitha, who hesitated for a moment before accepting it. She felt silly, like they were being formal, but Ryan's relaxed personality immediately put her at ease. He didn't smell half-bad, either.
    The campus itself was very small, consisting of only two major buildings. The primary building was where the teachers' offices and most of the classes were held, while the secondary building housed a small auditorium and music room. The second building was also where the locker rooms were, as it was adjacent to the football field.
    Ryan walked her around and pointed things out that might be interesting or important. Tabitha nodded politely, making sure that she at least pretended to pay attention.
    “So why did you transfer?” Ryan inquired as the two headed back to the main building.
    “My dad left.” She said it before she could even think up a lie. Tabitha felt strange just blurting out the truth, but it was a relief to tell someone. Even Katie didn't know yet. Tabitha simply hadn't had a moment alone to pour her heart out to her best friend, so she had kept it bottled inside for three exhausting days. Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought about Dad now. His soft brown hair, the way he smelled like Old Spice, his laugh.
    “He just left me. No goodbye. No phone calls. He just left.” She looked at her hands, then to Ryan, then back to her hands. Her world was empty now. She wanted to say that she felt sad or that she felt alone, but those words didn’t seem strong enough.
    No, Tabitha felt destroyed.
    She felt broken.
    She felt crushed.
    “Hey now, it's okay,” Ryan said, jerking her back to reality as he wiped away one of Tabitha's tears. “Lots of people's dads leave. It's not the end of the world.”
    “It feels like it.” She shrugged, silently begging her tears to stop. “It's just...everything's different now.”
    Ryan hesitated before responding. “I know. It'll get better though. You just have to try not to think about it.” He looked sad. He looked like he had lost someone once.
    Tabitha wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve. “It's all I can think about.” She sniffled, embarrassed at her break down. She barely knew Ryan at all. Why had she thought it would be okay to tell him about her father? "I think I'd like to go to class now.”
    “Yeah, okay.” Ryan opened the glass door and allowed Tabitha to enter first. The hallway was full of students now. Students who all have dads at home, Tabitha thought angrily, pushing back the urge to cry again. She felt humiliated that Ryan had seen her tear up. She promised herself that she wouldn't let it happen