Blake filled me in on all I needed to know for 11th grade. He then told me how everyone thought I had been living with a distant Aunt in Europe. He left me at the door, without a word. I badly wanted to kiss him, but he left to quickly.

My parents were older, but they were happy to see me. They told me I looked different, more beautiful then when I had left. I called all my friends and we hung out the next day. My life went back to normal.

School was in a couple days, and I was nervous beyond compare. I would see everyone again. Oh how I had missed them! I picked out an offit three days in advance. My style had changed, but my best friend told me the offit wouldn’t make me look dweeby. I had picked a knee-length skirt and a white tee. The pastel colors showed off my now-permanent tan.

I was so excited. But something was wrong. There was a nagging in the back of my mind that I would never fit in again. I had missed a year. I just couldn’t shake this feeling that things were not right..