mom and put a stamp on it, but I haven't sent it yet. I thought that writing her a letter inst

ress for the wedding. I didn't tell her I'm engaged or anyt

en engaged for a week, and the wedding is in less th

ike going to the gym. I usually do well in school and get good grades, but that doesn't make me a "jock." Just because I like going to the gym doe

ll, it's mostly fun. I guess we're playing kickball today. We only play this ga

events have shown, I tend to drift off. But I can't do it very well unless I'm drawing, cooking, or

. I ran around the neighborhood after she left. Dad didn't like that very much, and he was always afraid I was going to run away. But I

art. Even so, they do their best. There is one football kicker on the other team and one on my team. Since h

bounces off of it. I run away from the ball and jump or dive to get it. I get it, and

Out. Out. On the first kick, one person got out. The second one got on base, but the third one kicked the ball into the air, and some

l. I do everything I can to get as many outs as I need to get away. T

, I also want to win. You'd probably think I'd be

five minutes left before we have to go change. If I kick a tr

speed towards me. When I go up, BANG! Not even close. Well, not really, since we a

ed about the wedding anymore; they just went with it. There are

.

n wedding." Mark and I are at his apartment, so

cake, the rings, the color scheme, and your dress

yes. The letter

u feel?" Mark asks

ell me to keep going. "Very nervous. What if she doesn

we eat the first bites of the meal he

e until I ask, "So, when

down. "My uh. Nine years ago, Mom di

Mark! I'm sorry

o. So dad asked almost everyone to keep quiet about it. She was in the newspaper's obituary section, but

asking, how did she die?" I ask. As soon as I heard

. That made me feel something. I had b

ogize."

ere just intere

d of being too curious. I try to get a littl

.

BEEP

n mind when I yell. I don't know what's wrong with

r that, that, or that." I tell myself this. I can't stop think

t much. Just a pink undershirt and dark

e in one hand and a newspaper in the other. I kiss the top of his head.

He says this while he looks

." Then I get

involve running as much as I would have liked

other clas

r, even though he is a man. I couldn't imagine having a better friend than him. Then Maya is a br

ecause it's easy, I get all my work done without having

me much anymore. That's fine. I

oulders up, with really dark contrast and light highlights. I'm w

bell did, in fact, go off. "See you later, Mr. Martian." I say. I ha

ay." He says. I don't say anything back. I

nk my dad checked the mail, so I do. As I approach the fro

She replied. I don't go into the living room to check on them. Inste

ry." "I should have never left you." I noticed that she didn't say that she shouldn't have left her father. "I still have the dress," she said. I thought about the tradition and hoped that would be what brought us back toge

ee two plane tickets. Dad, Mark, and John

ow what to say, so I just gave the letter to him. Eac

"Yeah,

e plane leaves

the plane leave

ave school at lu

ool." Dad doesn't wa

'll be fine." He starts to say someth

don't see him. I can't take my eyes off my

that so quickly. On the other ha

r New York tomorrow." John says this as he claps his h

. "I need to get back to work:. He

leaves, I also try to so

s to know when his

ook in his eye. The pained

gives me a hug and t

r w

t felt like saying it." He say

ank