The next day was better and worse.

Better because it doesn't rain anymore, but the clouds are still thick and dense. It's an easier day because I know what to expect from the day. Jack sat with me in English class and then accompanied me to the next class, talking non-stop along the way, while Ike of the "chess club" kept staring at him. People don't stare at me as much as they did yesterday. At lunch, I sat with a large group of people, including Jack, Ike, Mary, and others whose names and faces I couldn't remember. I began to feel like I was stepping on the water, not submerged.

Worse because I'm tired. The sound of the wind echoed in the house at night, and I couldn't sleep. It was even worse because Mr. Liwa called me up to answer the question in the triangulation class, and I didn't raise my hand at that time, and I got it wrong. It was a tragic day because I had to start playing volleyball and at one point I couldn't get out of the way the ball came and hit it on my teammate's head. The day was even worse because Roger Wright didn't show up at school.

I had been scared of lunch all morning, of his unusual glare. Part of me wanted to confront him, demanding to know what was wrong with him. When I couldn't sleep and was confined to my bed, I even imagined what I would say. But I know myself too well and I don't think I have the guts to do it. I make the timid lion look like a terminator.

When I walked into the cafeteria with Mary, I tried not to peek at where he was, but without success—I saw four of his siblings with very different styles sitting together at the same table yesterday, but he wasn't there.

Jack stopped us and asked us to sit down at his table. Mary seemed happy to get his attention, and her friends soon joined us. But while I tried to listen to their lightheartedness, I waited uneasily for the daunting moment when he came in. I hope he doesn't notice me when he comes in to prove my paranoia wrong.

He didn't come in, and I got more and more nervous as time went on.

By the end of lunchtime, he still hadn't shown up, so I went to biology class with more confidence. Jack showed the good qualities of a Golden Retriever and faithfully accompanied me to the classroom. I held my breath at the door, but Roger Wright wasn't there either. I breathed a sigh of relief and walked towards my place. Jack followed me along the way, talking about an upcoming trip to the beach. He stayed at my desk until the bell rang. Then he smiled hopefully at me and went back to sit next to a girl with braces and horrible wavy hair. Looks like I'm going to have to do something about Jack, but it's not going to be easy. In a town like this, everyone knows everything about each other, so it's necessary to adopt some strategy. I'm not going to be very sophisticated; I don't have any experience with overly enthusiastic boys.

I'm glad I can occupy the whole table by myself because Roger isn't there. I told myself that over and over again. But I can't escape the suspicion that he's not here because of me. It's ridiculous and conceited to think that I can influence someone so strongly. It's impossible. But I still can't stop worrying, worrying that it's true.

At the end of the day, I waited until the abrasions on my face from the volleyball were no longer so red, and then quickly changed into my jeans and navy blue sweater. I walked briskly out of the girls' locker room, happily to find that I had finally managed to shake off my retriever friend for a while. I quickly walked to the parking lot, which was now crowded with students eager to leave. I got into the truck and checked my bag to make sure nothing had been left behind.

Last night I finally found out that Chuck doesn't do anything but omelette and bacon. So I asked for me to take over the kitchen during the time I was living here. He was quite happy to hand over the power to take care of the meals. I also found that he had no food in his house. So I made a shopping list, took the money from the cans in the cupboard labeled "Food Bills", and now just went straight to the cheap supermarket.

I stepped on the gas, started the rumbling engine, ignored the bunch of heads turning in my direction, and carefully reversed the car into the queue of cars waiting to leave the parking lot. As I waited in the line, pretending that the deafening roar was someone else's car, I saw the Wright siblings and the Smith twins get into their car. It's the sparkling Volvo. Of course, it can only be theirs. I hadn't noticed their clothes before - I was so obsessed with their faces. Now I see that it is clear that they are surprisingly well dressed; The style is simple, but it is clearly the work of the designer. With such an outstanding appearance and such an elegant posture, they can get ahead even if they wear a rag. To be able to have both beauty and wealth, they are a little too good. But as far as I can tell you, life is fair most of the time. It doesn't seem like what they have is going to make them recognized here.

No, I'm not entirely convinced of that. It seems that they themselves have isolated themselves; I can't imagine a door in life that can't be opened for such a wonderful person.

As I drove past them, they, like everyone else, turned their heads to look at my rumbling truck. I insisted on looking straight ahead, and it wasn't until I escaped from the campus that I finally felt saved.

The cheap supermarket is not far from the school, just across a few roads and next to the highway. It's nice to be in the supermarket: it feels much more normal. I'm in charge of shopping when I'm at home, so I'm happy to be doing the same job. The supermarket was huge, and I couldn't hear the rain crackling on the rooftops and could forget where I was.

When I got home, I took my stuff out of the car and crammed every piece of space I could find. I hope Chuck won't mind. I wrapped the potatoes in tin foil, stuffed them in the oven, topped a steak with the sauce, and rested it on the egg carton in the fridge.

After doing this, I picked up my bag and walked upstairs. Before I started my homework, I changed into a dry sweater, tied my wet hair into a ponytail, and went to check my email. I have three mails.

"Imia." It was sent by my mother:

"Email me as soon as you get there. Tell me if you flew all the way. Is it raining? I've started to miss you. I had just packed my bags for San Francisco, but I couldn't find my pink coat. Do you know where I put it? Aiken greetings you - Mom. ”

I sighed and flipped to the next email. There was an eight-hour gap between this email and the previous one.

"Imia." She writes:

"Why haven't you emailed me yet? What are you waiting for? - Mom. ”

The last one was received this morning:

"Elimia, if I haven't heard from you at half past five tonight, I'm going to call Chuck. - Mom"

I looked at the clock. It's still an hour, but my mom is notoriously preemptive.

Calm down. I'll write it now. Don't be impulsive.

"Mom, I'm Imia." I sent this email and started writing one.

"Mom, everything is fine. Of course, it's raining all the time. I'm just waiting for what to write about. School isn't too bad, it's just a bit monotonous. I got to know some nice kids who sat with me over lunch. Also, your coat is at the dry cleaner and you should go and get it back on Friday...... Oh yes, Chuck bought me a truck, believe it or not? I love this car. It's a little old, but it's pretty sturdy, you know, and it couldn't be better for me. I miss you too. I'll write you another email soon, but there's no way I'm going to check my mail every five minutes. Take it easy, take a deep breath, I love you. -- Imia. ”

I started reading "The Wistring Age" -- we were learning about it in our English class -- and I read it again purely for fun. I was reading a book when Chuck came back. I was so engrossed in it that I lost track of time. I rushed downstairs, took the potatoes out, and started grilling the steak.

"Is it Imia?" Dad asked when he heard me coming downstairs.

Who else could there be? I thought to myself.

"Hi Dad, welcome home."

"Thank you." He hung the gun on the wall. While I was still busy in the kitchen, he changed his boots. As far as I know, he has never fired a gun in the line of duty. But he was always ready. When I was a kid and came to live here, he always unloaded the bullets as soon as he entered the door. I guess he thought I was old enough not to hurt myself by a misfire, and he wasn't so depressed that he killed himself.

"What's for dinner?" He asked warily. My mother was a creative cook, but her experiments were often hard to swallow. I was amazed and saddened that he still remembered it.

"Steak and potato." I replied. He looked relieved.

When I was busy, he seemed to think it was too silly to stand in the kitchen, so he clumsily went to the living room to watch TV. We'll all have an easier time that way. While the steak was still grilling in the pan, I made a salad and set the dishes.

When dinner was ready, I called him over for dinner. When he walked into the room, he sniffed with satisfaction.

"Smells good, Imia."

"Thank you."

We ate quietly for a while. It's a very comfortable feeling. None of us will be upset by silence. In a sense, we were a great fit to live together.

"Well, what do you think of school? Did you make any new friends? After another moment, he asked.

"Well, I took a few classes with a girl named Mary. I sat with her friends over lunch. There was also a boy named Jack, who was a very nice person. Everyone was friendly. "Except for a certain person.

"That has to be Jack Hall. Nice kid -- good family. His dad owned a sports gear store not far from town. He made a lot of money on hikers who passed by. ”

"Do you know the Wright?" I asked hesitantly.

"Dr. Wright's family? Of course. Dr. Wright is a good man. ”

"They...... Those kids...... Some are different. They don't seem to fit in well with the school here. ”

Chuck's angry look scared me.

"These people in town!" He muttered. "Dr. Chuck is a wonderful surgeon, and he earns ten times as much as he does for any other hospital in the world," he said. "We were lucky to have him - because his wife likes to live in a small town. He is an asset to this community. His children were all well-behaved and polite. When they first moved in, I had doubts about these adopted children at their age. But they're all sensible - they've never caused me even the slightest bit of trouble. And some of the guys who have lived in town for generations, I can't say enough about their children. And they do stick together as a family – camping every two weeks...... It's just that because they're new, people talk to them about it. ”

It's the longest thing Chuck has ever heard utter in one breath. He must have been angry at the gossip of the people.

I reversed my words and said, "They seem to be nice to me." I just noticed that they are always alone. They are all eye-catching. I added that I tried to be more appreciative.

"You should see the doctor," Chuck said with a laugh. "It's a good thing that he's married. When he was nearby, a lot of the nurses in the hospital had a hard time concentrating on their work. ”

After we had eaten, we fell silent again. When I started washing the dishes, he cleaned up the table and went back to watch TV. After I had washed the dishes - by hand because there was no dishwasher - I was reluctant to go upstairs to do my math homework. I can feel a certain pattern of life that is taking shape.

It was quiet that night, and I felt exhausted and soon fell asleep.