"Remember to Smile" by Savannah Adams

I awake in the morning to the sound of the leaf blower, it’s just another boring day of school. Oh, and the three hour basketball practice after school not to mention. Oh, and the two hour soccer practice after that. Oh, and at least two hours of homework. But no, it’s okay, somehow I’ll get through it. No one has to worry about me because I know I’ll get through it, just like I always do.

As I glance outside, with no hopefulness in this day, I see the trees with nothing on them except a couple leaves. All the other leaves rest on the ground and occasionally blow into the neighbors’ yards. The remaining leaves are now being raked up by my mother.

As I rush out the door, late for school, to approach the bus, I catch the smell of turkey baking in the oven. I should be excited for today, since it’s the last day of school until Thanksgiving break. All my cousins are coming into town and usually we have a memorable time. For some reason this day, the past week, and even this entire month, I’ve been dying for it to end.

I walk to the corner of the street as I shuffle through my things trying to get organized. I then notice the outside air is moist with the hint smell of campfire. The smell of campfire always reminds me of camping, my favorite time of the summer. Then I realize it was only two months ago that we went camping and now I have to wait a whole other ten months. As I realize that the best though, of camping, vanishes.

As I enter the bus the sound of noisy kids over come the silence of nature. Instead of hearing the wind blowing and the leaves crackling, I hear the sound of gossip and laughter. I look to my left, and then to my right, to see if there are any available seats without any gum on them. I finally find a semi clean seat and as I sit on the ripped up, cushioned, bus seat I think of how slowly these days have been going by. I think of how this time of year always gets the best of me.

But no! I will not let that happen. So many times I have let one bad moment ruin my entire day, now I am sick and tired of it. No more missing one bad shot in basketball game and then never shooting again. No more dreading every bus ride to school. No more silent Savannah. The time for a new person to shine has come. And as I look out the window, and hear footsteps approaching my seat, I turn to see a classmate, who I’ve seen before but never actually talked to, ask if they can sit next to me. I looked up at her and before I answered, I unveiled my smile.