All that glitters is not gold. That’s Dad’s favorite William Shakespeare quote. I don’t want to remember anything about him, but it’s hard, especially when I remember everything about him from the last 13 years. I hoped he would appear at the door, or call the house to say he was coming home soon, but he never did. So I stopped wishing for it. I hoped he missed us, wherever he is, hoped he was just on some type of vacation. But it’s been a year and nothing has happened. This morning Mom facetimed from California. Jianna talked to her while I searched through the fridge. “Grilled cheese for breakfast?” I shouted towards the living room where Jianna sat on my phone. She paused, muting herself. “Yes, please! Double decker!” She responded. I narrowed my eyes, searching her face. Taking the cheese from the fridge, and the bread from the cabinet. Quietly, I snuck over to the living room. Standing behind the couch, I plucked the phone from her hands. “Why are you texting Vashti? You were supposed to talk to Mom and talk to her only. You know the rules about using my phone.” I snapped, scrolling through the sent messages on my phone. When she didn’t respond, I stormed up the stairs toward our shared bedroom and scooped up her backpack. Walking out, I thrust the bag into her arms, along with her grilled cheese and Swiss hamster's cage. Ushering her out the door, I grabbed the house keys, and my own backpack, dropping off our Australian shepherd, Cerberus, at our neighbors house on the way to school. I trailed behind, vigorously texting apologies to my best friend, Vashti. Face buried in my phone, I stop short as my sister spins around to glare at me. “Can’t you walk any faster? I’m gonna be late!” Jianna whines, scrunching up her face the same way she does when she has to walk Cerberus. “When have you ever cared about being late?” “I care now because TJ told me at the start of summer that he was gonna get me those books you said you didn’t wanna waste your money on!” She retorts. I should’ve never gotten her started. I go to my library app and check out a random audio-book from the recommended section, slipping my headphones in my ears. Jianna talks for a while, but when the school is within eye distance she runs ahead to the double doors. We arrive a bit early so I can make it to school on time, since the high school is a ways away from the elementary and middle school.
