Chapter 2

 Chapter 2: A Normal School Day… Almost

The bus jolted to a stop in front of Fair Lawn Elementary School. Becky stepped off, clutching the straps of her backpack. She could see her best friend, Mia, waiting by the front doors, waving enthusiastically.

“Becky! Guess what? My mom packed me an extra cookie. Want one?” Mia grinned, holding out a small plastic bag.

Becky smiled faintly. “Thanks, Mia.” She took the cookie and slipped it into her pocket, but her thoughts were somewhere else. She couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling from this morning.

Morning Routine in Class
The classroom buzzed with activity as Becky took her seat near the window. Her teacher, Ms. Garcia, stood at the board, writing the day’s agenda in neat, loopy handwriting.

Becky reached into her backpack and pulled out her diary. She opened it under her desk and began to write:

“Dear Diary,
I’m at school now, but my stomach feels funny. I keep thinking about Mommy and Daddy. What if something bad happens to them? I don’t know why I feel this way, but I hope I’m wrong.”

She quickly shut the diary when Ms. Garcia called the class to attention. “Good morning, everyone! Today, we’re going to start with a writing exercise. I want you to think about a happy memory with your family and write a short paragraph about it.”

Becky’s heart sank. Family. She picked up her pencil and stared at the blank page.

Becky’s Happy Memory
After a moment, she began to write:
“One time, my family went to the park. Nico kept trying to chase the pigeons, and Papi had to pick him up so he wouldn’t fall. Mommy laughed so hard that she almost dropped the picnic basket. I remember thinking, ‘I wish we could stay like this forever.’ It was the best day ever.”

As she wrote, Becky felt a little lighter. For a few minutes, she let herself get lost in the memory, her pencil moving quickly across the page.

When Ms. Garcia walked by, she smiled at Becky’s work. “That’s lovely, Becky. You have such a way with words.”

Becky smiled back, but her chest still felt tight.

Lunch Break with Mia
At lunch, Becky and Mia sat under the big tree near the playground. Mia chattered about the math test they had coming up, but Becky barely heard her.

“You’re quiet today,” Mia said, frowning. “Is something wrong?”

Becky hesitated, then shook her head. “No, I’m fine.” She didn’t want to tell Mia about the strange worry sitting in her chest.

Instead, she took out her diary and scribbled a quick note:
“Dear Diary,
I can’t stop thinking about Mommy and Daddy. I know I’m being silly, but I just want to go home. I feel like something’s about to happen.”

Becky closed her diary and stuffed it back into her backpack. The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. She followed Mia back to class, trying to shake off her unease.

But deep down, she couldn’t help wondering if her morning hug with her mom had been the last for a long, long time.