Alone and Afraid (Rocky Mountain Home Series Book 1) by Elizabeth Sherry Page B

“Jimmy!  See ya later, Loverboy!” and cracked up laughing to himself as he blew a kiss in my direction.  About thirty kids stopped and started looking at me and laughed…some hysterically.   
    “Don’ t mind him, dude,” Connor offered, and playfully tussled my hair as he broke away to his locker.  He always knew how to make me feel better.  
    The next few classes went well.  I didn’t have any classes the second half of the day with either Mikey or April, so I could just focus on my schoolwork.  I was always a teacher’s pet type of guy.  I naturally got good grades, and was always polite and attentive to my teachers.  I didn’t brown-nose or anything, but I still got singled out as the example to follow in quite a few of my classes. 
    Finally, the last bell of the day rang and I couldn’t wait to get home.  Mom said that if I got my homework done early enough, we could go look at Christmas lights around town.  I’ve always loved Christmas. Living in Washington State, I was fortunate enough to get a white Christmas every year.  It just seemed to make everything so much more magical.  The lights seemed to twinkle more, as they reflected off the snow and ice…and the people became just a tiny bit happier, in spite of having to drive in a foot of snow.  The cold temperatures made me wanna get a fire going in the fireplace, and drink hot cocoa while watching my favorite Christmas television special.  I had to imagine the fire since we never had a fireplace in our house.   
    Connor and I live d right next door to each other, so we always walked home together and talked about our day.  It was actually the part of my day I normally looked forward to most. 
    “Wanna have a snowball fight throw-down?” Connor challenged as we passed the park near our houses.  A snowball fight throw-down is like the ultimate snowball fight….winner takes all.  The last three years Connor has held the championship, but I was determined to beat him one day.  It would have to wait until some other day though. 
    “Can’t today, bud.  We’re going to go look at Christmas lights tonight, so I gotta get my homework for Mrs . Schiltz’s class done ASAP!” I answered.  “Maybe tomorrow.”
    “Deal.” Connor said with one of his patented winks as we each crossed our front yards. 
    As soon as I opened the worn and squeaky door, I threw off my snow covered shoes and ran straight to the fridge.  I was fortunate enough to have a very good metabolism.  Though, sometimes, I wondered if I was too thin.  I weighed just under one hundred and thirty pounds.  I felt like that was a good weight for my age and height.  I grabbed some whole wheat bread, three or four ham slices, colby-jack cheese, and some Cheez-Its and headed to my room.  I put a sandwich together quickly, and got my books out of my hand-me-down book bag. 
    “Is that you, Honey?” I hear d Mom yell from down the hall.  My Mom was a very pretty lady, who had to raise two kids all alone.  She worked hard as a deli manager in our local super-market, and always seemed to have a smile on her face.  Sometimes, I worried that she worked too hard.  She was older than most of my friends’ moms, and shouldn’t have been doing as much manual labor as she did.  My friends used to tease me when I was little about my Mom being the same age as their grandmas, but I still thought she was the best Mom around.  When I would see laundry detergent commercials on television, I remembered my childhood being just like what was portrayed in them.  The rays of sun would be coming in the windows, with a gentle spring breeze.  Mom would always have everything smelling so great, and welcome me home from school with a perfect smile on her loving face. 
    “Yeah.  I’m starting on my homework now.  Are we still going to look at lights tonight?” I ask ed her. 
    “As long as you and your sister get your homework done in time,” she hollered back from down