The Alignment by Kristin Andrecheck (little red riding hood read aloud TXT) 📕

best. You’ll see why, the other parts are listening and questions and thats all that I can remember,” I say, trying to sound cool about it.
 “Thanks, I’ll catch you later.”
 “Peace.”
I walk into Technology. Rose is staring at me like I killed a person and she’s cool about it.
 “Hey, sorry that I couldn’t tell you, but I do, I do promise right after the test,” I say uneasily. 
Rose nods.
 “Everybody have two Number Two pencils?” Warty asks.
Everybody says yes in unison.
 “Teal,TEAL. You got a pencil?” Rose whispers.
 “Yeah, but only one. Ask Warty,” I say.
Rose raises her hand and asks, “Wart, I mean, Mr. Stewart. I don’t have a pencil, and by the way nice…..uh shirt,” Rose says trying to cover up that she just said something inappropriate.
 “Yes, and Rose, you just got yourself detention, for a week, at the beginning of school. Here Rose,” Warty walks towards Rose and hands her a pencil.
 “Thanks, Mr. Stewart,” says Rose. She sounds upset.
Warty scurries through some papers and finds the tests. He hands them out and goes back to his desk.
 “You may start your tests. You have one full hour to do so, or until 5 minutes before 3. When you’re done you may read a book, but no talking,” Warty exclaims.
Wow, I didn’t know the final was so easy. It took me 10 minutes to do three pages filled with questions. I nailed that. Now halfway through the…. Ugh, I forgot to ask Warty. I raise my hand and Warty looked at me and nodded his head no. I then raised my fingers three and he knew what I meant. 
He came over and said quietly “Only do a sentence or two about what other people might want to do next year, okay,” He smiled and walked back to his desk.
I finish the second part with ease. I look at the clock, its 2:33, plenty of time. 
I look at the lines on the paper for the third part. I write:
I think the students would really enjoy more wood shop. I also think they would enjoy learning about the way computers or electronics actually work. I love building things that I can actually use, so maybe they would love to do more of that. Some examples would be like cd holders, boxes, chairs, things like that sort. I wish my classmates the best of luck. Thanks for the great technology experience.
That was easier to write than I though it would be. BZZZZZ That’s my cellphone.
It’s Justin! It says….
I need to tlk to u 
ASAP after skool
gym bleachers
alone...
God, I am so clueless what he’s going to say. Does he know I’m moving? Usually when he ‘needs to talk’ its a bad thing. Rose then finishes her test and then looks at me, she has an excited look in her eyes. We both look at the clock, 3:50. 
“Is everybody done with their tests,” Warty asks.
One hand goes up and he says, “Yeah, I got one more sentence.”
He then says that he’s done and Warty gets up and starts collecting the tests. He looks like a lab rat in a maze trying to find the cheese. I snicker a little. After Warty was done, he sits down, remembers something and stands back up.
 “Listen, here’s the deal. Ms. Jess said that anyone who wants to play in the gym go ahead. Anyone that wants to stay here can. First, go to the lockers and get your stuff. Have a nice summer! Well, get to it,” Warty says, excitedly. Warty sounds kind of delighted that the summers here. I bet to get away from us.
Everybody then dashes towards the door and heads to the gym. I wait until everybody leaves and start walking, Rose is ahead of me, but not by much. 
Rose explains, “Lets get our stuff and then tell me, OK.” 
 “Sure,”I say walking.
Rose and I then just talk about what the summer’s going to be like. I throw in a few white lies because, you know, I’m moving. I’m starting to be not so afraid to tell her. Now is the moment, we have our stuff and are downstairs. Were sitting on the benches next to the doors.
 “Now you’re going to tell me, right,”Rose asks.
 “Yeah, listen, I love you, as a friend, and I got to tell you something important. I…I…,” I don’t finish.
 “Spit it out,”Rose exclaims.
 “I’m moving, to California,” I say, squeamishly and quickly.
There was a silence then a laugh.
 “Ha, I knew you were going to pull a prank on me. But, seriously, is that the surprise? Really?” Rose asks. 
I can’t believe she laughed. My theory worked, but she needs to take it seriously.
 “No, really, I am. My dad got fired from his job. He got a new one. He also got this house by the shore because now he’s a temporary fisherman. I’m sorry,” I say.
Rose than gets up and walks away. I’m confused, so I follow her. It turns out that I can hear crying.
 “Rose, please don’t cry. I’m sorry,” I shout.
She stops, turns around and says “Why does your dad have to be a ‘temporary’ fisherman? He can stay here and be a chef. He does make great food! Why can’t he stay, why can’t you stay,” Rose sounds angry.
 “I want to stay, I really do. You know I want to stay, don’t you,” I start to cry.
Rose leans in and hugs me, I hug back. 
 “You know I’ll be in touch, all the time. My dad said, if its okay with your parents, that you can come and visit, or vice versa. Nothing, and I mean Nothing will change that, OK,” I’m not crying anymore. I then look at Rose and her eyes are beat red.
 “Best,” I say.
 “Friends,”Rose exclaims.
We hug each other and the bell rings. The buses come and we walk our separate ways. Oh great, time to meet Justin.

Chapter 4

There he is! Justin is leaning on the door next to the gym. He spots me and gives me the ‘come here’ signature and I follow. We walk onto the bleachers.
“Okay, something is with you. Remember when I was telling you about the tech final? Yeah, you said ‘I can’t’ you can’t what, tell me something?” Justin asks.
“Ya, I do have something to tell you,” I say, weirdly.
“Well, I think I know what it is, and I have something to ask you,” Justin says.
“Okay, go for it,” I say, enthusiastically.
“Here goes. We’ve been friends forever and I think we should be more than friends. Now it took a long time for me to say this because I know that if you say no, it will ruin our friendship, and I want to keep that,” he says.
I am stunned. Its been at least a minute before I say anything.
“I want to, but I can’t. Ha, I should’ve gone first. I’m moving, and I won’t see you in California. I wanted to tell you sooner, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t even tell Rose, until just a few minutes ago. Please understand,” I say full of hope.
Justin’s face is blank.
He then leans in and whispers in my ear, “Well then, how about a goodbye kiss?”
I didn’t even have time to answer, he just started kissing me. It felt amazing and I thought an hour went by. Justin looked at me, smiled, looked down, and then walked away. I bit my lip, attractively. I looked up at the ceiling and saw swirls. He was the one, but now I lost him.

Chapter 5

I walk outside and see no sign of Justin. My mom pulls into the driveway and I hop in.
I ask her, “Mom, have you ever had a long distance relationship with somebody you really care about?”
“Yes, honey. I forgot his name, uh, Fred. Even though you may care for them, they are too far away and you know boys. They can’t be attached with one girl across the state with beautiful ladies all around them,” Mom says, sadly.
I love my mom, she is like a nosy teenager. She has the fashion and personality of a teen and is super cool.
“So, what you’re saying is that the guy cheats, big time,” I ask.
“Yeah, they just don’t hook up with one chick. Honey, why’d you ask me that,” She asks, being nosy.
“Justin asked me out, but I had to turn him down. Although if you don’t say anything to dad, I can tell you some details that you’ll love,” I laugh.
“Okay, go ahead,” She says.
“Well, he said, at the end of our little chat, how about a goodbye kiss, and then I was in heaven. I saw fireworks and it was amazing,”I say in one breath.
After that my mom is quiet. I try to start a conversation and it works. We talk about music and stuff like that. We reach home in no time. I run up to my room, hop on my bed, and just lay there. I can’t believe I’m leaving everything.
I hear three knocks on my door, “Dinners up,”
Mom walks into my room “Darling, is something wrong?”
I start crying, “Mom, you know how much I wanted to ask Justin out, he asked me and I’ll never get a chance to even see him again. And what about Rose, she cried when I told her. Its just, this town, this school, this state. Its my life and I don’t want to leave. Anyways,” I rub my eyes, “Why does Dad want to be a fisherman anyway? And, why do you approve? Do you want a man to smell like fish when he walks into bed at night. Its just so…..Ew,” I shake my whole body.
“Believe it or not, it’s his dream job. I think it is so disgusting but, you know how you always wanted to have a girl’s night, alone, well how about a girl’s..uh..year,”She asks, her shoulders lift up.
I was confused, I asked, “What are you talking about? Yeah, I always wanted a night but… huh?”
“Come on, dinner’s getting cold, hurry or I’ll eat it all,” Dad shouts.
“We’ll talk about it in the morning, oh and you have a few days to pack more. You can invite your friends over to help and chill out,” Mom says, rolling her shoulders.
“OK, that’s cool. Mom, you can go, I’ll meet you downstairs,” I say, pointing to the door.
Mom walks