The cricket chirped quietly in the early morning dew. Clay leaned down slowly trying to get as close as possible. The cricket chirped and chirped his heart out ignoring the giant slowly growing closer to his fragile seat on a small leaf. Clay was fascinated with the sight before him, the crisp early morning air nipped at his nose and made his ears tingle, but Clay liked the cold. He liked to watch the world slow to a stillness in the chill that froze the very air around him. The cricket suddenly aware of his audience leaped from his perch and disappeared into the tall grass along the busy street where Clay lived.
He rose from the ground looking for something new to occupy the time before the school bus arrived. Clay and his family lived in a small town in rural Mississippi and that suited Clay just fine. Clay was a boy’s boy, rough and tumble, always up for doing something in the forest or the ‘woods’ as Clay more fondly referred to them. As he surveyed his street he suddenly realized someone was watching him. There was a young black boy standing across the street two houses down from Clay and he was looking at him. The house had been for sale the whole summer and Clay had noticed some moving vans in front of the house last week but this was the first time he’d seen who lived there. He couldn’t believe his eyes.
The boy looked about the same age as Clay but he was different. He wore different clothes, the shapes and fit were different and if this was the first day of school where were his new school clothes? Clay was uncertain what to do next. The boy was just staring at him, and Clay began to feel beads of sweat leaping onto his forehead threatening to roll down his nose. He leaned down again, and pretended to tie his shoes. Both of them. Twice.
Suddenly Clay was rescued by the roar of the school bus engine coming to a begrudging stop in front of his house. He bolted across the street and through the doors with lightening speed. Still Clay was not quick enough to avoid his grandma leaning out the door to wish him a fond goodbye.
“Bye Clayborne! Have a wonderful day at school,” his grandma bellowed into the early morning air. Clay blushed as he through a hand up in response and bolted onto the bus.
Clay quickly found his annoying friend Luca sitting alone near the back. Usually Clay liked to avoid Luca when possible because Luca had the tendency to find trouble and sometimes trouble found Luca. He trudged down the aisle and fell into the seat.
“What is up my man?” Luca screams into Clay’s ear. Clay tries very hard and succeeds in keeping himself from punching Luca in the throat and proceeds to try to ignore him for the rest of the ride, but before the bus could get very far it stopped again.
Clay tried not to look in the direction of the front and quickly became very interested in Luca’s latest adventure story. However, he couldn’t help but notice this new kid on his street sat at the front of the bus. What kid sat at the front by choice? Clay knew this kid had to be weird.
“Dude, are you listening to me?” Luca screamed into Clay’s ear.
“Yea, dude, you don’t have to scream,” Clay responded. Clay shoved him roughly and turned to look out the window.
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