Page 4 of When October Starts

“And you wanna work on it for two months? We’ll have to check in with Benji. But to me, this seems like a great project. Take this up to his office and tell him about your plans, all right?”

I nodded, then grabbed both papers, and got up from the arm chair. “Thanks,” I said with a smile.

“And, Juno?”

“Yes?”

“You should smile more often. Keep frowning like that and that crease will soon stay right there between your brows.”

I kept my eyes on him for a while, then slowly nodded because I had no idea how to respond to that.

“And, happy birthday,” he smiled, nodding his head toward the front of the classroom. “Benji gave me a list with all you guys’ dates and all that. So, happy birthday.”

I pressed my lips into a thin line, then nodded as a thank you. I still couldn’t talk, so I finally moved and headed upstairs to Benji’s office.

*

“Do I frown?”

“Oh, yes. You do. Often. Very, very often,” Pixie replied. We were on our way home, pushing our bikes along the sidewalk.

“It’s not an angry frown, is it?” I asked, wondering why everyone seemed to notice my facial expression other than me.

“No, I don’t think so. You’re just…often spaced out. As if you’re on another planet. You tend to have that stare, you know…you blank out and don’t respond when I ask you a question. It’s not too bad. Just a little annoying sometimes when we’re in the middle of a conversation,” Pixie said.

I sighed. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to offend you, Pix. I’ll have to be a little more attentive. More alert.”

“Sounds like a good idea. Maybe then you’ll finally listen to me more often,” she mocked. We arrived at my house, and while I pushed the gate open, I shot a raised brow in her direction.

“I do listen to you. But maybe if you start talking about more interesting things, I might be sucked in a little more,” I suggested. I was joking, of course.

“You’re the worst,” she chuckled, getting on her bike while I pushed mine into our little path.

“I love you too,” I called out with a grin.

Chapter Five

Juno

“Aren’t you coming?” I asked Pixie as I already arrived at the lake to take the ferry over to Clark Island. It was raining, but I had my yellow raincoat on and was ready to take a few videos on the island for my project.

“No, sorry. Mom and Dad want me to help with the van. We’re renovating it. But I can make it next week. I promise,” she told me through the phone.

“All right. Don’t worry,” I said, then hung up and put the lock around my bike so it wouldn’t get stolen.

“Juno?” A familiar voice startled me, and I turned to see Ezra standing there with an umbrella in his hand and his other pushed in his coat pocket. “What are you doing out here in this weather?” he asked.

I pointed to the ferry which was waiting for the last passengers to get on, and I had to hurry if I wanted to make it. There were no other people going to the island. “I’m headed to Clark Island. I wanna start with my project. Take some videos,” I explained.

“In the rain?” he asked with a raised brow.

I looked up into the gray sky and shrugged. “It’s perfect for what I have in mind. What are you doing out here in this weather?” I repeated his words with a smile, then looked back into his eyes.

“I was at Benji’s. It’s his wife’s birthday,” he replied, not adding any more to his answer.Do teachers always hang out on a Saturday?

“Well, I gotta go or else I’ll have to wait for the ferry to get back.” I pressed my lips into a thin line.

“Mind if I join you?” he asked, surprising me.

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