When it was finally time to board, we found ourselves on a small plane, much like the one we’d taken from Springfield to Chicago—only this one was emblazoned with a shamrock and the airline name Aer Lingus. Upon boarding the captain announced his name as Seamus O’Connor.
Well. That turned very Irish very quickly.
Another takeoff, more flying. By now I was in some kind of trance or limbo. This was my lot now, to be forever stuck in transit, always hopping from one airport to another amid days and nights that didn’t match my body’s internal clock. I was so tired…so tired.

Would you like to meet my friends?
You would? Hurrah!
I’m sure they are the finest group
Of folks I ever saw

Let’s begin with Lucy,
The dear, brave, and sweet girl.
She’s gentle yet faithful
Through ev’ry adventure.

And that’s Pollyanna,
Standing by the window.
She’s most remarkable
Among everyone I know.

Her life was not easy,
But she still played the game.
She would count her blessings
Whene’er troubles came.

Oft there come these pitch black nights
Untouched by heaven’s perfect lights
And in those nights we fail to see
Lost in darkness, but alone by no means

For lights soon prick the canvas, black
And with their beams loneliness lack
But carry with them friends, or love
They come with Truth the dark to prove

So lose not hope in blackest dark night
But pray until you see the light
For clarity accompanies luminescence
And faith shines forth in clarity’s presence

Growing pains are
Just that
A time for growth
Stretched out by nearly
Abysmal
Pain
But I think too often
I
Am so caught up in the pain
Of it all
That I forget to see the light inside
Of growth
Or to appreciate the changes
In me
So help me to remember
That waiting isn’t empty moments
That getting to know
Someone
Doesn’t mean that I must
Fall in love
Remind me of the grounding truth
That friendships are not
Obligations
For something
More

We don’t fit in
We sorta stand out
Standing around in our
Converse or
Bow ties
Looking like sore thumbs
But if you take a moment to talk to us
You’ll find that
There’s gold lining on
Our hearts
And though we
Don’t
Look like the cool kids
We’re cool
To
Us
‘Cause we know how to be
Kind
We know how to
Listen
To sum us up
We love
Freely and fully
We love
Unconditionally
So try not to be too cool
To say hello
Take a moment to

I see a void over which colors loom

Waiting to embrace in the place of gray

Our children are lost inside of this gloom

While parents are kneeling to weep and pray



We hail them on with exuberant cheer

And muster courage, their hearts to carry

While standing by, they see their end is near

And they only live in hopes to bury



Once they’re gone we suddenly wonder why

With such deep dread they began every day

And looked up never into the bright sky

Wishing only to die and fall away



Normally, noise of any kind was unwelcome in the private library at Texas A&M, but somehow that same mellow voice was allowed to croon on by the hour.
It was also normal for Byron Fitch to be annoyed by even the slightest rustle of a page while he was studying, but today was different. The odd medley of sacred hymns and pop songs came across as ridiculously soothing when hummed by Kris Kemper's low voice.

In a small town library on the corner of the square, two young people walked slowly towards each other down an isle between a few bookshelves. The young girl was dressed all in black, even down to the tips of her combat boots. The only color about her was the natural pink of her lips, and the unnatural bright blue tips of her jet black hair. The boy, on the other hand, was wearing a green shirt over bluejeans and bright red running shoes. Once they got to the middle, their hands met, reaching for the same book.

CHAPTER 28: BUSY DAYS

CHAPTER 25: TRIPPIN' IT