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I hadn't remembered that an hour ago when I was entering study hall in my Hooters' outfit.
    We climbed into my VW and headed to the general store. After we'd made a quick stop for the infamous black sweatpants, I followed Casey's step-by-step directions to her house. We pulled into the driveway of a large blue farmhouse surrounded by rows and rows of trees.
    "Are those Christmas trees?"
    Casey chuckled. "Yeah, my family owns a tree farm. My dad took over the family farm after my grandfather had a stroke about six years ago. I'm not really the farmer type, but I wouldn't trade my life for anything. I plan to go away to college, but I'll probably come back here to raise my family. This is a very family-friendly place. Did you know that my parents grew up with everyone else's parents? They were all friends. My mom actually dated Lucas' dad during their freshmen year in high school."
    "That's kind of weird." I wondered if my parents knew Casey's parents as well.
    "Small town life is all we know; so it's normal to us."
    "Yeah, I guess you're right. I've moved around my whole life, and that's what I know as normal." I stared at all the Christmas trees.
    "Thanks for the ride, Eliana."
    "No problem, do you need a ride to school tomorrow?"
    Casey grinned. "No, but thanks anyway. I have a car. I just usually take turns riding with Sasha and Emily."
    "Oh, I didn't mean to butt-in."
    "Its all right, I know what you meant." Casey smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow. Don't worry about Sasha, she'll come around."
    "I'm not worried. I'll just keep my distance."
    As Casey stepped onto her porch, I turned around in the driveway. I couldn't believe all the farms. How had my parents lived here their whole childhood and survived?
    While on the way to my grandparents' house, I got nervous about how I'd explain the disappearance of my clothes. My saving grace was my hoodie and the black sweatpants. I took a deep breath before entering the side kitchen door. Since it was closer to the stairs, maybe I could escape to my room. No such luck. Mom and my grandmother sat at the kitchen table drinking tea.
    "Hi honey, how was school?" Mom looked me up and down, analyzing my outfit.
    "Oh, it was great, I met some great people. I took one of them home after school, that's why I'm a little late."
    My grandmother butted in, "Is that what you wore for your first day of school?"
    "This? Oh no! I had gym last period and I didn't get a chance to change. I figured I would go for a jog after school anyway." I hoped they believed the lie. My mom looked curious, but she didn't question me further. "I'm going to take my stuff upstairs and call Kelly before my jog. I've got to tell her about all the cute guys she's missing out on."
    "Ok, just be back by six-thirty for dinner," said Mom.
    "No problem." Relieved to escape, I darted up the stairs. I was so anxious to vent my fingers were already dialing Kelly's number. If anyone understood what I was going through, it would be her. The phone rang. Then Kelly's sweet voice answered, "Hello."
    "Hey, I hate it here!" I skipped the intros and went straight to venting. I made sure to clue her in on every horrific detail. Kelly listened quietly to my rant, only replying with the occasional 'gosh' or 'seriously'?
    After a forty-five minute phone therapy session, she slipped in the words, "At least there's a really cute guy."
    I laughed, "You always know what to say. Thanks for letting me rant."
    "What you need now is a good run."
    "Yeah, I planned on it. It's been raining on and off all day, and its cold, but I think the fresh air will do me good."
    "Eliana, promise you'll call me whenever you need to talk."
    "Oh, don't worry. You're at the top of my list. Mom doesn't need my stress on top of hers. I'll call you soon. Love you."
    "Love you, too. Bye for now," said Kelly.
    I jogged downstairs adjusting my iPod armband so I could reach the buttons. "I'll be back in an hour or so," I called from the front room. "I have my cell, if you