“Piper!” My mom yelled in an irate tone. 
“I'm Coming, let me grab lunch.” I said jubilantly, skipping to the car. 
Jumped in the car, smushed in the middle of my seat by my siblings, it was the longest twenty minutes of my life.  
I got excited as we pull into the back parking-lot. 
 I could hear my mom yelling to my brother and sisters, “Run! Have a good first day.” 
They started school way earlier than I did so I stayed in the car. 
 
 
 
 My mom unbuckled me and made me spill my graham crackers all over the floor. She held my hand tight with love and peace as we walked into the school for my first day. The walls were empty, but I knew that soon they would be filled with my handprints and tons of glitter.  
She sets me down, “you really know how to make a mess” she mumbled as she giggles and wipes my breakfast off my face. 
She picked me up, puts my backpack on me and walks me across the hall to my classroom.  
My kindergarten teacher said, “Welcome you must be Piper; you're going to have so much fun this year!” with a smile that I could not tell if it was fake or not. And she kept this bizarrely long eye contact like she thought I was about to rob the school. 
My mom gave me one last hug before she left for her own class. I think she might have been a little delighted to get me off her back. She held me tight and told me that I was going to do great.