Novella #1, Chapter 3: Just a Misunderstanding (Emily's perspective)

It seems that every time I see Hannah in school, she's with Gavin. I'm not at all used to that. I didn't expect them to become so close in just one day. I'll admit though that I'm glad she sat with me at lunch during freshman orientation, but since then she's been hanging out with me less and less. I want to be happy for her, I really do.

"Ahh!" Someone just ran past me and made me drop my books. Now I feel like an idiot, standing in the middle of the hallway like this. Isn't anyone going to help me? Geez, high school is so much different from the small middle school I went to.

I saw Hannah pass by right as a I got back up to my feet. Perhaps I should talk to her and try to resolve this issue between us. "Hi Hannah. Mind if I talk to you in private? It will only take a minute or so." She looked at me with a scowl on her face and said, "Not now, Emily. Gavin was going to show me something. Excuse me." She pushed me aside and kept walking onward. I'm not about to let this attitude of hers effect me now.
"What is your problem, Hannah? I'm not going to let you talk to me like that. You know I deserve better." Hannah was quick to respond. "Just leave me alone. I'm going to be late!"
"No! Just talk to me." She's looking down at her feet, but I can see the anger in her face. After a long moment of seeing her sulk for whatever reason, she looked up and snapped at me. "Don't you dare talk about things you do or don't deserve! I was ALWAYS there for you! You're so full of yourself, thinking that the spotlight needs to be on you 24/7. Now please... leave me alone."
Hannah stunned me into silence and pushed me out of the way, but I didn't notice. I just stood there frozen. I wasn't prepared for that to come out. What was she talking about? I've done nothing bad to her- at least, not to my recollection. Better get to class now before the last bell rings.

I think this marks my first time sitting alone in the cafeteria during lunch. I can see Gavin and Hannah two tables from my right. They're so focused on each other, not even bothering to eat their food. One kiss and then she looks at him with the biggest smile on her face. And now he's smiling back and holding her hand. I think he told her that he loves her. Unbelievable... Why are my eyes just now getting wet? More importantly, why is Hannah upset with me? She hasn't spoken to me in over a week. Having this new guy around who hasn't even bothered to hang out with us outside of school... It's just wrong. I don't deserve to be treated like this.

As per usual I'm spending the weekend at home with my brother, not that I don't like doing that. David is actually in a great mood today. He's asked me a couple times if I want to go with him to see the new Avengers movie, but I just want to stay in the house and relax. The events of Hannah getting angry at me the other day are still playing through my head. That was so not like her. Why is she doing this to me?

David has now interrupted my train of thought as he's standing in front of the door to my bedroom which caught me by surprise. "Now you behave yourself, sis. I'll be back in a couple hours." Before he had the chance to leave, I leapt out of bed and wrapped my arms around David. "I love you. I hope you realize that. Thank you, for everything." He let out a small laugh and kissed me on the head. After a moment of standing there together in a tight hug, he said, "Alright, I should get going. That is, unless you want to go with me..." I gave my brother a quick smile. "I think I will. I don't want to be alone in this big, empty house." He smiled back and handed me my jacket and purse.

Another week has come and gone, and I still can't stop thinking about the situation with Hannah. I miss her. She's spending so much time with her boyfriend and not leaving any time for me. Moping isn't going to do any good, Emily. You know this. I am determined to figure out why she made that outburst. I may not remember what it is I did, but it wouldn't hurt to just ask or at least apologize. Upon entering Mr. Gregory's classroom, I see that Hannah is sitting in the back corner next to the emergency exit. She has her head buried between her knees and it looks like she's crying. "Hannah? What's wrong?" No answer, but she did lift her head up and looked at me with tears running down her face. Another wave of tears come in and I'm just sitting here, not knowing what to say. Silence sits between us for a few minutes before I finally speak up. "Look Hannah, I don't know what I did to cause you to be angry with me, but I'm sorry. I'm so, incredibly sorry. If it's any consolation, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you... About us, and how much of an impact you've left on me. What I said that night when we had that sleepover two years ago still stands, and I never want to see you hurt. You have touched my heart, and I can't thank you enough for just being my best friend. I love you..."

It looks like Mr. Gregory is ready to put a movie inside the cassette player and is asking everyone to take their seats. Seeing that Hannah isn't responding still, I guess I should get up and head over to my desk. Okay, I see the title of the movie we're watching along on the whiteboard with what our in-class assignment is. Oh, what's this on my desk? It looks like a note. I should read it.
"Emily, do you want to know know why I'm mad at you? It was during the last day of 7th grade. I was sitting outside the school building waiting on you and your brother to pick me up. You got there eventually, but you were 2 hours late. After that, you just left me behind. You excluded me and didn't tell me when you left for summer camp, nor did you ask if I wanted to come join you. You spent your whole summer doing things without me. That hurt... Left me feeling empty inside. Once 8th grade came around, I went back into depression. I just barely passed my classes that year, and things between me and Gran went back to normal. She spent so many days worrying about me, and I was running out of the house to sit alone in the park where we had our first hang out. I was alone again. You left me and never said goodbye. Do you understand now?"

Great, now I feel terribly guilty for doing such a thing. I should write her back.
"Hannah, I am so terribly sorry. I didn't realize that I had left you to feel that way. You don't deserve that. Please forgive me. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you during that summer, but I am here now. You are my best friend, my sister... You mean so much to me. My only wish now is to make it up to you. What can I do to fix this?" 

It seems that Hannah has fallen asleep, so I guess I'll just put this note inside her backpack. I kind of want to scoot my desk over next to hers. I do still care about her despite her behavior earlier today. Wow, I'm just now noticing the dark circles around her eyes. It looks like she hadn't slept in weeks. There's also tear stains on her cheeks and her hoodie seems to have a slight odor that isn't pleasant.

Normally I don't say this, but I'm glad that school is over now. It's been a long day today and this assignment Mr. Gregory has for us is going to take up a good part of my night. More importantly, I honestly can't stop thinking about Hannah. Should I apologize for how I've treated her today, or should I just not think about it and move on? I guess it's not that big of a deal, right? She'll forgive me sooner or later. She seems like that type of person.

Novella #1, Chapter 2: Third Wheel

Hannah and Emily were both entering their first day of high school. Standing outside the front door of the building, they turned to face each other and smiled for a moment. There was a lot of indistinct chatter going on around them, and on the left hand side of the entrance, two tables were set up. Some of the seniors were left to stand behind it, handing out orientation packets and class schedules to the freshmen.

Feeling nervous and awkward, Hannah told Emily, "I guess we should make our way over there to that table."

"Sure. Lead the way," she said.

They made their way to the table and were greeted by a girl whose perky smile was contagious. "Hi there! What are your names?," she asked. 

Hannah spoke up for both of them, "My name is Hannah Martin and this is Emily Leighton." 

"Alright! Let me see if I can find your papers," the girl said as she rummaged through the stacks of folders. "Oh, here they are! Now, the first place you'll need to go to is to the gym. From there you'll be notified of what to do next."

The school was very spacious inside. The cafeteria wasn't that far away from the main entrance, and right adjacent to it was the gym. Across from the entrance was a grand staircase that lead to hallways left and right. Most of the kids who were inside were talking, walking to their lockers, or just sitting in common area to the left. There were a couple students here and there who looked lost, but everyone else seemed to fit right in and were able to find their friends. 

The two girls made their way to the gym and found a spot on the floor far from the crowds of freshmen in the center. 

"I'm kind of nervous, Em," Hannah said. 

"I am as well," she responded. "I didn't think the school would be this huge. It would take me forever to get from class to class."

"At least the tour will be lead by a senior and not some old teacher who walks at a very slow speed," Hannah said with a smile. That made the two girls laugh for a minute, but then they drifted back into an uneasy silence. 

A scrawny boy with hair in a bowl cut and glasses came walking in and sat down a foot away from the two best friends. He didn't pay any attention to them as he sat down and reached for a book out of his backpack and started to read it. It was a nonfiction read entitled "Historical Documentaries of Past Presidents". Seeing that in his hands made Emily smirk a little. "I didn't know that nerds were also a thing in high school," she said sarcastically. She chuckled to herself after making that comment which Hannah noticed, so she glared at her for a long moment.

"That's not nice, Em," Hannah said. "You shouldn't judge people you don't know."

Emily looked at her innocently and said, "What's the big deal? It's not like either one of us are going to talk to him."

Hannah hesitated for a minute, but after taking a deep breath she said, "Maybe you wouldn't, but I certainly would."

"Are you serious?," Emily asked with a surprised look on her face.

Hannah looked at her with no expression on her face and then moved to sit next to the guy. 

To her surprise, Hannah and the boy were actually talking comfortably to each other. Seeing them in that position made Emily feel a little insecure and lonely. But before she was able to get up and escape from the gym, two seniors walked in the room. One was wearing a football jersey and blue jeans, and the other was wearing a plain, white mini skirt and T-shirt with the school's logo on it. They told the students to stand up and follow them to the student store, which was the first stop of their campus tour. 

For most of the tour, Hannah was standing next to and talking to that boy. Emily just stood there by herself in the large crowd of freshmen, trying to focus on what the seniors were saying about this statue they were looking at which stood outside across from the senior courtyard. Suddenly she was getting hungry and wished lunch would get here sooner. Emily's train of thought stopped when Hannah jumped in front of her. She smiled and gave her a hug, and she hugged Hannah back. 

"So how are you doing, Emily?" Hannah asked, the smile still apparent on her face.
"I'm doing okay," she said, feeling tired and anxious. "I'm a little hungry right now. When is this tour going to be over?"

Hannah looked over at the two seniors then back to her best friend and said, "I think the senior girl said that lunch will be in 30 minutes or so. You know that boy we were sitting next to in the gym? While we were talking, I found out that he used to live in the same area I grew up in. You know, East Hartford? Turns out we were neighbors and I never knew about it! Oh, I think his name is Gavin, just in case you were wondering about that." Emily has never seen her best friend this excited, and even though she was getting weary from this long day, she relaxed herself and smiled. 

"It's cool that you two have something in common," she said. "Perhaps the three of us could hang out together some time. Why don't you ask Gavin if he's willing to do that? Might be good idea." She winked, and Hannah walked away to send the message, still grinning happily. If Emily knew any better, she would guess that perhaps Hannah had feelings for the guy. 

Lunch finally rolled around and the group headed back inside and towards the cafeteria. Before everyone had a chance to sit down, the two seniors in charge said that they were allowed to go to their lockers to drop off their stuff and could grab their lunch for those who brought it with them. Hannah left with the crowd. She had brought her lunch this time, but Emily was in the mood for what was set up in the cafeteria. Parents of currently enrolled students had just come in through the back door to help serve the food. Emily noticed that they had their school shirts on. It seems that school spirit is a big deal here, she thought to herself.

Once the rest of the freshmen returned to the cafeteria, the seniors signaled an okay for everyone to line up in front of the tables, ready to be served what seemed to be 3-cheese ziti, fettuccine alfredo, spaghetti with meatballs, break sticks and salad. Off to the right side was another table full of desserts and fruit options, and there was a cooler underneath that contained soft drinks and water. Emily decided to go with some of the fettuccine, spaghetti, and a salad. She then set her down the food at an empty table and came back to pick up a bowl of strawberries and water. Once she got settled, Hannah appeared and sat down across from her. Out of nowhere Gavin was standing at their table and asked if he could sit down next to them. Emily hesitated, but Hannah smiled and offered the seat next to her. 

After lunch was over, the rest of the day seemed to fly by faster to Emily's relief. The clock on the right hand wall read 2:30 pm, which meant the day would soon be over and she could go home. She was alone again, standing out in the middle of the hallway. The rest of the freshmen had spread out to compare their class schedules. Others had formed a line towards the lockers, waiting to talk to the two seniors in charge. Most likely they had questions about the teachers, where the classrooms were, or about certain items in the student store. 

Emily could see Hannah and Gavin talking excitedly in the corner of the hallway. He had said something to her and she laughed in response. She then leaned on his shoulder, and he put his arm around her. Seeing all of this made Emily feel small and empty on the inside. Was she becoming a third wheel? Two years of being best friends and suddenly this new guy comes in. Who does he think he is to do this to her? Hannah is her best friend and she wasn't ready to let this happen. The two of them have spent so much time together since the first day they met in middle school. Emily thought about confronting her best friend, but she didn't want to be rude, so she let out a sigh and left the school building to head home.

The Pros and Cons of Technology

Social media is starting to take over our lives. That is a FACT. The world is at our fingertips now; everything has been made easier with only one press of a finger to a buttonless screen. To some people this is considered a bad thing. They say that we're not taking the time to appreciate the world around us; that we're replacing real, lifelong friendships with people we've never met online. To an extent that is true. Perhaps we spend too much time texting and we forget to look up. We don't notice when someone walks past us or when someone is yelling hi from the other side of the street. 

Now let's think of technology this way. In the business world, staying up to date with it IS a big deal. If you're looking to just start up your own company of any sort, the Internet is a good way to promote yourself. If you're looking into becoming a musician, then YouTube is a good starting point so that you can gain an audience. If you're trying to become a fashion blogger or a writer, then Google has you covered. Whatever career you want to pursue, one thing that has to be considered is how people are going to find you. You can still print out business cards and start telling all the people you know in town, but sometimes it's good to get world wide exposure. 

Smartphones can be the best thing ever to have. Ask Siri where the nearest restaurant is, or work on an email while surfing the web. You can play games on them while listening to music, books, or podcasts. There is a lot you can do with phones these days. And the models just keep on getting bigger; everything is becoming more advanced. I remember the days where the only features a cell phone had was calling and texting, and maybe a couple games that were already installed. Now these days there's an app for everything- music, games, business inquiries, finances, email, etc. To top it all off, you can video chat with people just by taking out your phone or computer and using Skype or FaceTime. 

With everything that these smartphones can do, our memory is starting to fade. We rely on Google for almost everything. If there's a word we don't know how to spell, ask Google. There's always something that our mind blanks out on, and the only way we know how to fix it is by asking Siri. Before I ever got my first iPhone or iPod, I would always ask my parents if I didn't know the answer to something- either that or I would just look it up on the computer; that was the only thing my family had when I was around the age of 7. 

In addition to memory shortage, it's safe to say that our eye sight might be at risk as well. If you're guilty of using your phone or computer during the night or just for 8 hours a day straight, then that can lead to headaches and dryness in the eyes. You would be going through your 2nd or 3rd bottle of eye drop medication if you never took a break from staring at a screen. Let's also not mention lack of sleep and exercise if you're spending every waking moment using some piece of technology.

Technology and social media may be good for some things, but it DOES put our health at risk if we're not being mindful of how much time we spend using it. Take the time to appreciate the world around you and limit the amount of time you spend on the Internet. It's not the end of the world if you miss one text or phone call, or if you miss a live stream that your favorite celebrity is hosting. Spend time with friends and family, because they are the ones who deserve the most of your time; the Internet will always be there and will continue to expand. You won't miss a thing if you just put it away for an hour or so. 

Novella #1, Chapter 1: Like A Sister (Hannah's Perspective)

I see people walking on the busy streets of New York. They're all focused on getting back home after a long day of work... They have families to get back to. It must be nice to have a family.... To have someone there who truly understands you. It's raining outside, and the sky is a very dark grey. Every day after I get home from school I just stay up in my room and look out the window.

"Hannah! Dinner's going to be ready soon!" I really hate when Gran interrupts my train of thought. "I'll be there in a minute!"

"Okay! Don't forget to wash your hands!"
Gee, as if I wasn't already doing that. My grandmother can be a handful sometimes.

Gran has this kind nature about her. When people see her, they say "Oh look, it's that sweet little old lady. She always has the brightest smile on her face!". Even in life's hardest moments she's able to smile and be optimistic. On the downside, she worries a lot and has this tendency to be overly persistent. One time when I was 10 years old, I decided to wander off by myself in the grocery store and she literally went on a goose hunt to find me. I was only in the produce section. 

"So how was school today, hun? Did you make any new friends?" 

 I sighed and fiddled with the food on my plate some, not feeling all that hungry.
"School was fine... You know that I'm shy, right? Just give it time. I've only been in this new school for 2 weeks." In that moment Gran's expression went from all sunshine and happiness to concern. "I know that, love. I just want you to be a little more social." 

 I sighed again and rolled my eyes. "I guess I can try to be a little more open."

Gran was noticing my attitude but didn't think twice, so she continued to talk to me, even though I wasn't in the mood for it. 

"Now you better get to that homework of yours before going to bed tonight. And try not to stay up so late." I took in a deep breath before responding. "Alright." 

Tompkins Square Middle School is quite something. Most of the kids here seem to know each other already and have formed groups for themselves. There aren't any cliques like you would see in a stereotypical movie. It's all just people hanging out. There are a few people who prefer to be alone and are often seen next to the lockers, either reading, doing homework, or just listening to music. Here I stand in the midst of the crowd with my books tucked under my arm, not really fitting in with anybody. It's like I'm just an outcast.

"Ahh!" Someone just sped right past me and now my books are on the floor. God, I hate when people do that. This girl shouted at me, seeming to be in a rush, "Oops, sorry! Didn't see you there. What's your name?"

"Umm, my name is Hannah. I'm in your Spanish class." With that, she came over to me to help pick up my textbooks. The girl gave me a warm smile and said, "Nice to meet you, Hannah. Perhaps you can sit next to me in class today?"

"Sure. Oh, I just realized I never got your name." I feel nervous now despite how kind this girl is being towards me. This girl likes to smile a lot. Oh, she just stuck her hand out to me. "My name is Emily." I took Emily's hand and shook it for a quick minute before heading into class. 

Lunch is probably my favorite time of the day. I usually bring my lunch with me, but today I felt like switching things up a bit and wanted to eat whatever the school is serving. I'd finally found an open table with no people lingering around, but before I had the chance to sit down, Emily found me and waved at me to sit with her. We sat in silence for a few minutes and ate our food. She then looked up at me and asked, "So you've lived here for two weeks, right? Do you like it here so far?"
"I guess. I'm still trying to get used to all of this." 

  "Where did you live before?" Emily took a bite of food after speaking. "In Connecticut. We lived in this small town called East Hartford. I liked it there very much."

"That's nice." She smiled and took a few more bites of her food. 

Feeling awkward, I decided to put my focus on Emily. "Have you lived here your whole life?"

"I guess you can say that. I grew up in San Francisco. My dad has his own business here in New York City, so we moved here because it seemed more convenient."
I nodded and scooped up a spoonful of peas. They tasted better than I thought they would. Emily proceeded to talk more about herself, knowing that I was slightly curious. "I don't see my dad all that much though, and my mom is always traveling. She just picked up this new line of cosmetics."
When I heard that I looked up from my plate and asked, "So who looks after you?"

She hesitated for a minute, but then she said, "My older brother. He's such a great help to me." 

The bell rang, and Emily perked up. "Oh! Didn't notice that lunch is done already. We should hang out some time. I've enjoyed talking to you, Hannah." We both smiled at each other for a moment, and then I responded, "Same here, Emily. I would like that."

On Saturday afternoon Emily and I went out to one of the local parks. We walked around the area for a bit until we got tired. We then decided to go over to this one fast food place that has great milkshakes. Emily and I were sitting in a booth, enjoying our time together. Suddenly I felt the need to know more about Emily, so I asked, "So what is it like when both of your parents are home?" She smiled and said, "Oh, it's just wonderful! My parents give me so many great gifts from their travels. My mom gives me makeup to wear, but my brother says I'm too young to wear it, so it just sits in my bathroom cabinet untouched. My dad though likes to give me jewelry and stuffed animals. The earrings I'm wearing right now are from Paris, actually." She took them out of her ears and let me hold them for a minute. "That's cool! So what is your brother like? How old is he?"
Emily took a deep breath before speaking. "He's 25 and disabled. He stays at home because he's convinced that he wouldn't make it out on his own in the real world. We try our best to look out for each other, but we do argue some. He can be stubborn sometimes. He's in good physical health and can do the basic things like cooking, driving and such, but he has these moments where he just shuts me out and sits in a corner, rocking back and forth, and crying for whatever reason. It's hard being put in that position where I can't help him."
I looked at Emily feeling helpless, not knowing what to say next. I could see tears forming in the corner of her eyes. I decided to move and sit on her side of the booth, hugging her tightly. I didn't realize that she had it this hard at home.

Monday has arrived with nothing special to make it worth while. I should find Emily..... Oh, there she is, right in front of Ms. Gooden's doorway. She noticed me standing by the lockers and waved hi to me. Be brave, Hannah. Just ask her. What's the worst that can happen? "So Emily... do you want to come over to my house some time? I think you would enjoy getting to know my grandmother."

Her face lit up at my invitation which surprised me. "That sounds like fun! I'll just have to ask my brother if he can drive me over to your place."
"Great! I'll give you my address later after school." Moments after I made the invitation I stood there frozen. What if Gran doesn't like her? What if she starts asking her a bunch a questions she won't know the answer to? I'm so glad that I met Emily, she's been a great friend so far. I just hope that everything turns out okay. I don't feel so good now. I wish my parents were here... I miss them so much. Why did they have to leave me? None of this would have happened if I was never born. I don't like this new city. I hate the small house we're living in; it's too cramped. I hate all of this! The last bell rang for class to start and instead of walking into the classroom, I ran to the nearest restroom and locked myself into the last stall. My body and hands are shaking, and my fingers feel numb. Stupid anxiety and depression... I hate my life, and now my head hurts. 

Gran and I had just finished dinner when the doorbell rang. "Could you get that, please?"
"Yes, Gran." I sprinted towards the door and opened it, not knowing what to do with myself. I just stood in there in the doorway, being as quiet as a mouse. 

"Hey there, Hannah! I'm so glad I'm finally able to see your home." How is it that in a matter of seconds, Gran went from being in the kitchen to standing over my shoulder? She and I stepped aside to let Emily in. "Make yourself comfortable, hun. If you need anything, don't hesitate to speak up."

"Yes ma'am. Thank you."

I showed her upstairs to where my room is, then we decided to take a walk around the neighborhood. Emily seemed to be very pleased with everything. The house, my bedroom, the environment outside... She has this child-like sense about her, living in the moment and marveling at every small detail in the world around us. It's like she's never seen anything like this before. Seeing her acting like this brought a faint smile to my face. I then realized that she ran up a few miles ahead of me, so I quickly picked up the pace and tried catching up to her. She noticed me running towards her and we ended up chasing each other as the sun started to set, laughing and having a good time. Once we settled down, I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. I turned my head in her direction and asked, "Are you hungry now, Emily? Dinner might be ready soon. We should head in." In that moment, Em's expression was eager. "Yes Lead the way, Hannah."

Emily unrolled her sleeping bag next to my bed, but I decided to take the covers off and just sleep on the floor next to her. She looked at me and smiled, but then it suddenly disappeared.
"So if it's just you and your grandmother, then what happened to your parents?" she asked me.

I wasn't sure what to do in that moment, and I felt unsure if I should tell her the whole truth. She doesn't deserve to know. I should probably say something to her, though.

  "They... They left me a year after I was born." Emily had a solemn look on her face. "I'm so sorry, Hannah. I'm sure they miss you." I suddenly froze up and tried saying thank you, but I couldn't. All I could do was sit there in silence, not knowing what to feel. I wanted to cry, but I couldn't. Emily noticed the look on my face and started feeling concerned. "Are you okay?"
"I'm not sure. I just wish my parents were here. I miss them so much."
  "Well I'm here for you, Hannah. I love you. You're like a sister to me, and I want to help you in any way I can." In that moment, she hugged me for what seemed like an eternity. As bad I as was feeling, I hugged her back and tried to focus on her. I gave Emily a half smile and she smiled back. "Were you  being serious when you said you love me?"
"Yes. I care about you and want to be there for you. You mean so much to me." Suddenly my fingers went numb and I didn't know what to say. We sat on the floor in silence for a long moment, but once Emily laid down on her sleeping bag, I thanked her. She smiled and then fell asleep. I then decided to lay down into my own covers. It took me about an hour to fall asleep, but once I did, I felt at peace.

Dreams don't happen for me often, but while I could feel myself sleeping, I could also see my parents. We were standing by the shoreline of the beach. I noticed that I was two years old instead of my current age, and my parents each held one of my hands. They lifted me up into the air every time the water reached my feet and I giggled with joy. Isn't this called lucid dreaming, where you're aware of what's happening and can somehow control your own dream while being asleep? Well either way, this feels so real. I wonder if this actually happened at one point in time.

"Good morning, sleepyhead! Come on, Hannah. Wake up!" I groaned and rubbed my eyes, realizing that Emily was hovering right over me. She had a big smile on her face and extended her hand to help me up. "What time is it?"
"It's nine o'clock. Don't you want to get some breakfast?"
  "Yes, but let me wake up first." I headed over to the bathroom to splash some water on my face.

Gran was already awake and shifted her focus from the stove to us once we came down the stairs. As usual, she was cheery and had a smile on her face. "Seems like you slept well, Hannah. And how about you, Emily?" 

"I slept great!" She walked over to Gran's right side and decided to watch her finish up the cooking. Once she placed all the food on the table, she sat in her seat and passed me the pancakes.
Despite how groggy I felt, I managed a smile and said, "Thanks for making breakfast, Gran. It all smells great."
"You're welcome, dear." Instead of sitting down, I decided to get out the orange juice and poured some into our glasses. After putting the jug away, I came back to the table and sat down in silence. Emily smiled at me, and I smiled back at her. I feel so at ease this morning. However, I can't stop thinking about that dream I had last night. It seemed so real. Did that actually happen? I don't remember much of my childhood, but if that dream actually happened, then at least now I have something to remember them by. I smiled to myself at the thought of it.

The kitchen timer went off, and Gran came over to fill our plates. A moment later she was by my side with empty hands and hugged me from behind, her strong hands on my shoulders. I stood up out of my chair and hugged her back. Eventually Emily came over to my side of the table and joined in. We stayed in a group hug for a good long moment and then proceeded to eat our breakfast.