September 2nd 2013; 8:43am

I stood at the gates of Moundville High and took in my surroundings. Taking in long deep breaths, I rubbed my hands together desperately trying to warm them up.

Why was I so nervous?

I clutched the straps of my tote tighter and slowly put one leg in front of the other.

The cool autumn breeze whipped past me, stinging my face, and almost taking me with it as I walked across the parking lot.

"Go with the wind Shay," I muttered to myself, watching as dead leaves sailed on the air past my feet.

I pulled my jacket tighter around me as if begging for it to just swallow me up "Skip school and let the wind take you wherever it wishes."

I slowed to a stop as I neared the big grey block I would be spending the next year trapped in and sighed.

The windowpanes rattled in their frames as the wind zipped by; the trees s.h.i.+vered, releasing leaves that neared their deaths and the janitor that stood below grew even more frustrated as he raked the stubborn leaves that seemed to yearn for freedom.

What was it that Campbell man said?

The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek: that's it.

Frankly the high school that stood before me, with the stench of pride and glory wafting off it, was hardly a cave.

Though the front door stood open a few feet in front of me, and the hallways seemed to fade into some sort of darkness, the theory could be very much argued.

The real question was not if the "cave" held any treasures I did or didn't seek but if it was truly fear that made me halt.

Was I afraid to walk the same hallways Lolita and I had once dominated together?

Did it scare me to face the two girls I called my best friends, after completely ignoring them for a whole summer?

Were the beads of sweat forming on my forehead as a result of the fear buried within me? Or just the sickening feeling that nothing would ever be the same?

The fact was that if I did decide to suck it up and enter this school, I would have to face Angel and Rain.

Was I ready to do that?

"You can always ditch" a tiny voice said in my head as I glanced through the open doors.

As if on cue, there was a loud crack of thunder above me.

Tearing my gaze from the building, I glanced up at the grey clouds that filled the sky. A few seconds pa.s.sed and water droplets landed on my cheek before slowly rolling down the side of my face.

"Great" I muttered as I took in a deep breath and slowly started making my way into the school.