nia rivers

“And look I know you’re a big girl now. But if you have any more nightmares, you can always sleep with me if you’d like. I’m probably not going to wake up with the sleeping pills and all that junk on my head, but if having a big snoring log next to you helps you get a few more z’s then be my guest.”Sarah stopped on the stairs, struggling to find her words.“Sure dad, thanks. Love you, g’night.”

Towards the middle of the semester, Mrs. B. devised an assignment where we had to act out a soliloquy from any Shakespeare play. I chose Marc Antony’s “Friends, Romans, Countrymen” speech from Julius Caesar. As we had to be in costume for extra credit, I brought a flat sheet to school to fashion into a toga of sorts. There was a supply closet in the front of the room where people could change. Boys would pretend to peek in the closet when girls were changing. There wasn’t much to see for the most part, as girls might throw a long night gown over their clothes to play Juliet. The door locked on the outside when closed completely, so the few kids with major changes could do so with some privacy.

David’s head jerked up. That was bad, he almost fell asleep in front of the TV. He looked down and saw Sarah fast asleep wrapped around his arm, a bit drool dribbling down from her mouth and onto his shirt.“Hey Sare-Bear,” he nudged her with his free hand. “Time for us to hit the hay.”