Observing School

The August heat rolls by as the first day of school begins. A very slight breeze relieves the hot stickiness. I sit beneath the tree as in the distance, a man calls out "sign here to raise minimum wage!" Beside me is the rhythmic tap tap tap of people's feet as they pass by, not caring to stop and say hello, but only caring about where they are going and ignoring all else around them. A lone girl sits in a hidden corner of the building and eats her homemade sandwich. A couple stands quietly in the shadows, thinking they can't be seen. The wheels of a skateboard click under the weight of the boy riding it. Occasionally the clatter of a soda being dropped from the vending machine reaches my ears. The chatter and laughter of cheerful people bursts from the table beside me. Friends call out to each other in greeting- usually to go unheard because their words are blown away by the slightest breeze. The flipping of the pages of a textbook repeats itself. The constant tapping of fingers on smartphones guides the direction of the people walking by. Doors open and close with a thud consistently at the girl's bathroom, and the splashing of running water fills the air at the fountain. But all is peaceful and full of relaxation, and all is calm.