A Promise is a Promise The room was ridiculously cold and my skin was clammy against the sheets. No matter how extreme the temperature, I am addicted to the soothing calm of the air conditioner while I sleep. It's what they call my "white noise." The afternoon sun played peek-a-boo with the clouds as its rays streamed in through the shutters. The muscles in his neck and shoulders throbbed. I was still trying to get used to the uncomfortable dorm bed. A muffled voice traveled through the paper-thin brick wall and the sound of familiar music was at the center of my dreams. At first I was pissed that my new neighbor was interrupting my precious nap, but I soon realized that I had a special attachment to the song she was singing. He immediately reminded me of an old friend. As I fell back asleep, I started dreaming about a childhood memory. I remember feeling like the day would never end. Even now as an adult, my concentration seems to break down as the weekend approaches. At that time in my life, the degree of patience I could sustain had only matured for ten years. I made that particular school day even more unnecessarily dramatic than usual since I knew it wasn't just any Friday. Instead of going to my house after school like usual, I went home with my best friend. After hours of literally twiddling my thumbs (like I said, I was a dramatic kid), we were finally out at the parents' retreat with the other excited elementary school students. My book bag was light on my back, which meant I had no homework in store for me tonight. All I had to look forward to was a sleepover filled with PG-13 movies, a nauseating amount of Reese's Pieces and Mountain Dew, and prank calls to random kids who were also in Mrs. Webb's fifth grade class. I loved prank calls. As I bent down to tie my shoes, a drop of slippery rain slid down my lightly freckled cheek. Before I had a chance to look up at the silver sky, the clouds exploded like champagne flowing over the rim of a bottle. Renee grabbed my hand and we ran as fast as our little legs could run. As I hopped into the middle of the back seat, the scent of the brand new car continued to saturate my already damp pores.