I was a spring all wound up, taut and in tension as I waited anxiously for his arrival. The bell rang, the announcements came and went, but he was nowhere in sight. Just when I was about to give up hope and turn my mind to other matters, I spotted him walking briskly to the rest of his class. He had decided not to quit school after all! A huge wave of relief washed over me, and I breathed a little easier. Still, my mind and body were on alert mode. It was the first day of school, and only time could tell if he would stay with us all the way till the end.