I'm so freaking sorry for this extremely late update, guys!
I seriously couldn't find any time to continue writing, and then finals came to take away all my remaining free time. But now I'm finally here, let's begin.
Enjoy!
Chapter 7: First class (Part I)
I quietly walked down the busy street, looking down at my feet most of the time, hearing my own footsteps among the others' chatters and the sound of the cars' engines. The last bell of the day had rung, signaling the end of the first day of school. Joining the crowd, I also headed home.
Hannah had gotten onto the school bus to get home, since her house was pretty far away. I walked with Allen and Jessie a bit before they both parted to their own ways, so now I was all alone on the street among the sea of people, just like this morning.
Looking down at the pavement, I could see people all walking past me. I knew I could be annoying some people for walking so damn slowly and getting in their way, but I didn't care at all. I didn't care if I was walking so slow that I could be compared to a turtle, I just didn't give a damn about it. It was my own choice to walk this slowly, I did it on purpose. I even feared walking so quickly when my three new friends were still around, but I couldn't let them see your fear. If they had seen it, they would have questioned me, and I never wanted to tell anyone my reason.
I had been always scared of my own house, the place that had finally come into view.
As I proceeded to walk to the front door, the eerie atmosphere made me shiver. I'd always had this feeling whenever I came home, but I could never get used to it. People always say "Home Sweet Home", but… I never loved my home. There was no love and care in my house. I could never get used to coming back home without feeling the cold shiver up my spine. I hated that feeling, I absolutely hated it, but I didn't know what to do. I always told myself that when I turned 18, I'd immediately move out. But the more I think about it, the more I felt insecure about that decision. If I wanted to move out without depending on my mother, I would have to work extremely hard to save money and survive on my own with that amount of money. I was unsure if you'd be able to do that.
I held the doorknob, my hand ran cold as soon as it made contact with the smooth and icy surface. I took a deep breath, turned it and entered the house. The silence of the house greeted me immediately, and I didn't know if I should be relieved or disappointed.
Whenever I came home, especially from school, and didn't see my mother, I would feel a little relieved. I felt pushed and uncomfortable upon being questioned about how I was doing at school or if I got the result on any of your exams. Although a lot of teenagers went through this, I would be lying if I said my situation was the same. Most parents asked their children about school work because they cared for their children, or they just wanted to start a conversation. But I was pretty sure my step-mother asked me not because she cared for me, she just cared about my achievements, so that she could boast about it to other parents. So coming home without being pressured was quite a relief for me.
But on the inside, I did feel quite sad. Although it might sound hopeless, every time I came home, I would hope to hear my mother's voice in a genuinely caring way, to be comfortable at the dinner table without any uncomfortable silence or unwanted questions. But I knew my dream would never come true, so the only thing I could do was to wait and dream in hopelessness.
I came into the kitchen and, surprise surprise, there was a note on the fridge.
"I'm coming home late tonight, so cook your own meal and don't wait for me."
I opened the fridge to find some pork, some cabbages, a tomato, and I knew there were some packages of instant noodles that my mother just bought a few days ago.
Stir-fried noodles with pork and vegetables, I figured.
Plopping onto my bed, I let out a tired sigh. After going back to school, I once again found the happiness of changing into a comfortable T-shirt and shorts as I laid on my bed. There was obviously no homework and my mother wouldn't come home until about 11 at night, so I had the house all to myself. Maybe I should play some video games.
As I sat up, I thought about today. I personally thought I did pretty well on my first day at my new school because, well, there were no embarrassing or awkward moments, which was one of my biggest achievements.
I really couldn't deny that today was quite fun. I managed to find places on my own and make a good impression on my teachers and classmates. I made three new friends who seemed honest and genuine. I met a talking broom and a cute little robot. I managed to talk to my teachers without any awkward moments.
…
Wow, I couldn't believe all of that happened on just the first day.
Before going to the computer to play games, I walked to your desk to see which class I was going to take the next day to prepare my backpack beforehand. I groaned as I saw two Math periods right in front of my eyes.
...
Math…
My Math teacher… Why did I remember him the most? That moment when we made eye contact still left me in confusion. I seriously couldn't understand why that happened. I knew nothing about him. Nothing at all! I did nothing wrong, and it was the first time I'd met him! It was my first day!
But... the butterflies in my stomach... I couldn't deny that they were there.
"'Morning, girl!"
Stepping into my homeroom, I smiled as I heard the familiar voice of Allen greeting me. I walked to your seat, nodding to my three friends.
"Good morning, April sweetie! Welcome to the beginning of despair!" Jessie stood up, wrapped her arm around my shoulder and exclaimed in a cheery voice. But upon hearing her words, I could clearly see her sarcasm and chuckled at it.
"Yep! It's the beginning of hell alright!" Allen joined in with an upbeat tone.
"Haha, I'm not great at sarcasm, but I can feel you two." Hannah chuckled lightly.
"Well, not in Biology of course." Allen raised his voice and rolled his eyes. "You always say you must get better at it, but you always get above B. Every. Single. Time."
"But do you know that I always wish I were godly at PE, like you?!" Hannah elbowed him.
"Guys…" I spoke up. "You all have your special ability, let's just settle on that note, okay?"
"Hmm… Yeah. But it's fair that PE is so freaking hard!"
Jessie looked away as she hummed, and right at that moment, the bell rang, ending our conversation.
"So… which class are you taking? The first period of the year, I mean." Hannah asked as we all stood up at the sound of the bell which signaled that homeroom session was over.
"… Math." I mumbled.
"Really?!" Allen said in disbelief. "It's your first period at this school, and you chose to take his class? For god's sake…"
"W- Well… My mother kind of wanted me to major in Math, like I told you…"
Hannah sighed as she put her hand on my shoulder. "Look, just… be careful, alright?"
I nodded as I gazed back at them.
They all had that worried look on their faces.
To be continued…
First chapter since my hitatus and I already left you with a cliff-hanger.
…
Well crap.
But don't worry, Like I said, I just finished my finals so I have a lot of free time. I'll be sure to come back soon!
