Deep in thought, I traced the cuts and the scrapes on my arms. Each
one meant something. The one near my wrist was when Mom hadn't come home
for three days. The others were from when she was drunk or passed out or at
a bar. Sighing, I pulled an armband over my arm to hide the cuts. The last
thing I needed right now was Ms. Souvez on my case again. I grabbed my back
pack and headed downstairs for the door. Mom was already drinking Vodka.
Just great.
I walked down the hallway to my locker. My stomach turned when I saw Dylan and Marco together. I don't have a problem with Marco...he's been my best friend for a long time. But Dylan just creeped me out. I don't know why.
I knew I was running late but I didn't really care. Its not like it would matter anyway...its English for crying out loud.
So I walked into the classroom, a few seconds after Jimmy Brooks.
"Jimmy, Ellie," Ms. Kwan said. "You just missed the instructions. Have a seat and I will go over them again for you. The rest of the class, you may begin your assignment."
Ms. Kwan walked over to Jimmy and me. "I have just assigned partners for a book report. What you're going to do is pick out a book, read it and write a biography or a description of each of the main characters. Since you were both late, I guess you will work together. you can go to the library to pick out a book if you want."
We stood and walked silently to the library.
Searching the shelves, we were still silent. Its not like I really had anything to talk about anyway.
"What about this?" I asked, pulling The Wind Blows Backward out.
He read the back. "Sounds easy enough," he muttered.
"Easy? Why can't it be about quality?" I asked. Then I remembered who I was talking to. "Never mind, we'll get this."
We sat at a table and I began to read the book.
"So..." he said.
"So..." I repeated.
"Why were you late to Kwan's class?" he asked.
I looked up, turning the page. "I don't know...I guess I was stalling," I confessed.
"Yeah, me too," he admitted.
I put the book down. "So...why weren't you at school yesterday?"
"I didn't feel like coming. My 'rents were out of town....like always. So it didn't really matter if I came or not," he said.
I nodded, understanding. "Sometimes I feel like my mom doesn't care if I live or die," I said. then I realized what was going on. Why was I opening up to him? I couldn't help it.
He nodded like he understood. "I know what you mean."
"Yeah."
"So, do you want to come over after school? To work on the assignment?" he asked.
"Sure," I said.
"I'll meet you out front," he said.
"Okay."
We met up outside of the school and walked down the road. We weren't really talking just sort of standing together....well walking together. We stopped at his very large, expensive looking house.
"Are you're parents home?" I asked.
"They never are," he answered.
"Oh," I said.
"Don't worry about it. I get used to it after a while."
"That's sad."
"Don't feel sorry for me, okay?" he said. "I don't want sympathy."
I knew exactly how he felt. So I nodded, "I understand."
I walked down the hallway to my locker. My stomach turned when I saw Dylan and Marco together. I don't have a problem with Marco...he's been my best friend for a long time. But Dylan just creeped me out. I don't know why.
I knew I was running late but I didn't really care. Its not like it would matter anyway...its English for crying out loud.
So I walked into the classroom, a few seconds after Jimmy Brooks.
"Jimmy, Ellie," Ms. Kwan said. "You just missed the instructions. Have a seat and I will go over them again for you. The rest of the class, you may begin your assignment."
Ms. Kwan walked over to Jimmy and me. "I have just assigned partners for a book report. What you're going to do is pick out a book, read it and write a biography or a description of each of the main characters. Since you were both late, I guess you will work together. you can go to the library to pick out a book if you want."
We stood and walked silently to the library.
Searching the shelves, we were still silent. Its not like I really had anything to talk about anyway.
"What about this?" I asked, pulling The Wind Blows Backward out.
He read the back. "Sounds easy enough," he muttered.
"Easy? Why can't it be about quality?" I asked. Then I remembered who I was talking to. "Never mind, we'll get this."
We sat at a table and I began to read the book.
"So..." he said.
"So..." I repeated.
"Why were you late to Kwan's class?" he asked.
I looked up, turning the page. "I don't know...I guess I was stalling," I confessed.
"Yeah, me too," he admitted.
I put the book down. "So...why weren't you at school yesterday?"
"I didn't feel like coming. My 'rents were out of town....like always. So it didn't really matter if I came or not," he said.
I nodded, understanding. "Sometimes I feel like my mom doesn't care if I live or die," I said. then I realized what was going on. Why was I opening up to him? I couldn't help it.
He nodded like he understood. "I know what you mean."
"Yeah."
"So, do you want to come over after school? To work on the assignment?" he asked.
"Sure," I said.
"I'll meet you out front," he said.
"Okay."
We met up outside of the school and walked down the road. We weren't really talking just sort of standing together....well walking together. We stopped at his very large, expensive looking house.
"Are you're parents home?" I asked.
"They never are," he answered.
"Oh," I said.
"Don't worry about it. I get used to it after a while."
"That's sad."
"Don't feel sorry for me, okay?" he said. "I don't want sympathy."
I knew exactly how he felt. So I nodded, "I understand."