Another year in a not-so-new place and I still don't know where all the classrooms are!
I cursed under my breath as I searched for my history class, past the library, the junior classrooms, where is it!
Finally I see the big bold letters printed above the door to my classroom, I made it!
I rush over to see rows and rows of students sitting, slumping, cramped under the desks as Mr. S paces across the front of classroom. I grab the handle of the door only to find it won't open. Panicking and with blood rushing to my face in embarrassment, I knock on the door. Mr. S looks over but dismissively shakes his head and faces the class again. Shocked and even more embarrassed, I knock again but Mr. S doesn't even look my way, how rude!
I turn away from the door in defeat, feeling the heat in my face and fingers, why won't he open the door; I am doing history as a subject.
I collapse against the brick wall and feel the cold wintery bricks press against my jumper; sending cold shivers down my spine. I sat there for about 15 minutes ponding what I did to deserve this, was I really that late?
Someone shifted me back from my daze by kicking my numb foot, waking me up.
"Hey, I don't really like being…" I looked up to see a tall, muscular boy staring down at me, his green eyes curiously staring at me with his lips pressing together as to contain his laughter.
"I don't like being kicked, even if it doesn't hurt". I shakily stood up, using my books to create distance between this unknown stranger who seemed to be towering over me.
"I thought you were asleep, sorry" He smiled when he said this as though he was sincere…
"Oh no, Mr. S locked me out class".
"Oh Yeah, he doesn't like tardiness" He laughed as though he wished to be friendly, but it wasn't working, it was just frustrating.
"I wasn't even that late!" I said as I rolled my eyes. Then I heard a voice from behind me.
"Actually, you both were", I looked over and Mr. S was standing outside the door, gesturing us to enter. Again blushing, I walked into the classroom and sat down at the nearest seat, only to find this judging lunatic choosing to sit right next to me. Ugh!
"Now class, I am sure you can take the demonstration completed by our volunteers, Ms. Darling and Mr. Pan, that if you arrive late to my class, you don't get the privilege of interrupting the whole class after we start. I am not one for giving out detentions lucky for you two". Mr. S looked over at him and me before addressing the class once again.
"Hey, you new or something?" he whispered.
"Mr. Pan! Do you want a detention?" Asked Mr. S, the boy shrinking back into his seat as I sneak a smile.
"Sorry Mr. S, won't interrupt again". Mr. S replied with a cold stare right at him before answering questions from the other students. I felt his gaze settling on me as if he wanted me to answer, but I wasn't going to risk it. As soon as class finished, I rushed out of there within one breath before either him or Mr. S asked me back. Thankfully, they missed me and I made it through till break.
"Hey! God it's been way too long, where were you over summer break?", was my greeting from Penny. I've known Penny since we started school last year and in one sense she is like my soul sister, but in another sense, she can be a bit too much to handle. She snuggled me in a hug before placing her hands on her hips demanding an answer.
"I am sorry I was just busy" which was true, I was, just not all the time. I forced a somewhat convincing smile but she scrunched up her eyebrows before checking her watch and realising we were late for class.
The rest of the day washed away in a blur. I walked down the hall lost in my thoughts of what we actually did in class before I heard someone call out from behind me.
"Hey!" I look up to see him, again!
His green sparkling eyes looked directly into mine, "Oh sorry, didn't recognise you when you're not sleeping on the floor". He plants a graciously amused smile on his lips, pressing his lips together again to contain his now bottled humor.
"Could you just laugh already, you've been doing that all day," I stated. He looked at me confounded; I rolled my eyes in response.
"You have been trying to laugh at me all day, why don't you" I asked.
"I didn't think it was nice to laugh at a girl".
"Oh, so now you're a gentleman?" I demanded.
"What are you talking about?" he said, a confused look washing over his face. I just looked away and pushed him aside. What is his problem? I don't even know him!
I huffed my way out of school and plugged my headphones hard into my ears, my music blasting the bus ride home before I walked through the front door into the kitchen.
I found a note sitting on the kitchen table.
Hey sweet,
Can you pull out the meat for dinner and hang up the washing in the laundry.
Ta
James
Yeah right, I am not doing anything for you. James is mum's new "hang around" as I call them. Men who "love mum and her kids" but leave before they actually earn the title of being some sort of male role-model. I just sighed and headed to my room.
I chucked my bag down in the corner, turned on my stereo almost full blast and lay on my bed. I felt the warm embrace of my clean sheets and familiar tunes surrounding me like a sea of water. I was getting caught in the waves of sound lapping up against my clothes, but then it got cold. I felt the water around my throat, gripping it tighter and tighter, forcing its way down my throat and robbing me of my breath. I gripped my chest and felt it constricting, slowly closing and giving up on me.
"No, no please, plea…" the water slowed my words before they stopped. As the darkness washed over me, I felt something, someone grab my shoulder, they were shaking me, yelling at me but I couldn't see them.
"Help! Help me" I screamed. Then it was gone. I opened my eyes. I sat up and looked around, I was in my room, my records piled high on my desk, my cameras lined up on a shelf by my bed, but it was my room. I flopped back down onto my bed, exhausted.