The next day came as the last day left. Maura had left in the early morning to go running, and I had woken up to late to make sure she was alright. She hadn't spoken to me since the night before. I thought that my compliment was a nice one, endearing, but it gave me a bad feeling now. I wasn't sure whether or not she took it the wrong way, but I felt bad.
My skeletal structure was interesting. That's what Maura told me. As I changed into the government issued school clothing from Cavanaugh, I stared at myself in the mirror. I had no waist and my bones were showing right through me. I was literally a skeleton. I ran my hand down my abs and to my pelvis where two bones were sticking out. It felt eerie, like I was inside myself touching my bones. But no, I was just frighteningly skinny. Interesting was just another word for scary. I continued to look at myself in all different angles, pushing my stomach out, squeezing it back in, leaning over, leaning back, and turning around. No matter what angle I was in, my bones were dramatic landscapes under my flesh.
"I'm back," the door opened. Maura walked into the room, sweaty and tired. Her blonde hair was tied in a pony tail and it was the first time I had not seen her wearing make-up. I looked at her, smiling to hide the embarrassment. I was still lifting up my shirt, looking into the mirror. But it seemed like she didn't mind, instead walked past me and set her water bottle down on her bedside table. "Did you sleep well?" She asked, undoing her pony tail.
I quickly dropped my shirt over my stomach and turned to her. "Those beds are like cement." She smiled, now lifting her shirt up to change. I looked away, cheeks red.
"That's because of the way they varnished the wood when the frames were made. It's a quite interesting process. Varnishing is mostly commonly used on teak boats so that they won't-"
"Maura?"
"Yes?"
"You are doing the infomercial thing again."
"Oh."
Tense. Just like the night before. I always seem to say the wrong thing. I rolled my eyes as I grabbed onto my school bag. Throwing it over my shoulder I turned around. "Alright, Rizzoli out."
"Rizzoli out? Out where?" Maura looked up from pulling the zipper up on her skirt. "Oh, wait, I get it." She laughed, kind of fake and deep, as she pulled up her skirt and whipped her hair behind her.
Maura was kind of driving me insane. No one that smart could be that gullible and naïve or as awkward as she appeared to be. I mean, spending time with her was beginning to become a drag, having to consistently explain the way I said something or why I did something. Or when I mentioned something, she'd go off on a tangent and give me the whole history on it. Something was very, very wrong with this girl.
Before she could tell me the history of slang, I exited our dorm.
The first step to being undercover is a good back story. Jane Rizzoli, student transfer from Boston Community College. Majoring in engineering (something I was terrible at) and minoring in kicking ass.
Step two, get in with the dealers.
My first class was a general education math class, and it sucked. Everyone around me was bored and tired; their eyes were red and sleepy. I took a seat next to an especially punk looking kid. He had tossed brown hair and it looked like his plaid lumberjack shirt hadn't been washed in days. This kid was definitely sketchy. I leaned over her desk so that my head was in the middle isle, completely confident that'd I get in with him. "Hey," I say.
He kind of looks at me, his eyes drooping and tired, his face long, but he slowly turns his head away. "Hey," he replies.
"Jane."
"Josh."
"Jane!" Maura comes running into the classroom holding a small paper bag. Her chest was heaving from the running and she was out of breath. "You forgot your lunch!" I could barely hide the embarrassment, what was she? My mom? I turned my head away from the door and hid it from the rest of the class underneath my arms. "Jane?" I could hear Josh snickering. I felt her hover above me, her warmth filling me up as she dropped the paper bag onto the desk in front of me. I looked up, more than pissed off. But no matter how angry I was, being around her felt good and warm, just like when her body was pressed onto mine the night before. Maura looked guilty and sad, she knew how much this upset me. She took a step back and quietly walked out of the classroom. I looked back at Josh and rubbed my brow.
"Do you want to buy some kush? You'll need some after that."
And I was in.
