It was my first day of school, for me it was anyway. New house, new school those are the rules. I didn't bother to wear make-up or do much besides brush my messy chocolate curls; I did raise a brow to the clothes on the dresser that hadn't been there when I went to sleep. I slide into the freshly ironed clothes, a pair of fitted jeans, black sweater and a red t-shirt. They were still warm.
I go into the bathroom and under the sink sits a tray of toothbrush's; mine was the glittery purple one with my name on, that was actually spelt right for a fucking change. I carried it in my pocket for the first week…what? it was a damn fine toothbrush.
A knock on the door shocks me as I pack my tattered old leather backpack "hey, Mattie, Ma made breakfast"
"Not hungry" I shrug and walk past Jerry, who just nods at me as I race down the stairs
I head for the door as a voice calls "where do you think you're going young lady?"
With a puzzled expression I sigh "School, you know, the place you learn stuff"
"Well that's all well and good but you have to have breakfast first" she smiles brightly at me
I shake my head "I aint hungry"
"Oh come on now, breakfast is the most important meal of the day and you're not leaving this house until you eat something" she stands stern, I didn't get it, usually they dont want me hanging around
With a heavy groan I drop my bag and head into the kitchen, followed by the old woman
Two weeks. That's how long I've been living with the Mercer's and it's kind of weird. By day three Evelyn spotted me putting silverware in my pockets, I expected a good smack but she just laughed and joked about having to have takeout. Angel caught me smoking in my room and just winked at me. Bobby gave a wheezing laugh when I punched him in the gut for grabbing my arm "girl we got to teach you how to throw a punch, because that was pathetic" but it wasn't threatening it was lighthearted. Jerry always seemed to give me his piece of desert and Jack gave me smokes from time to time… I didn't know how handle all this, so I didn't. it wouldn't last anyway, nothing good ever did… right?
I stand at the locker a teacher walked me to, shoving in the books I wouldn't need when a high-pitched voice chirps "Hey, you're the new girl right? I mean you must be new because I don't know you and I would know you if you weren't new, so you must be the new girl. I'm Daisy"
I stare wide-eyed; she had a blonde bob, huge green eyes, light freckles and a big ass mouth "Mattiline"
She smiles brightly and all but rips my timetable from my hand "awesome alright, it looks like we have like three classes together"
I shrug, not to concerned as I close the locker and snatch back the paper as the bell blares through my ears "whatever…"
It was lunch already, the day passed in a haze, after all when you move around as often as I do it all becomes the same shit. Like the cafeteria dance… you stand looking like an idiot with a tray of food in your hands wondering where the safest bet to eat is. As I stand there for a second, ignoring the stares as I spot an empty table. I didn't bother to cast a glance to the people I pass, we won't be friends.
I take the seat only to instantly be joined "hey Mattiline, ooh you went for the corndog. Nice choice. I had one yesterday and today I was like craving pizza you know?"
I look to the blonde with a wide eyed glare "what are you doing? Are you lost?"
She just laughs at my threat. Ok, not the usual reaction. Only then does she look over with a smile as a black haired kid who sits in front of us "Ladies… ooh corndog, nice choice"
"I know right? Mattiline, Zach, Zack this is Mattiline" Daisy beams at us before tucking into her pizza
The boy smiles with a nod "nice to meet you honey, love the hair, wavy curls? So in"
Yeah, so this guy won't have any trouble coming out of the closet "do you two want something?"
At my angry tone they share a look and Daisy nods "yeah, yeah I want fries… I'll get a big batch and we can share"
I watch her walk away with a shake of her buttery mane "you'll get used to her, Daisy is an acquired taste… you don't talk much do you?"
Not looking up I throw a tater tot in my mouth after answering "I talk, just not to you"
"Daisy said you had a good sense of humor" he laughs; I notice he's doing that thing where people try to twig me out. I hate when people do that
Suddenly a hand reaches over grabbing my corndog as they sit down and taking a bite "the fuck you think you're doing?"
Swallowing the wrapped meat he smiles "oh calm down you baby… how's your first day going?"
"Would be better if people would leave me alone and some asshole hadn't just eaten half my freaking lunch!" I bitch at him as fries come into view on the table and a small gasp from my side
"Chill out Mattie, so who are your friends?" he looks over at the two sitting at my table, my eyes rolling into the back of my head
"They're not my friends" is what was about to say before a hand shoots in front of my face and a high pitched voice quailed "Daisy Richards"
Taking her hand he smiles "um, Jack Mercer"
"Oh, I know who you are. This is Zach Tombs my BFF, so how do you know Mattiline?" she smirks, inching closer, resulting in pushing me into the older boy
"Watch it Barbie!" I shout at her, seeming to pull the girl from her trance
Taking a handful of fries Jack winks at us before leaving "oh my god you know Jack Mercer? He is so hot"
"Totally of the hotness scale. So Mattie, spill" Zach nods and they high five, I look at them like their crazy, I pretty sure everyone in this place is nuts
I sit in Math with a huge ass headache, after lunch I'd called Daisy a nosy cunt she just shrugged and followed me to class with a smile "Well I'm going to be a journalist, comes with the territory"
I didn't understand this girl at all. I had a very simple routine, they talk to me I brush them off they fuck off, but this girl didn't seem to get the hint. Now she's sat next to me rabbling on about god knows what, then as her hand touches my arm I twist and grip it tightly bending her fingers back, causing the girl with whimper in pain "Listen up, because I'm only going to say this once. I don't do friends, I don't want any friends and I definitely don't do touching… ever!"
I release her fingers only for her to cradle them sadly "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to upset you. if you want I can make it up with a smoothie after school, my mom's taking me the mall you should come"
I look at her in amazement before laughing with a bitter echo "my god were you dropped on your head or something"
"Mattiline Mercer, why are you talking during my class?" the teacher snaps, looking down at me like she had any idea what was going on
Leaning back, hair whipping from my face I scowl without thinking "why are you teaching during my conversation?"
Laughter breaks out and I smirk at the instant hand pointing to the door "Mercer, Principal's office…"
So, yeah, they called the house, I mean seriously? It's not like I hurt anyone, no, wait, Daisy… I wonder if she ratted me out; I think I broke a finger. Now I'm just sitting in the office with this old fat guy looking down his nose at me
As the door opens I turn my head, eyes wide to what I find "Bobby? What are you doing here? Where's Evelyn?"
Taking a seat he sits bored "Ma's stocking up on groceries with Jerry; I was the one who picked up the call. Principal Wilkes, nice to see you again sir, so what's the problem?"
"Mattiline here seems to find disrupting her class and belittling her teachers as acceptable behavior, there's also that matter of Daisy Richards" the old man groans, I give a bitter chuckle, bitch sold me out
Bobby leans lays out his hands and asks "Who?"
Wilkes tries staring me down as he explains "the young lady who was sat next to Mattiline during her disruption, who now has a fractured finger…"
The older man I've been living with quirks a brow and I shrug, it wasn't my best work. Then Wilkes says something that confuses me "However Miss. Richards swears blind that you had nothing to do with it, despite your classmates claims."
"Wait, so you're telling me I got called up here because a teacher can't handle a bit of backchat? This is fucking ridiculous. Mattie, get your stuff" we stand and I quickly grab my ragged bag and jacket
Bobby leans his knuckles on the desk as he frowns, and I have to admit it was kind of intimidating "Principal Wilkes I hope you're not making my sister a target, after all we wouldn't want history to repeat itself now would we? Come on Mattie"
As we motor back to the house in this ugly rundown car, Bobby keeps casting me glances until he speaks "did you do it?"
"Do what?" I stare out the window melancholy
"You know damn well what" is his only reply as we come to a stop
I swallow hard, fingers twiddling with snowflake hanging from my neck "she'll survive"
I hear him chuckle and turn my head, trying to catch his mumble as he gets out of the car, but cant. Wait; did he call me his sister?
That night I sit in my room finishing the homework Jack picked up for me when the door opens "Don't you know how to knock?"
Angel just walks into my room with his reflectors and seventies hairdo "so I hear school went well, you sure are living up to the Mercer name"
"I'm not a Mercer" is all I say, penciling in the answer from the text book I'm reading
I hear him chuckle as he actually passes the threshold "give it time, kid. Ma brought you here for a reason"
Snapping my head up and gripping my pencil I growl "and what the fuck is that?"
"Same damn reason as the rest of us; no one else wants you…" he looks to me in all seriousness and sympathy. I feel my chest clench tight around my rips
Watching him go, I sit there for a long minute, breathing hard and fast as without warning my books are tarnished across the room as they meet the now closed door and a scream escapes me. Standing up I kick the scattered papers and books across the room, slamming the lock into the bolt. Going into my bag I pull out a packet of cigarettes, opening the window I clime out onto the patio roof, lighting up to take a long drag from the cancer stick "hey, you know those things will kill you"
Startled I jump, hand on heart only to find the sixteen year old sitting on his windowsill with a fag hanging out his mouth "fucks sake, you trying to kill me?"
He laughs while climbing out the window, taking a seat next to me with a hand though his frayed hair "what crawled up your ass?"
"Fuck you Cracker Jack!" I blurt without thinking, I heard Bobby call him it a few times
Now the next bit, I know he was only joking, but it still sent a chill down my spine and Goosebumps up my arms "your tits aint big enough for me, ask again in a few years"
He seemed to notice this and shrugs off his leather jacket, draping it over my shoulders "Mom will freak if you get a cold"
I shake my head at that with a long drag on my lips "why are you being nice to me? What's your angle?"
When I ask people that they looked confused but Jack looks straight ahead as he pushes the smoke from his lungs "before I came here I… some stuff happened, I didn't handle it well, fuck you're doing better than I did. My first week Jerry went to hug me and I pulled a fucking knife on the guy. I don't know what happened to you or understand your shit, but I get it. The mistrust, the anger, I get that."
He turns to me then, his sky blue eyes vulnerable and open. This wasn't a meeting with some counselor wanting to know my story or some jumped up caseworker telling me it would get better. It was an understanding of two people the world had royally fucked over, I respected that.
I nod my head with a tightlipped smile "yeah well… life's a bitch"
"Your one to talk" he jokes and I shove him lightly.
He leans back through his window to pull out a magazine "what's your star sign?"
"Capricorn, why?" my brow frowns as I watch him flick away the bud before turning to the pages
Sitting next to me he smiles "here we go. 'Capricorn today is a day of new discovery's and choices. This is the day to take a leap of faith and try something new, you've recently had a shift in your life and now's the time to act on this opportunity. Rediscover yourself and who you want to be"
He turns to me expectantly with a raised brow and a hundred watt smirk. I tilt my head to the side as I toss the fag-end "you really believe in that shit?"
"Straight up man, plus the chick's digit" he nods as I snatch the magazine off him and we share a laugh. It didn't dawn on me then and wouldn't until much later on, but sitting there with him was easy, almost fun…
Hey, so I know there's not much family time right now but I want to get a feel for her you know? I promise in the next chapter there with be some Mattie and Evelyn scenes. Tell me what you think? PLEASE REVIEW THANK YOU :)
JJ
