My eyes flutter open and my arms stretch upwards. The sun is just beginning rise, casting a blue tint on the space around me. I sit up and extend my torso, working out any kinks formed while tossing and turning the night away. It is 5:36 AM, Thusday, and I have to be at school in exactly two hours and twenty four minutes. I stay in bed until the clock strikes six, I uncurl from my position of cocooning Penny and head to the bathroom. Penny hops up on the toilet as usual, and I turn on the hot water.
I'm out of the shower and dried off in twenty two minutes. I emerge from the steam filled bathroom with my hair wrapped in a towel and cloaked in a robe. I peak into my mom's room to see that she's is still sleeping. I tip toe towards her bed and check to make sure she has a pulse, which she does, and she is breathing normally. I retreat back into my room to continue getting ready.
I leave my hair to air dry as I pull on a pair of black jeans. I slip on a plain white tank top and pull my arms through the sleeves of my grey cotton cardigan. I pop in a pair of light blue stud earrings, and head downstairs (Penny following me, of course). I turn on the kuerig and brew a large cup of brazilin dark roast coffee, add the allotted cream and sugar. It only being 6:45, I sit down at my kitchen table with my coffee and a copy of the French version of Lolita. I finish it in thirty minutes. It now being 7:15, I get off my ass and throw on my backpack, grab a banana from the counter, and I'm out the door.
I arrive at school at 7:40, twenty minutes to spare. I meet Ethan in the library as per usual.
"You decided to come in today!" Ethan grins and throws his bag on the floor.
"Don't get too excited- I'll probably be in here for most of the day" I reply with my eyes narrowed. Ethan sighs.
"What? I get all of my work done plus extra credit" I defend.
"But you only go to each class maybe twice a week" he replies with a concerned expression.
"I work better by myself" I reply and pull out my Physics notebook.
"Fine, whatever works" he scoffs and sits down in the chair across from me.
"So, how was your day yesterday?" I ask while kicking him lightly in the shin.
"Can't complain, what about yours?" he replies and takes an apple out of his bag.
"Fairly alright" I reply, "I'm meeting Spencer for coffee at the BAU after practice" I confess as my hands jitter out of nervousness and a large sum of caffeine.
"Coffee at 5pm?" Ethan says skeptically.
"There's never a bad time for coffee" I grin and take a textbook out of my bag. Ethan lets out a small laugh and then the school bell rings, startling the both of us.
"Have fun in Math!" I scream at him as he get up from his seat.
"Have fun reading Russian Literature!" he shouts back. I had taken out my Physics work but because of Ethan's response, I put those away and crack open Mihail Lermontov's A Hero of Our Time, written entirely in Russian of course. I finish that in no time and head on the tackle the day's work I retrieved from my teachers yesterday, which included AP English, AP Physics, AP psychology, AP Stats, AP World history, AP Russian, and AP calculus.
Usually, if I do go to school, I spend the entire day in the library. I don't do well in crowds and I do better when I teach myself, I don't need to sit in a class room and work 45 minutes when I can get everything done in 20. Other days I don't bother going to school at all, I stay home and do my work from there. Every piece gets handed in on time (if not earlier) and my grades are perfect, but I'm still fighting the school over the seat time. I suggested homeschooling to my guidance counselor, because that's essentially what I've been doing, and she's taking it up with administration, which should take a while. But, that's a battle for another day.
I knock out all of my work and go to straight to the girls locker room after the 2 o'clock bell. I change into a pair of compression pants and a baggy shirt. We stretch out on the track and run a 1 mile warm up. We run lap after lap after lap, equating to about 4 miles. We do sprints and run another mile, then practice various field events. Practice lets out at 4:30 and i take a quick shower, which feels amazing against my aching muscles. I change back into my school outfit and rush home, where my mother is yet again- sleeping. I leave a note saying I will be gone and that I took her car, but I know she won't be awake to read it. I grab her keys and I'm back out the door.
I reach the café ten minutes later, I arrive first. I sit at two top table and a nice woman in a blue apron comes over to me.
"Hey sweetie, what can I get you?" she asks with a smile.
"The darkest roast you have, please?" I reply.
"Be right back" the woman says and walks back into the kitchen. I bounce my leg incessantly and my heart beats faster and faster. Spencer walks through the door and although I thought I'd find some relief, but my chest still sinks.
"Hey" I say awkwardly.
"Hi" he replies just the same and puts his bag down. There's an uncomfortable pause and the waitress comes back over with my coffee, along with a glass of cream and multiple sugar packets. "Thank you" I reply.
"And you, what can I get ya?" she asks Spencer.
"Plain black coffee is fine" he replies with a smile. The waitress leaves and there's silence yet again.
"So, uh, how was your day?" he asks
"Alright, not much happened. What about you?" I reply, staring into my coffee cup.
"It was good, thanks" he grins. My leg bounces relentlessly. "How was school?" he asks again.
"Same old same old" I reply with a smile. "How was work? Catch any serial killers on your lunch break?" I joke and the two of us laugh briefly.
"No, just a lot of paper work" he replies with a small smile. Silence falls yet again. The waitress comes back with his coffee, he thanks her and she disappears yet again.
"So uh- do you think I could ask you a couple of questions?" Spencer request's, my stomach sinks.
"Um, yeah, of course" I comply and cross one leg over another.
"You said our Dad left when you were 7?" he says and I nod my head.
"How old were you?" I repeat.
"8" his smile flat lines. "Do you know why he left?" he asks and my stomach turns to knots. I don't know how to say that my mother is a fall down drunk, and that my father packed up and left after she got so loaded one weekend he came home to her and a random guy passed out on their bed. That was to the last straw, and the last time I saw him. I stare into my coffee and don't say a word for approximately six seconds and tap my nails against my mug.
"I'm sorry, you don't have to answer if you don't want to" Spencer spits out rapidly.
"No- no its fine" I reply, "she uh- she has her demons" I sigh, "he couldn't deal" I reply and slowly spin my mug around in a circle. "Why'd he leave you?" I ask and realize how harsh my words sounded. I kick myself.
"The same situation, actually" he replies with a perplexed expression.
"Huh" I puff out and sit back in my seat. I cross my arms. "Seems like when the going gets tough he bails" I say in monotone.
"Yeah, it seems so" he replies with a flat grin.
Silence.
"So, do you watch tv? Assuming you're ever near one- being away so much" I spit out in hopes of cutting the underlying awkwardness that sits between us.
"Not anything current," he begins, "But I do own the complete Star Trek series on DVD" he lets out a small laugh and my eyes light up.
"Hey, me too!" I smile back and the two of us let out a small chuckle.
"Seriously?! I loaned episode eighteen to someone on my team but they never gave it back! do you think I could borrow it?" he asks rapidly, "We can watch it together if you want" he throws in and I'm happy to obliged.
"Yeah, yeah that sounds great" a rush of warmth runs through my veins. "If you're not doing anything tonight, we could drop by my house and I can grab it and we can watch it at your place" I shoot out so fast I don't think before my lips start flapping. "Sorry, that sounded rude" I shake my head and look glance downward.
"No, no its not rude at all" Spencer laughs, relieving the pressure on my chest.
"I live like, ten minutes away. I would have to drop off my mom's car, though" I explain and Spencer nods his head.
"Not a problem, I could drive you home later" Spencer offers and at first I'm a bit skeptical of the situation. I take a few moments to think, and come to the conclusion that it's a completely harmless plan.
"Sounds great" I say with a smile. I throw a five dollar bill on the counter, as does Spencer, and we're out of the café moments later.
"You'll follow me?" I presume as I unlock the car door.
"Yep" Spencer replies and we're off. I drive home with a smile on my face, park the car in the driveway, and Spencer parallel parks in front of my house.
I see the truck of my mom's scum-for-a-boyfriend parked directly next to me. I see the light in the living room is on, and another knot forms in my stomach. I get out of the car, walk up to the front door, and walk in quietly. I creep up the stairs to avoid being sighted, and it works. I'm safely up in my room searching for the DVD, Penny standing three feet behind me. I find what I'm looking for and throw it into my bag.
"Goodbye sweet girl" I tell Penny in a high pitched voice, scratch her chin, and turn towards the doorway.
I crash into a body. John's body, blocking my way.
"Lia! You're home!" he hisses with the stench of rum.
"Yeah, and I'm leaving" I retort and try to squeeze past him, but his body is like a giant brick.
"No, you're not going anywhere" he sneers and for a second I can't breathe.
"Get out of my way" I growl and slip through the space between Johns side and the doorframe.
"Not so fast" he growls and pushed me against the back wall, his both hands squeezing my neck
"Mom!" I let out a strained shout and cough.
"She's passed out" he scorns, "it's just you and me" he sneers and brushes my face with his free thumb. I squirm the best I can but I can't seem to get loose.
"Get the off of me" I snarl and continue to twist and turn. He pins my wrists above my head with one hand and unbuttons my jeans with the other. Next thing I know his hand it down my pants.
"Get the hell off of me!" I shout and knee him straight in the crotch. He lurches forward and I take the picture frame hanging on the wall and break it over his head, knowing he'd be passed out for enough time for me to get out of here.
I try and catch my breath and a few stray tears run down my cheeks. I run into my bedroom as fast as I can and grab a grey turtle neck from my dresser, covering up the marks left by the fifteen seconds of choking. I check my eyes: no petechiae. I shut the door and push my dress against it, locking Penny in my room in the case that John wakes up and its feeling extra vengeful- if he even remembers this night by morning. I kiss Penny on the head, open my window, and slip onto the slanted roof. I shut the window behind me and carefully slide down the siding, and jump 6 feet to the ground. I land everything but gracefully, grass stains definitely sinking into my jeans. I gather myself and walk around the house, towards Spencer's car.
I quickly jump into the passenger's seat, startling Spencer, still trying to catch my breath.
"Is everything okay?" he asks, confused and worried.
"Yeah, everything's fine" I lie through my teeth and can't help but sniffle.
"It doesn't look fine" he replies doubtfully.
"Do you think I could stay at your place tonight?" I wipe the tears from my cheeks and make eye contact.
"Of course you can" he replies quickly. "What happened?" his face softens.
"Just uh- had a fight with my mom" I lie again.
My mind stops. My eyes are shut. My nose ceases to run. I listen to myself breathe in and out, in and out.
I open my eyes. I reset.
"Alright" I say with a smile, "let's go watch some star trek"