“Fine,” he said, stepping closer.
“Fine, what?” I asked, backing up.
“Fine, I won’t steal your shit anymore.” He rolled his eyes.
What’s with this guy and the language? No wonder he needed to improve his vocabulary.
“And?” I pressed. I was going to enjoy this while I had the upper hand.
“And… I’ll take this seriously,” he promised through his teeth.
I stood on the tips of my toes and patted his head. “Good boy,” I cooed at him like he was a little baby. Speaking of…
Daycare!
“Crap, I have to go,” I said, running over to get my backpack.
“See ya later, teach,” he smirked, and just as I reached the door he called, “And for the record, I’ve never had an STD before!”
“It’s never too late,” I countered as I reached the door, trying to hide my smile.
It was a short walk before I reached the building.
“Hey Holly!” I smiled as I walked out to the playground and saw her waiting for me by the slide. She’d quickly become one of my best friends there.
“I’ve never seen her take to someone so well before,” Georgina remarked, eyeing Holly.
“Really?” I asked.
“Yeah, she always cried when someone would try to touch her, or play with her,” she said, “But she seems to love you…”
I looked over at Holly and she smiled, reaching out to touch my hair.
What a cutie pie.
Chapter 4
After Holly’s mom, whose name was Millicent I learned, picked her up it was a little after nine. Holly would scream every time I tried to leave, so I was basically stuck at the daycare against my will. I felt bad for her, though… the slightest movement towards the door would make her cling to me and her emerald eyes would get wet, threatening to spill tears.
By the time I got home it was practically ten at night; I’d run through the dark and desolate streets, slightly paranoid.
Remind me again why I don’t have a car? Besides the whole dad’s-laid-off and mom-makes-money-to-feed-the-family-not-spoil-you scenario, I didn’t really have an excuse. I never thought about getting a job, even though I’d probably have an advantage, having volunteered at the American Red Cross center since I was fourteen.
Three good years of my life… I could’ve spent at a grocery store organizing the shelves with processed cans and cleaning up spills on aisle three. I never once thought about saving up for a car.
I shuffled through the back door and sat on a stool by the kitchen counter, pulling out my SAT list. I didn’t really care about supper, or the fact that I still needed to take a shower, change out of my uniform and get the skinny jeans bleached because Holly had decided to use them as a canvas for her doodling, and then sleep.
I hadn’t even noticed that the television wasn’t on until my dad walked through the back door, stopping as soon as he saw me.
No wonder it was so quiet earlier.
“Hello, stranger,” I smiled, “Where’ve you been?”
“Oh, just the pub with Larry,” he shrugged, searching his pockets for something.
He gave up and passed by me, giving me a kiss on my head before going into the living room.
I shook my head and rubbed my eyes before getting back to the list. This wasn’t impossible, but it certainly proved that I was not one for doing things last minute.
I decided it was best to just memorize the words and definitions, rather than practicing actually using them like I normally do. I didn’t have the time much less the patience.
I rubbed my sore neck and headed up to take a quick shower, throwing my jeans into the washing machine on the way.
***
Walking up to the front of the school building, I took a seat on the front steps. The purpose of arriving 30 minutes early? To study.
Zephyr… gentle wind.
Wizened… wrinkled.
Vicissitude… variability.
Unctuous… sycophantic.
Ubiquitous... omnipresent.
“You’re kidding me,” someone scoffed in front of me.
I looked up and fought the urge to roll my eyes.
“What are you doing here?” I asked him, eyeing the acoustic guitar he had strapped to his back.
He smirked, as if saying ‘I’m at school on a Friday morning, what do you think I’m doing here?’ but instead, he countered with, “I could ask you the very same question.”
I let the list dangle from my right hand until he realized what it was.
He raised his eyebrows and leaned against the railing.
“What’s with the face?” I questioned, annoyed and slightly uncomfortable being in his presence unsupervised.
“Nothing. I’m just… surprised that you’re studying so hard for one little test.”
“It may be one little test to you, Fox, but to me it’s the first grade that goes down on my first quarter report card, and I want it to be high. It’s important to me,” I said, feeling the need to defend myself. Being here on scholarship meant I needed to maintain a high GPA.
“Yeah, important enough to ruin any chances you have of having a life,” he remarked.
“You going to continue insulting me? Because if my not-having-a-life bothers you so much, you can forget about the tutoring,” I warned him, giving him my best intimidating look and then go back to studying. “It’s contagious, you know. You’ll start studying every chance you get, and that would be horrible for your reputation, Fox. Horrible.”
He held his hands up in surrender, “Ok, ok. I guess it’s a touchy subject.”
“It’s not a touchy subject,” I snapped, “All I’m saying is that you’re rude.”
We both turned to look at the Mercedes that had pulled up in front of us. The driver was honking the horn and blasting music. Completely obnoxious. The passenger’s tinted window rolled down.
“Sup, Fox,” Nick asked, completely ignoring me.
Fox nodded in his direction, and then at Justin behind the wheel. Evidently he was too cool to even greet them properly.
I got up and brushed my skirt off, taking the last few steps toward the front doors.
I heard Nick ask, “Who’s the reject?” and I stuck around behind the doorway long enough to hear Fox’s reply.
“She’s the new girl,” he muttered.
Is that my official title now? ‘New girl’?
“Nice. The naïve ones are always fun,” Justin commented.
Naïve?
“Yeah, hey man, I’ll see you later,” Fox said, and I heard him approaching.
Uh oh.
Before I had the chance to take cover, he spotted me and gave me a disapproving look.
I had no choice but to call him out.
“You give any of your buddies the wrong idea and I swear, the girl’s bathroom will be buzzing by lunch time,” I told him, and hurried off before he could scold my eavesdropping ways.
***
I was sitting in my seat, tapping my pen rhythmically against the desk. Class would start in a minute.
“You really shouldn’t eavesdrop, Em, it’s a horrid habit,” he whispered hoarsely, leaning against his desk.
“Yeah, well I’m not naïve,” I said over my shoulder.
“You’ve certainly demonstrated that,” he said sarcastically.
Mrs. Sawyer started walking around, telling us to clear our desks as she explained the test format. I couldn’t let him get the last word, for such an allowance would only add to his swollen pride. But, unfortunately, I had nothing to say.
I turned my head, preparing myself for a spontaneous comeback.
“Ms. Price, I’m handing the exam out now. Face forward,” Sawyer said sternly, staring me down.
I turned back around, letting my hair fall around my face as my cheeks grew rosy.
It turned out that the test was all about sentence use, and how to use the SAT words properly and determine their definitions based on
context clues.
A little less confident than I would rather have been, I walked up to the front of the room and placed my test on Mrs. Sawyer’s desk. I was one of the last ones to finish, having triple-checked all my answers.
Running a hand through my hair, I noticed Fox smiling wickedly at me as he leaned back in his chair. I clenched my jaw and took my seat.
When the bell rung, I snatched my bag and raced out of the room. For once, I was in a hurry to get to culinary.
***
“Welcome, students,” Mr. Aurelle smiled, emphasizing the ‘s’ sounds as he spoke. “Let’s all pair up with our partners and get cooking. Today’s recipe… the devilish soufflé!”
I assumed my position behind kitchenette number four, next to my partner, Lily.
“I love this guy,” Lily smiled, shaking her head as a small smile appeared on her face.
“He makes my day; he’s probably the only one I tolerate in this school,” I admitted, tying my apron around my waist.
“Good to know, partner,” Lily murmured.
“Besides you, of course,” I joked.
She shoved me lightly. “We better get started on this devilish soufflé, or your favorite person ever will be very disappointed in you.”
“I can’t afford that right now,” I sighed, scrunching my nose as I read my portion of the directions.
Lily giggled. “You’re a funny one, girl.”
I stared at her, and she continued laughing, getting flour in her light brown hair as she pushed the short strands out of her face.
Lily’s not too bad.
***
I took my sweet old time getting to the center. Seeing as I no longer needed anything from Fox and he annoyed the crap out of me, there was no reason for me to be there on time. Besides, my skinny jeans were a mess. We were out of bleach.
They still had crayon on them, only on my left thigh, though. A mixture of primary colored squiggly lines intertwined down to my knee, and it was extremely visible. Part of me was angry that my favorite pair of pants was destroyed, but somehow, standing in front of my mom’s full-length mirror it suddenly looked… cool? Like it was done on purpose. The crayon was bright and pretty looking against the white of my jeans. For a two-year-old’s work, they were beautiful squiggly lines.
I decided to wear the pants anyway, and maybe stop by a store on the way home. That was, if Millicent arrived on time to pick up Holly.
Georgina had a serious talk with her about it, and then Millicent apologized with a moving speech that went something like ‘I know she can be a bit of a pain, but you didn’t have to stay with her.’ I almost socked that woman in her pretty face, to be honest. Her own child? A pain? Of course I had to stay with her. She was terrified of everyone else.
I got to the center and was not surprised to find that Fox was nowhere in sight.
Nina came up to me, looking flustered as ever. “Em dear, have you seen Fox?” she asked.
“He was at school, but I’m not sure where he is now, no,” I told her, and she waved it off.
“Well, that boy is in for it next time I see him. Anyway, I wanted to tell you, St. Vincent’s wants us to hold a blood drive. I want you to make flyers, and sprinkle them over the town. Maybe even let your high school know; some of the students and the teachers are old enough to donate.”
I nodded. “I need a date, time, and location,” I told her, and memorized the information as she explained it.
I waited around a little bit, helping Carlos sweep the floors, occasionally looking up at the swinging doors in search of Fox. But he never came, or at least he didn’t come before five. The only visitors we had were people who had brought in a box of cans or clothes, or those interested in taking a beneficial class.
“Listen, Nina, I’m sorry to leave you without any assistance but I have to go to the daycare,” I told her, standing in the doorway of her office and giving her my most sincere, apologetic look.
As bad as I felt for Nina, I was glad that Fox hadn’t showed up.
As horrible as I was for having such thoughts, I honestly wanted him to get in trouble. And I was also glad that I could leave the center that day hassle-free.
Gliding into the daycare, I got tons of compliments about my jeans. Some parents even asked me where I got them. I nonchalantly told them it was ‘baby art’. Millicent even made a flattering remark, but that was probably only because she was trying to suck up to me. She came to pick up Holly at 7:23. I wanted to tell her off, but she seemed to be really struggling, so I let her go in peace.
That night in bed, I was glad that I had a night to relax. Thoughts of waking up at eight in the morning to get ready for work burdened me, though, and I forced myself to get to sleep.
Chapter 5
“Life is slightly messed up,” I concluded mentally.
It was not the first time I had noted this fact, but when placed in a health class with a plethora of perverts and the world’s youngest and sluttiest teacher ever it gets increasingly difficult not to notice.
“Now, class: since this is prevention month and we can all trust each other in this room…” Ms. Tibble began, “I want you all to participate actively.”
She told us to move the desks aside and to join her by the long line of tape she had set up across the floor.
“Now, how many of you have seen the movie Freedom Writers?” she asked. A few raised their hands, uninterested.
“Ok, great. Well this is the game they played,” she smiled before continuing, “I’ll ask a question, and all students that apply will step forward on the line. It’s a way for us all to get to know each other a little better.”
Half the class smirked, but she was oblivious to it.
“Ok. How many of you have ever had protected sex?” she asked, as if it was parallel to asking something like, How many of you like movies?
What a game…
A good 70% of the class stepped forward, while I stood on the sidelines along with Lily.
“How many of you have ever had unprotected sex?” she asked. Again, a good number of students stepped forward while I simply stood there.
I was surprised to find Lily stepping forward, with pink cheeks and yellow eyes scanning the room nervously.
“How many of you have ever had an STD?” she asked.
No one stepped forward.
“Too personal, huh?” she smirked, and everyone nodded.
“Ok well…” she said, “How many of you have had a pregnancy scare, or known someone who’s had one?”
Everyone stepped forward this time, besides me.
This game blows.
White is for Virgins Page 4