School

One long Sunday afternoon I sat in my bed doing the homework I was assigned by my math class teacher.

“Uuuuh could they make math more boring.” I complained “Why do math teachers even want to teach math class?”

I did all my home work all aloan— I didn’t really have any friends — other friends do there home work together, I was jelly of those kids.

“Mom!”

“What?” Mom responded.

“I need help.” I whined 

“With what, is it home work again?”

“Yea.” I said with a guilty look. Though I knew she couldn't see me I knew she knew that I was just asking for her to do it for me.

***

After home work Mom promised to make me hot chocolate, I was excited, mom hardly makes me anything anymore. I squealed, just a little. 

“Hey, mom didn’t you promise me you were going to make me hot chocolate?”

“Sorry.” She responded plainly as she flipped through the paper.

“Why can I never trust you anymore!” I complained.

I sat at the bar placed in the middle of the room. Mom had put many pictures of Dad and her, When I asked her about dad, she says “Your father died a long long long long time ago.” Then she changes the subject.

I stared at the picture on the wall, the only one of me—I guessed mom just doesn’t like looking at me. The picture was me as a baby—with DAD who knew! I was sent to bed after moms book group arrived

“I’m twelve now! Don’t you think I’m old enough to not go to bed after six o’clock?”

“No, until you move out your living under my rules.” Mom snapped in her slow plain voice. I stormed off.

“Young lady, you get back here and listen to me!”

I continued to stomp in a rude manner. “What.” I snapped.

“ you know what! Go to your room NOW!” She shouted as I stomped furiously down the hall to my bedroom.  

I waited a few minutes before opening the window that was on the other side of the room. I wanted to put on my bathing suit and jump out the window into the clear water. So I did.

We live in a house built into the dirt and half in the water, mom had to put special windows downstairs so that we can see the fish and other cool stuff—and garbage.

***

I dumped myself into the fresh cool water, being in it just lightened my thoughts and pressure.

I  water I spotted some cool looking fish with some purple dorsal fins and blue pectoral fins. I swam silently for a few minutes diving up for air about every minute. I ducked under when I saw a shiny green shimmer in the dusty lake. Out of the middle of nowhere I was hit in the face by something sharp. I turned on my light to see what had hit me. A slight shadow was swimming away. It was too fast for me to catch up with. Clutching my cheek whare I was cut. 

I dropped in my window, cleaned my wound, took a shower and collapsed in bed.

*** 

So today was a week day—which meant school.

I packed my bag with all the junk mom tells me to stuff in there.

“Ok, you got all your stuff?” Mom asked “Don’t lie.”

“Yes.” I didn’t have time to lie. I ran out the door as the bus was about to leave. Don’t ask what happens when I miss it!

I jumped into the bus barely on time. I scanned the rows on ether sides of me, my spot! Was an empty row all to myself—most of the time. A boy about my age was in my spot his green shimmering eyes made me want to look harder

“Come on Tasha!” Complained the bus driver “We have more then one stop.” He pushed the gas peddle to a high speed so that I would go flying to the back of the bus, to my seat. It was like Magic, the driver turned to the left, I flew right. I was sitting in my seat

“You feal like waisting any more time.” One of the kids teased.

“Yea you always get your way!” Another shouted “Your seat even has your stupid name on it!” 

I stared down at the permeate marker that I had wrote TASHA on the seat. I glared up at the boy, he didn’t seem to care he just stared out the window like I do all the time, not now anyway. I placed my bag on the seat in between us. I wanted to kick him, shove him out the window, threaten his life for sitting in my seat!

Another kid stepped on the bus, the last one. I sat glaring at this boy, hoping he would notice me and switch spots. He didn’t. the whole bus unloaded. I sat there trying to get his attention. I didn’t move the whole time the bus was unloading.

“TASHA!” The bus driver hollered at me “Get out, Now.”

“Yes sir.” I surrendered. I got up as I did I glared back at him. The boy Finly got up. We all continued up the stairs.

***

Mom signed me up for rock class, it was lame. So many kids found it interesting, however I found it boring, plain boring. The teacher sat at her big glass podium with rocks surrounding her.

He was here. Why was this boy in almost every class I was in? I counted fingers

1 Math, of crorse everybody is in math

2 English

3 History

4 Rock

But I only have a few more classes. I glared at him as he walked in. I waved in a friendly manner. But that was when I realized that the only empty seats were by me! That was also my fault.

I tried to smile, so I didn’t seem like his enemy—yet.

He stood in the front of the class. He started to walk to the back of the class when the teacher said

“Oh, your the new kid we were expecting?”

A nod

“What’s your name?”

A nod

“Excuse me?”

A nod

“Answer me!”

A nod. The teachers face lit up with anger and frustration. I stood up

“Hi,” I stated. The boy gave me a shy wave. “How about we give him a piece of a piece of paper?”

“Thank you for the suggestion.” She gave me a flat face that some how said Realy?

“What?” I ask as I raised my shoulders. My rock class teacher handed him a piece of paper and a pen. We watched him write his name. I imagined him going home and showing his mom the paper and saying “Mommy, look I’m in seventh grade and I can’t even say my name, so I got to write it instead!”

The teacher called me over

“What?” I ask

“You were the one to suggest it.” She waved her hand for me to come over.

“What? I’m here. Now you got the whole class staring.” I complained. She took the piece of paper from me. I read it outloud

“Taurin, k-”