Waiting for the Sun ✓

Chapter Two

[This is the newly edited version of this chapter - 14/7/19]

Though it was Monday, I still had to serve a lunchtime detention which was leftover from last week. As soon as my last class ended, I collected my schoolbag and headed to Mrs White's classroom, which was where all the detentions were held. I was the first student there, so I headed to the back of the room and claimed the desk in the corner. If I was lucky enough, I'd escape everyone's notice and be left in peace.

Wishful thinking. I knew that.

Mrs White, the teacher who was in charge of containing us in detention, arrived and stationed herself at the desk at the front of the classroom. She greeted me cheerily, yet all I could muster was a weak smile in response. I didn't know Mrs White very well and vice versa, but from what I had seen, she was friendly with everyone. Apparently even people like me, who had a questionable reputation and spent a lot of time in detention.

I didn't purposefully do the wrong thing. On the contrary, I preferred following the rules and keeping my head down. Lately, however, it was becoming more and more difficult. Most of the time, I arrived late to school due to things that were out of my control. I hadn't asked the bus driver not to stop for me this morning. I hadn't asked Max to hold me up in the hallway. Nobody cared, though. Trying to reason with the teachers at this school was like screaming into a void; nobody heard you, no matter how much noise you made.

Students began trickling into the classroom, most of them regulars in here like I was. Everyone sat well away from me, though, which wasn't unusual. Max wasn't solitary in his hatred for me. A lot of other people despised me, too.

I unzipped my school bag and pulled out my maths workbook. Mr Young had set some questions for us to complete for homework. If I could get it all done now, I wouldn't have to worry about doing it at home. The longer I stared at the textbook, the more I realised that I had no clue what I was doing. Listening in class was not my forte and I'd certainly failed at it today.

Three students dropped into the row of seats in front of me, their bags landing with a thud beneath their feet. Before I could look away, one of the boys spun around to face me.

I froze, my eyes widening. Max's mouth tipped up into a bitter smirk.

"Hi, Lacey," Max greeted, but there wasn't a hint of warmth in his voice. "I need a favour."

I didn't respond. Max had a way of terrifying the words right out of my mouth.

"I need you to do my maths homework for me and quickly," Max continued. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a book and slapped it down in front of me. "Have it done by the end of detention."

I wanted to protest. I wanted to explain to him just how terrible I was at anything maths related. I wanted to do a lot of things, but the terror sent my heart into a gallop within my chest and an uncomfortable feeling crawling across my skin.

When I continued to stare at him, Max's smirk dropped from his lips and was replaced with a cold look. "Hurry up. You only have an hour."

I ripped my eyes away from his, my blonde hair falling around my face like a curtain. With trembling hands, I opened his book. Illegible equations written in pencil were scrawled across the pages, and if the scattered red ticks were anything to go by, he seemed to be competent at maths as well. Why he wanted me to do his homework was beyond me.

Breathing out, I forced myself to focus. I had enough experience with Max to know that if I didn't comply, there would be consequences. The first time I refused to do something for him, he sent another girl in our year to beat me up. I remembered the bite of the cold bathroom tiles against my bare skin as I tried to evade her persistent punches and kicks. It hadn't been easy for me to explain to the teachers why I was suddenly covered in dark bruises. Max loathed me, but beating me up himself was a line he hadn't crossed yet. I hoped he never did.

For the next hour, I scrambled to finish Max's homework for him. Every so often, he'd glance over his shoulder and taunt me harshly. I kept going, though. I wanted to get this done.

Mrs White stood from her desk at four-thirty and released everyone. I was on the last question of Max's homework when everyone else poured out of the room.

"Haven't you finished yet?" Max snapped, glaring down at me.

"I'm-I'm almost done," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.

Max huffed in annoyance, slinging his bag onto his shoulder. "Hurry up. I have to go and you're holding me up. Again. Don't think I've forgotten how you almost cracked my phone today."

As soon as I finished the last question, Max snatched the book from my grasp. Without another word, he turned and stalked across the room.

I stood on shaky legs and packed up my own books. Mrs White closed the door behind us both as we walked out.

"Bye, Lucy. Have a nice afternoon!" Mrs White said with a grin before she headed towards her office.

I sighed, not bothering to correct her. A lot of people tended to forget my name.

My black leather shoes tapped against the linoleum as I walked down the deserted hallway towards the exit door. When I stepped out into the carpark, it was almost empty save for a few cars parked near the front. The heat slammed into me again and it didn't take long before a layer of sweat formed over my skin. Usually, I caught the bus home with my younger sister, Esther. Since I had a detention today, I was heading home alone. That wouldn't have bothered Esther, though. She couldn't care less about me either.

When I eventually got home, it was five-thirty. I paused outside my front door, exhaling deeply. My hands were shaking as I unlocked the door and stepped inside. I slowly made my way down the hall, my school shoes whispering against the wooden floorboards. I'd long since perfected the art of walking silently around the house.

I shared a bedroom with my fifteen-year-old sister, Esther, so I wasn't surprised to find her sitting on her bed when I entered. Her eyes flickered over to me before she resumed typing on her laptop. I dropped my schoolbag down beside my own bed and yanked off my shoes. I was about to head to the bathroom and change out of my uniform when there was a knock at the door. Moments later, my older sister, Lori, poked her head inside the room.

"Hey, Lace. Did you just get home?" Lori asked, smiling warmly at me.

Esther and I weren't close, yet Lori and I were. My older sister was the only person who truly mattered to me in this wretched world and I knew that I couldn't survive without her.

I nodded. "Yeah. I had another detention," I replied with a wince. Wringing my hands, I continued. "Is Dad..."

"Dad's not home yet. He doesn't need to know about the detention, okay?" Lori said softly.

I exhaled and nodded, grateful that she had my back. Dad finding out about yet another detention was the last thing I wanted.

"I'm making dinner now. I'll let you know when it's done," Lori told me before she left. She was going to have to hurry if she wanted dinner ready by the time our dad got home.

I was about to exit the room when Esther spoke up. "He's going to find out, you know."

I swallowed, turning to face her. "He doesn't have to."

Esther rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to say anything. The school might eventually, though. Dad won't be happy when he hears you're failing all your classes and spending every day in detention."

She was right. It was only a matter of time before my dad knew about how much trouble I was in at school. And when he did, it was not going to end well.