My Fault

Summer school

“I don’t want to go.”

            “Lylah, you have to. Do you want to have to take junior year all over again?” Johnny asked.

            I sat in the car in front of the school with my arms crossed over my chest. I could see other students piling in to take summer classes from either failing or wanting to take them early. I didn’t want to face my peers and be judged like I was at Chelsea’s party. I was taken over the edge from all of their insults, what if that happened again?

            “You need to go.” He said when the loud school bell rang.

            I sighed and grabbed my bag, then leaned over and planted a kiss on Johnny’s cheek. “Bye.” I said softly before opening up the car door.

            “Call me if you need anything.” He said and smiled in my direction.

            I gave him a half smile and shut the car door, then began walking up the steps. My heart was beating fast in my chest and I could feel my hands shaking slightly. Opening up the front door of the school I walked in and kept my head down. I wasn’t at all confident. I could feel the stares and when I looked up, my instincts were correct. I didn’t know everyone, but everyone knew me. It was as if I was the black plague, ready to infect people who come near me.

            Finding my classroom, I walked in and found a spot near the back so I wouldn’t be seen. There were about ten other kids in the classroom, which was normal because it was summer school. The teacher then walked in and over to her desk. “Alright class, I’m going to take attendance.” She said.

            She went through the list of names. A couple people were missing, and when she got to mine everyone turned and looked at me. I felt so out of place as I raised my hair and said, “Here.”

            I had to be in school every weekday for four hours at a time in the same classroom. It was going to suck. The teacher droned on about the schedule and how each day was going to be planned out. While she talked I studied each one of my classmates. I knew a few by name, the others I just knew by face. There was Haley, a short brown haired girl with glasses and a few freckles around her nose. Her clothes were ones you’d see from a thrift store, but her smile never faded. Tim was a heavy set kid who transferred here from South Korea. He didn’t really talk much, but was very friendly when he did. Jake was a nerd. He always had his nose in his books and usually got straight A’s. He was a year younger, so I figured he was here to get ahead. I only knew him because of gym class when we were sometimes partnered with the younger kids. Then there was Kelly and Calvin. The twin trouble makers. Kelly was one of those girls you didn’t want to mess with. Not only was her appearance frightening with her sleeve tattoos and raccoon-like eye makeup, but her personality was too. Calvin was a sweet kid, completely opposite his twin sister, but also got into a lot of trouble. He was one of the nicest people I knew, but didn’t know when enough was enough. Last year he spray painted the side of the school cafeteria ‘just because’.

            Those were the only kids I knew by name, but I suspected they all knew me. Maybe I was being paranoid? Did everyone really hate me for what I did? I sure did.

            “Okay class, today we’re only going to do a few things.” The teacher started. “Because this is the first day of summer school I won’t assign any homework or have you do anything school. What I want you to do, though, is write three paragraphs about yourself. One paragraph is going to be how you perceive yourself, another will be about your family, and then the last will be about your peers and friends.” She stated.