The Other Side

Epilogue

With as fast as she was driving, Mindy was surprised she made it to school without getting pulled over. If she hadn’t been running late, she wouldn’t have had to drive so fast. If she hadn’t forgotten her government paper, she wouldn’t have been running late. If she hadn’t been thinking about something besides school in general and government class in particular, she wouldn’t have forgotten the paper.

            There was a silver lining to this cloud. She’d been able to take the car to school, which she was hardly ever allowed to do. Of course, her mom was half asleep when Mindy burst into her room to demand a ride to school in between her ragged breaths. There was no way she would’ve been able to make it back to the bus stop in time. Lynette didn’t even bother to crack her eyes open when she gave her mumbled permission for Mindy to take the car to school.

            Even though she managed to make it to school before the first bell, she wasn’t so sure she’d make it to first period on time. Not only were most of the stalls in the parking lot already full, but kids were shuffling across the lot without any regard to the few cars still trying to find a space.

            “God damn it!” Mindy shouted. “Would you get the fuck out of my way?”

A group of kids crossing in front of her turned to glare at her, and she raised her middle finger at them. In return, she was assaulted with a barrage of cursing to go along with them flipping her off.

For a fraction of a second, she imagined the satisfaction that would come from stomping on the gas and mowing them down. Lucky for them, or maybe for her, they moved on before she had the chance to realize her fantasy.

It took a loop around two more aisles before she found an empty space. Even then, she barely managed to beat out a jeep coming from the other direction. When she screeched into the stall, the driver of the jeep honked at her.

“Fuck you,” Mindy muttered. “I got here first.”

As she hopped out of the car, the first bell rang. Mindy glanced down at her watch. If she hurried, she could make it to class before the second bell rang. Even though she wouldn’t have gotten into any trouble for being late, she hated the way everyone stared at people who came in late, especially when she was the person they were staring at.

Before she managed to make it across the parking lot, she was already out of breath. By the time she got to the heart of the campus, she didn’t care if she was late to class or not. Being late was better than passing out from sprinting across the parking lot which she wouldn’t have had to do if she hadn’t forgotten her homework. Just as this thought came to her, she realized she didn’t have her backpack.

The thought of having to trek across the parking lot again didn’t appeal to her at all, but there was no way she was leaving that backpack in her car. That backpack had the homework she’d made a special trip to get. After what she’d already been through in the name of that stupid homework, she wasn’t about to let it win now. She’d just have to be late.

Mindy heaved a sigh as she turned and started back in the direction of the parking lot.