Yours Truly, Ramona

chapter twenty three | signs.

"So, everyone," Mrs. Albright announces as the first period announcements conclude. "We've got a new student today."

She points a wrinkly finger at a girl standing in the front of the class.

The new girl is dressed in black from head to toe, a beanie perfectly placed atop her head of short brown hair.

I know her, actually. She's the girl that sold me weed a few times from those stupid drug prevention sermons.

If I remember correctly, her name is Jaylene.

"She smokes weed," I lean over and whisper to Xavier.

He snickers, clearly not expecting those words to come out of my mouth.

"How do you know that?" he asks, trying to stifle his laughter.

"I bought some from her a couple times."

"Damn," he breathes. "Me and her should get along just fine, then."

I roll my eyes. "I'm sure you will."

Jaylene recognizes me, and I motion for her to take a seat in the empty desk beside me when Mrs. Albright is finished with whatever the fuck she's saying.

"Hey," she says flatly as she plops down next to me. "Didn't know you went here."

"Yeah. Welcome to hell."

"I entered hell the moment I was born," she spits dryly.

"How edgy," Xavier retorts from the other side of me.

"And who the fuck are you"? Jaylene asks with an eyebrow raised, just taking notice of Xavier's presence.

"I am Xavier James Henderson, and who might you be?"

"Jaylene Esperanza Diaz Montoya Garcia Martinez-Rosaminta."

Xavier looks at me questioningly as if trying to ask if she's actually serious.

"I'm fucking with you," she relents when she sees the confusion on Xaviers face. "My name's Jaylene Smith. And my last name may be Smith but I'm still a full-blooded Mexican, bitch."

"Noted," Xavier mutters, almost breathless as he watches her.

I can't help but smirk at her sass. She was always so quiet at the drug prevention class, and I never would've guessed she had such a mouth on her.

But with her fiery, hazel eyes, pointed nose and thick eyeliner, she really does look like someone you don't want to mess with. Her septum piercing doesn't help much, either, and it only makes her look more gaudy and 'edgy', as some people would say.

"We're going to start on unit nine in your textbooks," Mrs. Albright announces. "Put your phones away, class! Take out your books!"

Xavier and I look at each other simultaneously, quietly mocking her with our facial expressions.

"You guys don't like her, huh?" Jaylene mutters to me.

"We fucking hate her."

"I can see why," she says to me as she pulls out a math book from under her desk and Mrs. Albright begins the tragedy that is her teaching.

~

Mary has earned a permanent spot at our lunch table, right in between Nadia and Reece.

So has Jack, who seems to be lighting Luis up like a Christmas tree.

Luis looks much happier than he did this morning, although he's pretty much ignoring everyone besides Jack.

I take my usual seat beside Luis, looking around to see if I can spot Jaylene.