Playing Favorites

Mailbox

The class room is always very quiet during journal time but for some reason today someone can't keep their shit together. We've only been writing for a few minutes but this girl in the back hasn't stopped talking. She's giggling and mumbling stuff to her friends and I'm almost 100 percent sure I know what they're laughing about. I'm about ready to lose it when Sarah finally speaks up.

"Monica and Piper. I don't want to hear you." Sarah looks up from grading to stare them down.

"Miss Paulson we were discussing our journal entries." Piper explains.

"Just stay quiet." She looks back down to her papers and starts biting her lip.

Today is the last day before break so everyone is just trying to get through it. Monica and Piper are making it especially hard because they're fucking annoying but that's fine I guess. Thanksgiving is going to be the same as always: dinner next door with Paula, Dave, and their two kids families. Only difference this year is Sarah will be joining us. This is our first major holiday together and I'm so excited.

"Riley, will you take this to the Office then grab everything from my mailbox?" She hands me a few papers.

"Sure."

"I'll take it for you Miss Paulson." Donovan yells out.

"No, Riley's got it." She says as I walk out.

I walk to the office and hand the lady at the front desk the papers. She doesn't say anything, just takes them. That's fine. After I want to the separate room where all the teacher mailboxes are.

"You can't go in there." She speaks up.

"Miss Paulson asked me to get her mail." I say as I start to walk in.

"Am I going to have to write you up?"

I laugh as I grab the mail from the cubby with her name on it. "I've done this a million times through out the school year. Why is this the first time you stopped me?" I walk back out and cross my arms over my chest.

"Just because you're fucking a teacher doesn't mean you get special treatment."

This bitch started this year and she's already in everyone's business. "I'm not even going to respond to that." I walk out feeling a little hurt but also pissed as fuck.

I walk out of the office and try my hardest to calm down on my walk back to Sarah's classroom. When I get back I walk behind her desk and set her mail on her desk.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Sarah mumbles.

"I'm so fucking tired of everyone being shitty and saying I get special treatment bc I'm fucking you. I swear to god-"

"Miss Paulson if a lion and a tiger have sex-"

"Donovan!" Sarah yells.

"I'm making an actual analogy right now.. or a theory. Maybe a metaphor." He stumbles over his words.

"You fucking idiot." I've completely erupted. I'm livid. And I don't care.

"Riley!" Sarah grabs my arm.

"You are such an ignorant asshole and no one thinks you're funny. Ever! You say the dumbest things in class and I swear to god we all lose a brain cell when you open your fucking mouth!" I don't even realize how loud I'm yelling.

"Riley!" Sarah yells. "In the hall."

It takes all I have to not yell back. She grabs my arm again to lead me out but I yank it away. I walk out into the hall and stand against the lockers.

"What the fuck was that?" She whispers.

"I hate this. I can't fucking take it Sarah." My tears finally begin to fall. "If someone in their damn school makes one more fucking smart ass comment I'm going to fucking lose it."

"Baby you already did." She starts to pull me to her but I pull away. I don't know why but I start to throw may arms around in defense.

"Stop! Fucking stop!" I cry. "Everyone is talking and I can't handle it I'm going to fucking kill my self before we even get the chance to-"

She grabs my arms and pulls me towards her. "Listen to me and listen to me good Riley."

Her eyes are filled with anger and tears.

"I will end this if you ever say that again." I pull away from her again. My heart is completely shattered. "I love you and I want to know why you're so-"

"No." I stop her. "I'm going home." I start to walk away.

"Riley." She yells.

I just walk away. I keep walking till I get to my back door. When I get inside I walk to the living room and fall to the floor. I pull a blanket off the couch and wrap myself in it. I don't know why but I feel so much pain. How is it that my body physically hurts? I scream and I cry until my lungs feel like they're going to give out.

I've almost completely fallen asleep when I hear the back door open. If I'm lucky I'm about to be robbed and murdered, I think as I let myself fall asleep.