Life Worth Loving

Chapter 6

Sorry I haven't been updating very regularly!!! Life's been really hectic. Buuuuuut here it is!!!

"We have a problem," Zaria says, walking up to me. It's right after PE, so she's still in her gym clothes. A sheepish smile spreads across her face. That's her face for when she's done something stupid.

I sigh, shaking my head. "No, you have a problem. I have an idiot who keeps making them."

Zaria paused, considering this. Then she shrugged. "Fair enough, I suppose. I clogged the toilet."

My head darts up at this. "I'm sorry, you did what?"

"I clogged the toilet," Zaria repeats matter-of-factly.

"It's a public toilet, Zaria," I say. "You're not supposed to clog it."

"You're not supposed to clog any toilet," Bethany, a new girl who's recently adopted Zaria and me as her friends, says. Well, she adopted Zaria. I'm probably just the baggage that comes with her. "And yet she manages it."

Zaria shrugs. "What? I'm a talented girl."

I roll my eyes. "Za-ria," I say.

Zaria laughs awkwardly. "Hey, it's not my fault. Blame my bladder."

"It's not your bladder that comes from," I say. I roll my eyes playfully. "You're impossible."

Zaria grins. "I specialize in that."

"Go tell a teacher," Bethany orders.

Zaria purses her lips. "Yeah... I'm good."

"Zaria, you can't just leave it for someone else to find," Bethany says. "That's absolutely disgusting."

"Yeah, well, too bad," Zaria says. She pulls her backpack up on her back and walks off down the hall. I sigh and follow her. Zaria is weird.

Bethany and I follow her.

"Who clogged the toilet?" I hear from behind us.

"Run," Zaria whispers, and we take off down the eleventh-grade hallway. I feel like a fugitive, almost. I have a very uneventful life.

I'm laughing with Zaria and Bethany when Kendra walks up.

I follow her away from my friends. "What's up?"

"God, I feel bad for asking this," Kendra mutters. "But my mom can't stay away from her work very long. My aunt is with my brother, but my mom wants me with him too. Because, you know, I'm immediate family. My aunt's just there for the paperwork. Anyway, I still need a lot of help with English. My GPA is dropping. Do you mind working with me at the hospital?" Kendra cringes, her cheeks turning scarlet.

I nod. "Of course. That's not a problem. Do you need a ride, too?"

Kendra's eyes light up. "Really? You don't mind?"

I shake my head. "Not at all. You need help. It's not that big of a deal."

"Thank you so much," Kendra says. "This- This means a lot. Thank you. So much. That's- thank you."

I smile. "Of course. Now, do you need a ride?" I ask again.

"Can you?" Kendra smiles. "Please?"

I shrug. "Sure. Come on."

Kendra follows me to my car, and I direct her on how to get my wheelchair into the trunk.

"What about your dad?" I ask as I start the car. "No support at all?"

Kendra sighs and shakes her head. "No. He's pretty much been out of our lives since the divorce. He has a new family now." I can see her rolling her eyes out of the corner of mine. "His kids are perfect. They're not as messy as my brothers. Their grades are better. They're not as rowdy. We met his family once. It didn't go so well."