Love to Hate You

Chapter Three

Now that the end of the day has finally come--after many, many challenging obstacles--I’m thoroughly exhausted and ready to leave school.Let’s just say today was . . .rough.Sympathy anyone?

As I hurry through the halls, determined not to miss the bus today, I find myself stumbling on my feet a little, slowing my progress down . Darn you clumsiness! Why here, why now?

While I try to gain my composure, there’s a little person in my head shaking its fist at the sky in rage. I can not miss the bus; missing it would only send me right off the edge of a cliff.Figuratively speaking.

When I come across the wall that’s set aside specifically for the murals each year, I turn my head for a split second to glance at it, taking in the paintings from last year that are still there.

And, lucky for me (did you catch the sarcasm there?), during that split second, I’m caught off guard by someone tumbling into my pathway, bumping me in the process.  

“Ouch! What the heck? Way to get in my way!” I growl, and turn to the person.       

Oh, lovely.Justin.

After a moment,  he spins around to see who is screaming at him, and grins when he sees it’s me. my face.

“Hey! It’s Carrots!” He smiles in amusement.

Unwilling to see how any of this is amusing, I scowl at him.

“Auburn! Do I need to spell it out for you?” I grumble, and push past him, purposefully slapping thehis guitar case that he carries in his right hand as I go.

“Do spell it out, darling.”  He slings his arm around my shoulder, with a skateboard hanging from his hand,andHe goes on to lean his forehead onagainst the side of my head.

Disgusted, I slap his face away. “Ew, get away from me,” I groan, speeding ahead as far away from him as possible. At this rate, I’m going to be late for sure. Gosh darn it!

“Most girls would like that!” he calls after me, and I can hear the lilt of arrogance in his voice.

“Well, unlike most girls, you don’t impress me much, Weirdo,” I call over my shoulder, and jog out the front door of to the school.

I hHurriedly, I pull my bus pass from my pocket as the wind tosses my hair in my face, and I frantically push the tousled hair back into place. The sound of wheels on gravel tugs at my ears. I turn my head and see Justin and his band members. They fly past me on their skateboards and Justin looks over his shoulder to wink at me. Um, can you say gross?

I finally come to the place where my bus is supposed to be waiting, only to find that it’s gone. Great, just great, I missed it for the third time in the past two weeks. If it wasn’t for my chemistry teacher always having us stay after class this wouldn’t happen.

Aaron is going to hate me, I think as I pull my cellphone out of my backpack.

Aaron is my older brother. We call him A.J. for short because his middle name is Jacob. He is in his first year of college, and usually has stuff going on during the day. So, when I call him to come and pick me up he gets pretty annoyed. I get lectured about missing the bus and what not. But hey, it’s not my fault. If it wasn’t for my parent’s refusal to let me get a car this wouldn’t always happen.

I hit the number for his speed dial and wait. My fingers pick at the hem of my shirt impatiently.

“I’ll be there in five,” he sighs, and he hangs up before I even get to say anything.

I walk back over to the parking lot and lean against a trash bin to wait for him. The weather is nice and fresh for late spring. The sun beats down on my sensitive skin while the wind carries the scent of damp earth, and dandelions poke up from the packed dirt.