Baby Teeth

Chapter 4

September 22, 2015; Tuesday (22 days)

I hate adulting.

I took me an hour to find the crumpled scrap of paper the free (thank fuck) biology tutor's number was written on. I prolonged contacting him as long as I could, but the first session is tomorrow and I haven't signed up yet. The stubborn part of me keeps insisting that I don't need help, but my marks beg to differ.

I groan as I pull out my phone from my jeans' pocket.

7:32\ Matt: Is this the first year biology tutor?

I'm watching TV from my shabby blue couch when my phone vibrates.

8:02\ Unknown: Yes, this is. How may I help you?

8:05\ Matt: Do you have any openings for the tutor session tomorrow? Any time after 3 is good for me.

8:11\ Unknown: Yup. How is 4:30? I'll need your name for the schedule.

8:16\ Matt: Matt Fisher. What's yours?

8:20\ Unknown: Westley Campbell. See you tomorrow, room A327. Ask for Wes.

8:23\ Matt: Thanks

I let a breath of air escape through my lightly pressed lips, making a loud squealing noise. There, it's done. That's enough interaction for one day.

I make a new contact for the tutor then I toss my phone to the other side of the couch, slumping down as far as possible. Finally, I can relax.

During the span of the next ten hours, I get my whole three hours of sleep, watch two horror movies, clean the funky-smelling week-old dishes from my sink, and go for a bite to eat. On my walk back from my early breakfast I get another text, this one from the teenage ghostbuster.

6:31\ Juliet: Tonight, 9:00, outside town

I ignore the urge to tease her for her vagueness. She is the one that agreed to help me, after all.

The thought of why she agreed to help me sends a shiver down my spine. She's training me to become a murderer. I hope it doesn't come to it, but I have to know how to defend myself.

I hate to admit it, but without her help, I'll be dead in minutes. I don't even know how to punch properly, for Christ's sake, let alone fight off a horde of vampires - which, by the way, is the craziest thought that's ever been formed in my head.

Right now, I feel like I'm in for a whole load of crazy.

-

September 23, 2015; Wednesday (21 days)

"Do you want fries with that?"

"Yes, please." Does anyone ever answer 'no'?

"Your total is $10.65. Drive through."

Five classes, two stress-induced headaches and one fast-food craving later finds me in the drive through queue of McDonald's, awaiting an order of nuggets and a milkshake. Although they don't subdue my actual hunger, chicken nuggets are still my go-to comfort food. 

I turn my radio up as I wait for the line to move ahead. I lost all sense of self-consciousness a couple years ago, meaning that I don't feel even slightly embarrassed when a lady walking by stares at me as I sing More Than A Feeling at the top of my lungs. I give her a wink before pulling the car in gear and advancing to the pickup counter. I wish the bored employee a good day as I reach up to window to retrieve my grease-stained paper bag then drive away.