NEON

12. Charter Cobra

Kaplan.

"Alright Cyrus, the last thing we need to do before you're an official Charter Cobra is have your student ID taken. If you would please follow me." Malik, the gay guy Askins was friends with in high school, smiled at Cyrus and escorted her to a different room.

I was still signing papers and filling out her emergency shit. To them, I was Cyrus' guardian. I made up some shit story about my parents being dead and my grandmother is in Ohio. They actually believed it! For a charter school they aren't really that smart.

"Okay. Thank you Ms. Ross." They come back in. "I will look forward to seeing you on Monday." He dismisses us. I smile my best and wave goodbye instead of telling them to fuck off. That wouldn't be very 'guardian' of me so I kept quiet.

Cyrus was extremely happy with her school transfer. She was jumping on the whole walk to the car. She was waving her school ID around and singing a random song. Once I got the car unlocked she bounced. This kid was literally vibrating in her seat.

"Calm the fuck down. You're giving me a headache." I started the car and drive away. She flinched at my harsh language and I shrugged. I have come to the conclusion that apologising is dumb.

"Can we stop at Marcel's?" She asks. I sigh and pull into the parking lot. She runs out and swings the door opened. The woman at the desk, Kelly, smiled at her and handed us menus. She gave Cyrus a lollipop and smiled at me. I nodded at her and walked Cyrus to our usual table in the back.

"Cheap, Cyrus." I warned her. She nodded her head as if she already planned on it. The waitress, Carrie, came over and asked us what we wanted to drink. We both got strawberry lemonade since everything else here is artificial.

"How did you get me into a charter school?" Cyrus asked completely surprised by my power. "I don't even have the mindset of a charter kid-" I interrupted her flabbergasting with my deadpanned tone.

"It's just a school." I wasn't gonna mention the fact that she had through the roof grades and she is scary smart because well . . . that would be a compliment and I don't do nice.

"What about dad?" Her excitement died and she was now terrified. "Oh my god and mom. She is gonna be so mad at me-" She started panicking.

"Emily isn't mom." I state for the millionth time. "Dad doesn't even have the right to be mad. He probably won't notice." I cross my arms and the lady brings us our drinks.

"Do you babes know what you want?" Carrie asked us. Cyrus told her Mozzarella sticks with barbecue sauce. I told her the same but with ranch. Other than pizza we always order the cheese sticks. Because they are so fantastic, we take some home.

"Alrighty, be back in two shakes and three shimmies." Cyrus laughs and Carrie walks away. I sip on my lemonade while Cyrus tries to stab a strawberry and bring it to the top so she could eat it. Her struggling noises made my headache worsen.

"Look." I grabbed the cup and stabbed a strawberry then sucked it up and brought it to the top of the cup. "Now quit it with the noises." I leaned back and rubbed my temples. She rolled her eyes and grabbed her cup.

"Do you think Jacob will find me?" She asks quietly. She stirs her straw in her drink, looking at it like its a hard math question it. The look she had made me want to curl her in a ball and rock her to sleep. I lean forward just as Carrie came back with our food.

"Alrighty. Is there anything else I can get you ladies?" She smiled and we both shook our head. She walks away and Cyrus immediately grabs her food. I made a disgusted face at the barbecue sauce that she is drowning her cheese stick in.