Narrator
Kenzie woke up from her day dream on the bench. The honking noise was the bus that was waiting in front of her.
"Come on Kenz! You look like you've just been petrified!" The bus driver called.
"Sorry." She simply said while grabbing her stuff.
She gets on the bus and sits in the front.
Just to clear things up... it's still the same day as she turned down Johnny Orlando at lunch and the whole thing with the essay. She wishes that had happened. Everything is much worse than that in real life. She lives in the trailer park with her sister Maddie and her boyfriend jack. Maddie and her work the night shifts at the 24 hour diner downtown. Maddie also has a day job at the library where she learns most of the stuff she knows. Jack had a full time job as a museum guide. They barely ever sleep and Maddie and her boyfriend no longer go to school. Her boyfriend helps with paying the bills and is like an older brother to Kenzie. Her beatings do happen a lot but she's only ever told her best friends. One of her friends is the bus driver, jimmy, because he's the only one who listens to her. He may be 50 but she loved to talk to him.
"Are you alright, Kenz?" Jimmy asked.
"Yeah I'm ok.." Kenzie said looking down.
"Did he come back?" Jimmy asked as he stopped at a red light.
"No but I have a feeling he's coming back tomorrow.." she replied sadly.
"Oh Kenzie." He pouted. "If you ever need me to go in there and kick some butt i will."
What he said made her laugh.
"Thanks Jimmy." She said while grabbing her stuff as they pulled up to her stop.
"Bye Kenz. See you tomorrow." He gave a warm smile.
"Bye." She said with a smile.
She jumped off the last step and skipped home. Talking to Jimmy always made her happy. When she walked into her trailer she saw jack and Maddie jumping up and down happily.
"What's going on?" Kenz asked curiously.
"Sia wants me to go dance for her!" Maddie says excited.
"Omg that's great!" Kenzie joins in the excitement.
"And when I come back we'll be able to move into a real house!" Maddie exclaimed.
"That's wonderful! When do you leave?!" Kenz asked.
"Tonight." Maddie's tone was less excited.
"Oh..." was all she had to say.
"And I have to go back to work now." Jack says.
He hugs and kisses Maddie goodbye then leaves.
"I have to go in a couple hours. You want to hangout?" Maddie asked.
Kenzie nodded.
"Let's go cloud watching!" Maddie said excited.
"I'll get the cushions for the pool chairs."
Kenzie exclaimed while getting them out of the closet.
They watch the clouds for an hour and a half before Maddie said she had to go. She grabbed her bag and they walk to the bus stop together. Maddie gets on the bus and Kenzie walks back to their trailer sad. She sets an alarm for 9 o'clock pm, and falls asleep.
~~~
Her alarm goes off and she gets dressed in her waitress uniform. She grabbed her backpack and walked out of the trailer. She locked the door and walked to the bus stop.When she got to the dinner she walked into the diner to see only a few tables full of people.
"Kenzie! You're finally here. Where's Maddie?" One of the other waitresses said.
"Sorry I'm late. And Maddie isn't in town." She replied putting her stuff down behind the counter.
"Oh ok.... do you need me to stay?" The other waitress said.
She wasn't supposed to work the night shift.
"No I'm fine." She said.
The other waitress nodded and left.
"Hey waitress!" A customer called.
She looked up and walked over to the table. Great. It was the gang. She put on a fake smile.
Mackenzie
"How can I help you?" I ask fake happily.
They order their food and I tell the chef, Stanley.
"How you been Kenz?" Stanley asked me.
He's my other best friend. He's a year older than me and gay.
"I've been doing fine." I responded after giving him the orders.
"He come back yet?" He asked.
"Not yet. Put I feel like it's soon." I said grabbing a beer from the walk in fridge.
I walk behind the counter and started my homework.
"Waitress!" I walk back over to the table.
"Yes?"
"I thought you looked familiar." Hayden said.
"Yeah yeah, your the chick who called out Johnny for playing girls." Carson added.
"You did what?" Someone said angrily behind me.
I turn around and see mark. Crap. He walks up to me and punched me in the face. The girls gasped and the boys laughed and joined in... except Johnny, he just sat there. Stanley ran out of the kitchen and pulled me away from them.
"I'm fine." I mumbled.
He ignored me and kicked them out. I'm going to pay for that tomorrow.
~~~
I woke up in my twin bed that's next to Maddie and jacks full sized bed. Jack was already at work and I had to go to school. I got dressed into shorts and an oversized sweatshirt. I get out concealer to cover my bruises. I brush my teeth and hair before leaving. I walk to the bus stop to be greeted by the bus already there.
"Good morning Jimmy." I said with a fake smile.
"Don't give me a fake smile. What happened?"
He raised his eyebrows at me as I sat down in the front seat.
"He came back." I said sadly.
"Are you ok?" He asked.
"Honestly I'd rather be kidnapped rather than have to deal with them."
(Literally as I typed that, I got an amber alert saying someone just got kidnapped. 🤯)
"Don't say that Kenz! It will end." He said
"I'm hoping." I said as I grabbed my stuff.
"Hey Kenz..." He says as we stop. "Why don't you just go on a school bus?"
"Because I wouldn't get to see you." I smile.
"And the buses don't drive that far." I add on.
We both laugh and I get off of the bus. I cross the street and walk into school. I walk into school same old same old. No one would probably care if I killed myself.
