If you smoke your cigarettes shorter, you'll smoke them longer.
-Unknown
(POV: Zoe)
I did manage to get a few hours of sleep, snuggling into a small, dark blue cotton blanket I had gotten from my father when I was very little, when he was stationed over seas.
I got up early like usual and got dressed in the wretched uniform I was required to wear, pulled my hair into a french braid, and did my natural eyeshadow and eyeliner.
Mom tried to give me breakfast, but I refused and took a bottle of water instead, making my way onto the street and hailed a cab, getting to school.
I got to school, the office ladies acting just as phony as usual. They hand me my schedule and my locker information. I go to my locker, putting some books away and go to my first class.
I got a bathroom pass as soon as possible and left quickly just wanting to escape from this hell they call "maths" or math in America, and not wanting to get in trouble today.
I dashed down the hall, looking for the bathroom, wandering down hallway after hallway, but all the doors looked the same. All wooden with silver handles enclosed in mint green frames.
I finally saw a sign that had a woman symbol and an arrow pointing down a small hallway that looked near abandon with only three doors.
"Well, you've got a 33.3% chance of being right." I sighed, looking carefully and realize one of the doors leads to a staircase and rule it out quickly.
"Alright, 50/50 chance."
I bit my lip, and go for the door on the left, opening it quickly, only to find people in there surrounded by cleaning supplies.
Two people, making out in a cupboard. They instantly stop at the sudden light filling the room. They both look at me, two guys, a few years older than myself.
"Very classy gentlemen." I say, my voice heavily laced with sarcasm. "And I know this isn't he first time, judging by your expertness of knowing this hall is empty during this period, and how you know the right amount of noise that is appropriate as not to be detected from the outside."
They look at each other, one in confusion, the other a look of pure anger.
"And I'd say your new, new uniform, confusion with the doors, and being in this hall in the first place. This is not a hall for your years classes." The taller, slightly pudgy one sneered.
"Yes, yes, very clever. Now, you'll be lucky if I don't report you to the headmaster." I say crossing my arms.
"Report us?" The other boy asked anxiously, his accent a bit more rugged and unprofessional than the other boys, and his hair was already starting to grey prematurely.
"Maybe." I shrug. "I'm not usually one to snitch, usually the one snitched on, but I'm in a bitchy mood, so who knows."
"You know your mother will have a row if you got in trouble again." The greying haired boy said to the taller one.
"And my brother would have a field day if he found out why." The other agreed.
"What do you want?" He asked, wanting to bribe me to keep me quiet.
"Cigarettes." I say without missing a beat. "I've got no more and my mom swiped my last box before I got to this stupid country." I sighed, tapping anxiously at my thigh. "Two packs or I'll go straight for the headmaster to say two students were making out in a broom closet."
They sighed, both going into there backpacks and fishing out a box each.
"Pleasure doing business with you boys." I grin, tucking the two boxes away in my bag, hidden beneath my lunch. "As you were gentlemen." I nod, closing the door.
"Bloody Americans." I hear the tall one grumble as it closes.
I roll my eyes, walking across the hall to the bathroom, and walk in, scoping out the area, making sure it was in fact empty, and pulling out a cigarette and my favorite lighter, just small enough to be comfortable in my small jacket pocket.
I inhale greedily. My first lungful of smoke in almost 72 hours, and it felt glorious. The stress of the whole move falling off my shoulders, and leaving out the window with the smoke which I skillfully exhaled through my nose, making it look like I was a dragon, like Smaug or something like that.
I looked at my watch realizing the period ended in a minute, so I stamped out my cigarette and popped a handful of mints, hoping it would cover the smell up enough to keep her out of trouble.
"No trouble today. Here me? Any trouble, and I'm taking away your phone, music, and all of your paper and pencils." My moms words from this morning rung in my head, giving me just enough incentive to stay good today.
I look at myself in the mirror, adjusting my tie. I hated this uniform, it made me look like a preppy schoolgirl. I sighed, checking my eye makeup, and letting my hair out of its tight bondage, falling naturally around my shoulders. I run my fingers threw it, letting it fall where it wanted. I looking at myself, nodding, and exit the bathroom, bag slung over my shoulder.
