Flames

Chapter 2: Is getting better

I wake up feeling like crap. My abdomen hurts pretty bad, probably because of yesterday's fight. When my dad got home last night, I was already asleep, so I didn't get a chance to talk to him, but I did some overthinking about the situation and I decided that I'm going to take Luke's advice and go back to school. I don't think it can get worse than yesterday. Maybe today I'll get to meet nice people and see my friends. I don't plan to get into any more fights... but, I will defend myself if I have to; I just really, really hope it doesn't come to it.

"Honey, are you ready? Don't want to be late again," my dad asks from downstairs.

"Be down in a minute," I yell in response.

I finish getting dress, grab my things, and head downstairs. My dad is already in the car, so I grab a granola bar and meet him outside. "You seriously need to get me a car, so I can drive myself to school and so I don't have to walk 40 minutes to get home after school," I tell my dad while getting inside the car.

"I'm sorry you had to walk home yesterday," he apologizes while stepping on the gas. "We'll see about the car. How was school yesterday?"

"Oh, it was peachy. Tons of fun," I answer sarcastically. Sarcasm is my way of life.

"I'm glad at least your sense of humor and sarcasm is intact," my dad acknowledges, glancing at me.

"Me too. Who would I be without my best talent?"

My dad rolls his eyes at me. "You have volleyball tryouts today, so I'll pick you up around 4:30 p.m." he informs me.

"Oh shit! I totally forgot about that," I curse. I completely forgot about it with all that happened yesterday and me not wanting to go back to that horrible school.

"Hey! Mind your vocabulary," my dad scolds me. "You can ask Larry to lend you something to practice on. I'm sure he has some old rags lying around there you can use."

"Yeah, I guess so." Larry is the coach, my dad's best friend. I play a lot of different sports, so I have to go to all tryouts because my dad and Larry insist. I don't mind though 'cause I really love sports, and I love the feeling I get when I'm in a court playing my heart out.

————————— FLAMES —————————

"Glad to see you're still alive," Luke says sitting next to me. I'm in my third class; I got here early because my last teacher let us go a few minutes before the class period was over.

"I thought about it... and I'm not sure the school could've lived without my outshining presence, so I decided not to deprive you of it," I reply satirically.

"Oh yeah! I'm sure the school would be a chaos right now," Luke replies, laughing at my comment. "You are weird."

"I get that a lot."

"You have lunch next, right?" Luke asks.

"Yes?" I answer confused at his sudden question.

"Well, if you don't have where to sit or with whom to hang out, you can sit with me and my friends," Luke offers kindly.

"Thanks, but I'm better by myself. I'm not good at socializing."

"You've done good so far," he tells me.

"So good that you say I'm weird," I say.

"Weird, but in a good way," he clarifies. "You're funny, easy to talk to, and fun to be around. I think my friends would like you, and you, them." My heart skips a beat at his words and my face reddens. I don't know what is wrong with me.

I don't reply anything back, so we stop talking and pay attention to the class, which I must say is boring as hell. I hate science with all my being. The class ends and I walk out of the classroom as fast as I can. I haven't seen Lola all day, but I did see her friends. Thank God no one has bothered me today. I walk in the hallway, not sure if I should go to the cafeteria. I end up heading that way anyways.