First day back into lessons. I hate it already.
The worst part is always waking up. The sudden loud, irritating, annoying noise just beaming through your ears, forcing you to open your eyes even though you were in the perfect position, in the perfect dream. Then followed by tiredness spreading through your body, hunger, and the feeling of your unwashed skin, knotted hair.. I hate all of it.
I sit on the bed, bringing my hands to brush through my eyes, a weak attempt of making me more awake. I groan and look through the room, excpecting to find a waking up Liz and Ame, but, nothing.
Huh, guess I slept in.. what time even is it?
I grab my buzzing phone and turn off the damn alarm, taking the opportunity to look at the time as well. 7:00 am.
Classes start at 7:30.
Too much time to do it all quickly, too little time to do it slowly. I hate waking up involuntarily.
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After taking a rushed shower, but carefully getting ready, I spray some perfume and grab my backpack before walking out the bedroom.
Opening the door I see loads of other students, all walking to the hallway just like I am about to. Sighing, still not over the fact it's earlier than 10am and I'm awake, I force myself to mine and my friends usual spot, just by the end of the hallway, in front of the cafeteria.
Approaching them I decide to stay quiet, not even slightly in the mood to talk, knowing too well I might snap if one more inconvenience happens. Watching through my group, I realize Sabina is not here, raising my brows at the realization, a sudden weight rolls off my shoulder, thanking God for making me have some peace for at least five minutes.
"Morning dingle bells" Nate's voice fills my ears from behind, I fight the urge to roll my eyes and keep my mouth shut. "Uh, I wouldn't recommend talking to her right now. First day back and all, you know how she gets in the mornings" Liz reminds him, wisely suggesting a great advice.
"Right. Crampy pants can't grow through her spoiled manners, can she?" He taunts. I know too well what he's doing, but it won't work. I'm the bigger person.
He snickers, giving an unbelieved look at my friends. "Dumb Dumb Dummy, please enlighten me on how bad it is to be born without a brain?" He fake pouts, clearly still attempting to get on my nerves. He's succeeding. I sigh loudly, everyone expecting me to burst out, but I look at Liz. "Liz, honey, please tell your fucking friend that if he doesn't stop I'll-"
"D U M M Y, oh wait, can you even spell?" He interrupts me, my eyes for the first time today gluing on his and his stupid face with the stupid smirk plastered on it. "Kill. Him." I say, separately.
"All right!" Leo, my brother clap his hands together. "Everyone check out on the app how you guy's schedules are"
The school has an app which tells us the schedules, the midterms date, the days off, the half days, our newest homework's and reading activities. I'd say it's pretty useful, especially since it's made just for the student's of the school.
I open the app, carefully scroll to the correct session.
"Applied English, first period" I tell them, still looking down at the rest of my schedule. "Then I have Modern History, applied Calculus, applied physics, oh I got Art this year, nice. And lastly Advanced Biology." I inform, shutting off the screen of my phone after I'm done reading the classes.
"Looks like we're going down the same way, classmate" Nate says, wrapping one of his arms around my shoulder as he takes me to our first period.
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I try to sit the furthest away from Nate as possible, but given his arm gluing me to him, we seat next to each other, today.
To try to avoid the noise pollution of Nate's voice, I plug my earphone on and put the song on the maximum volume. Nate kept poking me for a while, until he suddenly stopped.
I was humming along the song, eyes closed because I was indeed desperately trying to avoid Nate, until my AirPod is taken away. With my eyes still closed, and head buried into my arms, I mumble. "Nate, I will actually torture you for the rest of your life."
When I hear no response, I aggressively turn my head to the side. My eyes widen as I realize the teacher, Mr Ghail stands over me, earphone in his hands and a clear scowl as he looks down at me. "Excuse me?" He defensively snaps, blinking a couple of times to process my words.
"No! No, you see, I was talking to Nate, because I thought he was the one that-"
"Took your noise things. Yes. I'm aware. So now you threaten to torture me?" He asks, a firm stare still looking down disapprovingly at me. "No, I actually wanted to pay attention to your class, one which I deeply appreciate. And then he kept poking me-"
"Deeply appreciate? Sorry, Mrs Bianchi, if I'm having a hard time believing that." He snaps, the corner of his mouth twitching in anger, his brows furrowed so deep I feel like he might be permanently stuck this way.
"Well, you shouldn't. I'm telling the truth, sir." I argue, wanting to definitely delete Nate's existence from earth right now.
"Are you lying?" He asks, eyes narrowing. "No, Mr Ghail."
"Aham, I see, so that's why the entire class could hear 'she tryna fuck around put that tang on me', right? Because you were paying attention to the lesson?" It's like he wants to provoke me. I lower my head as I can hear the entire class trying to hold back laughter, even I, myself, am holding it back, but once I hear Nate's accidental snicker, I can't help but let out one of my own.
"Are you laughing at my face, on top of it all? Mr Ghail implies, growing angrier. "No, no, no! I am not, sir." I desperaly try to defend myself from being more royally screwed than how I already am.now.
"Get out of my class Isabella, right now." He states, face growing red at the despise he feels for me at the moment.
"The whole class was laughing!" I try to say, but am interrupted by my teacher once more. "Leave right now." He demands, so I do as told as he turns around. "Next class you better be in a better behavior, Mrs Bianchi." He warns before I close the door behind me.
I sigh and roll my eyes, giving the middle finger at the closed door in front of me.
Turning around I watch the empty hallways, ones which are usually so filled with whispering and gossip, students talking and even making out. I shake my head and decide to at least walk a little bit, put in my cardio.
Passing through the cafeteria, I spot a familiar head sitting by the tables. Worry filing my features, I walk up to him and sit by the same table, right next to the known friend. "Hey, are you alright Elliot? What are you doing here? I ask, concern dripping from my tone as I sit next to him.
"Oh, hey Bella." He get's startled, quickly bringing his hand to his eye in a swift motion of wiping a tear. "I uh, just needed some time, I guess" he says, looking down at his fidgeting fingers. He looks around for anyone else, seeming like he's paranoid.
"Hey.." I softly say, not wanting to scare him anymore than how he already looks like. I carefully place my hand on his shoulder, an act to show him he can talk to me whenever he wants. "If you want, you know I'm here for the bad stuff too, right?" I say in a more playful tone, trying to cheer up the welling boy by saying he doesn't need to go through it alone, but that I won't force him into telling me.
"It's family stuff. My parents wanted me to get a girlfriend, someone who they'd like. They said I had to do it quickly, someone to be next to me as I stay put on the pedestal I'm forced into, the company of the family. I should think of it as great, you know? But all I can remember from it are my dad's insults at his own brothers, the thing teared my family apart. My cousin can take it, I really don't want it" He rambles off, I listen to every single word, my expression going from worry to sadness.
"They say Sabrina's family is good for business, basically making me marry her only for the company. I hate this life. I even for a while considered musicm you know? Posted up on SoundCloud and even got some good reviews." He tells me, a faded smile daring to appear on his lips.
I softly smile back, "Have you ever told them that?"
"Are you kidding me? They'd kick me out of the house. My entire family would erase the memory of me and fucking disown me or whatever. I can't be alone right now, not when I'm about to go to college, decide what I wanna do-" He says, but I cut him off. "If you stay quiet, you won't be doing what you want."
After a moment or two of silence, he relaxes under my touch and I pull him into a hug. "And you would never, ever, in your life, be alone as long as I'm alive" i reassure him, slowly rubbing my hand on his back until we unwrap ourselves.
"I guess I'll have to confront them, won't I?" He sadly says, now finally looking into my eyes. "If it's the key to what you want, then yeah. You will"
"I've been doing this for over a month now, the music thing. I have some money, maybe to get an apartment somewhere. I know my parents already paid this year's school bills so they won't take me out, but still, being here while knowing they hate me is hard y'know" He comments, lowering his head as his hands go back to fidgeting with his rings.
I place my hand over his. "It'll be alright. You gotta go through the thunderstorm to survive to see the rainbow, right? And I'll offer you every single umbrella to help you get through that heavy rain, I swear, El." I assure him, looking into his eyes before giving him one last hug.
"And I'm sure I know a blondie who'd love to be your girlfriend. No one can not like her anyway, right?" I tap him in the shoulder before standing up from my place.
"Thanks, Bella. I really appreciate it." He softly mumbles, I give him a nod before walking off to my next class.