March 2022
London
'Teacher says that I've been naughty, I must learn to concentrate"
"Don't be late for school please RoRo" Lisa sighed and pressed a kiss to the girls head.
"I won't...be as late as I was yesterday" the girl smirked and pursed her lips almost in a challenging way.
"I mean it Robyn. I've already had one too many calls from Miss Brown" Lisa raised a stern eyebrow and shook her head. "Please darling. Your so smart. Don't waste it"
"Mum stop stressing it's fine I'm doing good at school" Robyn smiled and grabbed her bag from the counter "I'll be home later. Love you"
"Hey!" Robyns friend holly smiled as she skipped towards her.
"Hi" Robyn replied as she closed the distance and linked her arm with her friends, looking her friend up and down then wiggling her eyebrows. "You look cute today"
"Don't I look cute everyday?" Holly side eyed the girl playfully
"Meh i don't know I mean...joking joking" Robyn cringed then turned her neutral facade back on, the pair falling into a synchronised rhythm as they strolled down the alleyway.
"What's up, normally you can't wait to get into school so you can terrorise all the teachers" Holly nudged the girl and frowned
"My mums on my case again"
"How so" the brunette frowned at Robyn.
"Miss Brown keeps calling her constantly. I'm not even that bad" they both came to a halt by a space in the alleyway. "Did you bring it?" Robyn questioned and dug through her own bag as holly began to do the same.
"Mm- got it!"
Robyn
Okay okay. So maybe I haven't been the best behaved at school but it's so fucking boring.
I don't even need to go to lessons to do good in class. Like mum said I'm practically a brain box.
"Here" Holly held the cigarette out to me. Maybe this was a bad idea.
Id only ever seen my dad smoke after a few drinks but it looked fun.
"Thanks" I mumbled and put it to my lips, sparking the lighter and holding it against the end of the cigarette, passing it to holly once it was lit and her doing the same.
I didn't even take a full drag before I was coughing my lungs up, holly included.
It wasn't even that nice but it looked cool?
Not even half way down the cigarette and holly was struggling with me so instead of carrying on she put hers out, throwing it down and twisting her foot as she squished it on the uneven cement.
"Mm good idea" I copied her flicking mine to the floor aswell "we'll try again tomorrow"
"What's the time?" I asked as we sauntered down the road towards our school. We'd made a few pit stops picking up Lottie on the way who didn't live far from the alley and then to our local shop right by the hell hole.
"Um" Lottie paused as she reached for her phone "10:13"
"Shit" I mumbles and picked up the pace " I'm nearly two hours late again. She's gonna call my mum" I groaned and let me head fall back a little.
"It's not like this is abnormal for us anymore" Holly laughed as her and Lottie started to match my pace.
"I know but I'm gonna miss sign in because Sheila goes home at 10:30 and then they'll definitely call her because I'll have to go to miss Brown and get her to sign me in" their parents weren't as strict as mine. Mum was pretty chill at most times but dad was...he was something else. And he really cared about school.
If you were wondering who Sheila was... well her name is Mrs McConnors but we'd formed a mutual...let's say friendship. Id head into the reception most days at 10:20 just before she'd leave. She only worked for 2 hours. She's an oldie but a goldie. Her husband is also my math teacher but he doesn't like me very much.
Shiela signs me in when I'm late. She doesn't even give me a detention anymore because she just knows I won't even go to it.
I normally get away with this but lately. Actually very recently, attention has been brought to my late attendance in the mornings and lack of arrival to all of my lessons. On good days I'll go to one or two. Bad days none. But now what's screwed me up is a lovely report I've been put on by Miss brown. She makes me check in everyday after school and it's for a month. How shit.
Once me Holly and Lottie had successfully signed in we quickly ran to the nearest toilets all cramming in a cubicle. This was a daily routine at this point. After 10:30 we have form time. After form time it's break so we normally can stretch out the whole bunking in a toilet fiasco until third lesson which is where we will either go to class or relocate to another toilet block.
It's grim sitting in toilets. Really. But I'd choose it any other day then sitting in a classroom.
I can't concentrate in class. My head in constantly a million miles away. There's too many things happening. I hate it. And when I get overwhelmed I get angry and can't help the outbursts I have, whether they be aggressive or just me having a whole break down which is embarrassing. So now you might see why I would choose to sit in the toilet blocks compared to a classroom filled with bitchy girls I don't even like.
"Girls get out of the toilets please" great. A teacher.
The three of us all glanced at each other, paling ever so slightly.
We weren't scared of getting in trouble necessarily but now we were trapped and they would get leadership to get us out. We were fucked.
"Shit shit shit" Lottie mumbled and took a hit of her vape, Holly quickly waving the smoke away so the teachers wouldn't see it from the top.
"What do we do now?" Holly looked slightly panicked and got up from her spot on the floor, I was crammed in a corner and Lottie was nice and comfortable on the toilet seat lid.
"Um- fuck" this situation really wasn't a great one to be in considering my dad and my mum were now pissed off about me and my behaviour but hey there was no turning back now. It's my fault I always put myself in these situations. I'm impulsive and it's a bad trait I've picked up from somewhere. I don't know who though as mum and dad are very calculated. "Put your hood up over your head and run out after me"
Like they were gonna fall for that. They already knew it was us because we were the three who consistently didn't turn up to lesson and also weren't signed into our classes. The only thing stopping a phone call home to ask if we turned up to school was Shiela actually putting our names down on the system.
Without thinking too much I abruptly unlocked the door and ran with Holly and Lottie not far behind me.
We were soon caught so our plans didn't really work out and before I knew it I was stuck in English with Miss McCarthy. I hated her so much and she hated me.
"God get me out of this hell hole" I groaned and leant back in my chair catching the attention of most people in my class. Not to have a big ego but everyone knew who i was. My dad basically funded this stupid stuck up and snobby private school. I was just the kid everyone knew was a little psychotic and crazy at times. It was fun though.
"Can we just run out" Lottie leant across to my table and whispered.
We could but I had something else in mind.
"Just wait" I snickered suddenly having a light bulb moment which made her frown at me in confusion but brushed it off.
"Girls can you stop talking! Please! I've asked many times now." Miss McCarthy huffed and stalked over to stand between the two tables. Me on one and Lottie on the other.
"Actually miss I need a new book. Would you be able to get me one. I don't think I'll be able to reach" I smiled innocently and put on a sweet voice. I was good at acting. I think it was theatre becuase neither of my parents could act to save their lives. Instead they have boring jobs, well dad is in a corporate job that pays shit loads and mum just spends his money.
"Sure" Miss McCarthy nodded and moved to the cupboard behind me.
"Thank you..."
As she stepped in I waited for the perfect moment and as she was all the way in I grabbed the door handle, slamming it shut and holding it.
This was funny now. Maybe not later but for now it was hilarious.
"Robyn Banks let me out right now!" My teacher continuously hammered on the door until I was satisfied enough and let it go, laughing as I did and took a step back.
"MISS HANDS OFFICE! NOW!" she screamed at me as she emerged from the cupboard, turning me round and giving me a slight nudge to move forward.
I was in deep now.
As you can imagine I was sent home and suspended. My mum was fuming but my dad angrier.
He was always angry these days so what's new?
"Robyn" mum sighed as she pulled into the long ass driveway we had.
"Yes" I replied not in the mood to talk after hearing my dad on the phone to her on the way home.
"Darling, what's going on so you can help me understand? I- I want to be able to help you. I don't know where this has come from. I know you've always liked to push people's buttons sometimes but this- this is not you sweetheart."
Of course it wasn't me. I wonder if anyone even knew the real me.
It was better to stay silent. Mum would help when she could but dad would shout me down.
I don't want to play this part but I do anyway.
I'm so confused. Who even am I? What am I doing with myself? I'm messing everything up.