I told him I was hit by a door, a fucking door, how lame. He didn't believe me which was expected. "Maybe we can start recording and getting stuff for our video this week." I suggested and he nodded.
"Do you have a camera or anything?" He asked and I bit my lip, I did not.
"I thought nerds had like everything." I rolled my eyes, which hurt. A lot.
"Please, like my dad would buy me anything." I scoffed without thinking. He ignored the comment, "do you want ice for that?" I nodded finally and he got up to get me some. I sat there, saving pages of facts into a folder on my crappy flash-drive. For the first time everyone was whispering about me.
"Did she get hit by a bus or something?" A girl giggled,
"Maybe, that probably would've killed her or something though."
"Wouldn't that be great." My foot tapped anxiously as I tried tuning everyone out, where the hell was Keith?
It was a while before everyone shut up but Keith still wasn't back. I excused myself to look for him, I couldn't stand being in the classroom much longer. I looked around for a while and found him... Outside... Smoking a cigarette. "Thanks for the ice pack!" I exclaimed sarcastically.
"Oh, sorry I forgot." He said and I raised a brow.
"You forgot the reason you left the room in the first place?" He shrugged in response.
"Well you left me with 27 people who think it'd be great if I got hit by a bus and died." I laughed a sickened laugh. We sat there quiet until I heard the bell.
"I have to go, maybe I'll get myself an ice pack since someone couldn't." I tried joking but he was completely zoned out. I sighed and when I got back inside, "I swear he's bipolar..." Funny to cold as stone to blank. My classes went on with nothing really happening and me trying to cover my eye after icing it in the nurse's office. When the bell rang I felt sick, I wasn't meeting with Keith today so I'd have to go home. I thankfully got a call from my neighbor on the way home, 'Babysit May for me?' Was all it said, it was from Mrs. K, she was a business woman who had to run out a lot. I have babysat her daughter a few times.
When I knocked the door immediately opened and I heard yelling and Mrs. K with her brunette bun a mess with her blazer wrinkled. "Thanks, you'll just have to make her dinner." She said before rushing off.
"Ali!" I heard a shout and two tiny arms wrap around my waist, my lips lifted slightly and I greeted her. She immediately dragged me around the house, which was much bigger than mine.
I was watching TV as little May ate macaroni and cheese. On the news, they were talking about some dude just stole a camcorder from the mall. "What an idiot," I laughed but my laugh was cut short when I heard a tapping on the window. "The fuck?"
"SWEAR JAR!" May yelled at me and I rolled my eyes. I went to the window and opened it to find Keith with a camera in his pocket.
"You stole a fucking-"
"swear-"
"Alright May!"
"You stole a camcorder from the mall?" I laughed and let him in.
"Duh, I don't want to fail." He told me.
"Ali who that?" May questioned as her two year old eyes looked at Keith suspiciously.
"This is my... Friend, Keith." I told her and she gave him a sideways glance.
"Do you like SpongeBob?" She asked, he shrugged and gave a slight nod with a half-smile.
"Ok, you're in but I don't like it." She narrowed her little eyes at him and I laughed.
"Go finish eating dinner, you little dweeb." I told her and she did as requested. We sat in the den and watched TV until May fell asleep on her beanbag chair. "How do we get her to her room?" I whispered and Keith looked at her for a second.
"Is she a heavy sleeper?"
"Sure I guess,"
"You grab one side of the bean bag, I grab the other and we drag her." He said and I really didn't have my other ideas. We carried her to her room. "How do we get her on her bed?" I asked but all Keith did was turn his side of the beanbag which rolled her off and onto her bed with a cringe worthy bounce.
"Keith! You just threw a baby onto a bed."
"No, I flipped a baby onto her bed."
"That's worse!" I argued and he blew me off.
Hours went by and there was a knock at the door, thinking it was May's mother, it was a police officer.
"Hello ma'am, we are looking for a young man: blonde hair, black hood, Caucasian, around 6'2". Have you seen him?" He asked me and I shook my head.
"Yes in fact, I saw a boy like that run around up a few blocks." I lied through my teeth, he nodded.
"Thank you, have a good night." He said before leaving and I shut the door and leaned on it. "You officially owe me." I told Keith who was hiding behind the door.
"Thanks Red. Who says nerd are bad liars." Normal nerds who don't have dad's who lost their sanity to drugs and grief?
"Aw, who likes having me around?" I teased, poking him in the shoulder.
"Whatever." He scoffed, jumping on the couch. I sat down trying to figure out how the camera worked. You'd think I'd find it easy but it was definitely not, there were a ridiculous amount of buttons on the side. His phone rang and he picked up. I didn't listen but as soon as it was over he said he had to leave.
"Where?" I asked, curious.
"None of your business." He told me which took me aback slightly.
"It was just a question..." I mumbled but when I heard May yell for me I got up. He was watching me, to break the silence, I simply said, "You know where the door is."
"Uh huh, later Red. Oh, do you know where I can get beer?" He asked and I rolled my eyes, which again hurt.
"Watch May for a minute, I'll be right back." I sighed as I left for my house two houses down. I snuck in through my window and snuck downstairs. My dad was sleeping on the couch. I made it to the cooler in the basement and got the four cases of beer he wants but doesn't need. I snuck back out with the occasional stumble that failed to wake him luckily. I carried the cases out with my heart pounding. He was outside waiting, May watching through the window. "This enough?" I asked handing him the cases. He nodded, his eyebrows raised, "you have four cases of beer laying around your house? What, does your dad make beer or some shit?" He asked, half joking.
"No, he's an alcoholic." I blurted as I got in the door. He looked at me for a second, "uh, what?"
"Go do whatever you have to do, I have to watch the kid." I dismissed and he didn't question it.
May was fussy after Keith left, "what was that stuff?" She asked.
"Soda."
"Can I have some?"
"You cannot."
"Why?"
"It's not for kids."
"You said it was soda."
"It is."
"I want some."
"It's Big Kid Soda!" I stressed, tired of arguing with a child.
"Okay." The argument ended and she started playing with her dolls and I relax.
When Mrs. K came back, all May talked about was Big Kid Soda. So I lied and said I was trying to explain a beer commercial on TV. She bought it and I went home.
"Alice, where's my beer?" My dad bellowed.
"Ask your gut!" I sassed, it wasn't well received and I ended up hiding under the porch and sleeping there. I also had to do homework under there which sucked. "Note to self- no more Big Kid Soda..." I laughed to myself.