“Keagan, you aren’t five. Grow the hell up and tie your own shoelaces.” I remarked, looking at the blonde.
We were sitting around the fire we built and it was getting pretty quiet. Not to mention, awkward.
Keagan looked up at me with a pout, “Really Dan? I’ve done you so many favors and you can’t even tie my shoelaces?”
I rolled my eyes and bent down, grabbing the two pieces of string and making sure to tie them as tight as I can.
“Whoa. Calm down, I’m asking you to tie my shoelaces not to stop my blood circulation.”
“Take it or leave it.”
It was his turn to roll his eyes and I smirked as I grabbed the other pair.
“So, what are we going to do now? Cade and Daniel are on the way over.” He asked, putting his arms behind his head.
"I don’t know. I’m thinking of camping here for the night and then heading out in the morning. It’s way too dark to do anything right now. Besides, we’ve got school in two days, Leah would kill me if I skipped and you know how Leah is.” I said, narrowing my eyes.
“Yeah, yeah. We all know you’re scared of your sister.” He retorted.
I snorted, giving him the finger.
“You got your bags?” I pondered, asking about the sleeping bags we prepared yesterday morning.
“Yeah, I got them. Cade’s got yours. Or not. We can’t trust that idiot with anything.”
I laughed, nodding in approval.
“I’m going to hit the sack now; big day tomorrow. Night Dani.”
“Night Keagan. Don’t dream of me too much.” I teased, winking.
“Ha-ha, very funny.”
I smiled to myself, kicking some more wood into the fire.
Oh, what I do for you, dad.
-
“Dani! You little bitch, better get your ass down here or I will drag you down the stairs by your hair, you get me? Don’t make me come up there!”
I groaned, rolling in my bed.
It was Monday.
And that meant one thing; hell.
“I’m coming! Calm the fuck down and shut up! Jesus Christ!” I screamed back.
I didn’t know how, but somehow Leah’s loud voice could make its way up the stairs and through my closed door and it still sounded like she was screaming directly in my ear.
I dragged myself away from the cozy bed and stumbled into the bathroom. I always looked charming when I woke up.
Note the sarcasm.
My black hair, whether or not I liked it was always greasy and much to my dismay, full of dandruff. I wouldn’t be surprised if I got a bad case of hair lice soon. I scratched at the scar on my left arm, making it turn a bright red. I quickly brushed my teeth before starting a shower.
I looked back at myself in the mirror ahead of me and sighed, realizing that some tooth paste got stuck to my hair. Leah would be up soon holding a kitchen knife and some other weapon that she has hidden under her ‘Dora the Explorer’ apron.
Leah Harrison was my twenty-five year old (might I mention broke) sister. And as most of the neighborhood say, she was nowhere near classy. Not that I minded. We, the Harrisons were never known as classy. With a father working day and night, holding a gun in his back pocket and a mother who knows more ways to use a knife than Scream, we weren’t born to wear polka dotted dresses and flip flops, no, we were a whole different story and ever since my dad left, a whole new chapter was being written.
You see, my father means everything to me. He was a compass to my lost directions and without him I was truly lost.
Shaking off the memories, I slipped into the shower and enjoyed the warm water. A few minutes later, I was out of the shower and dressed into black sweat pants and a loose grey top. Who the hell bothers for school? Not me.
I put on my converse and tied my wet hair into a high ponytail before climbing down the stairs.
“Wow, Dani’s on time. Finally.”
“Shut up, I didn’t want to get murdered in the middle of a good dream. What’s for breakfast?” I asked, looking around for any signs of food.
“Nothing. You want breakfast? Make some. Cade and the guys are on the way over. I’m off now. Got a job interview to attend.”
“Number 500?” I teased.
“Very funny, Dani. Wake mom up and don’t be late to school! I’ll find out either way, remember?” She warned.
“Yeah, yeah.” I said, rolling my eyes.
She grinned to herself, shoving the door open and then slamming it shut, announcing her departure.
I heard light footsteps on the stairs and turned around to find mom with her reading glasses on, arms crossed.
“You know, you could tell that sister of yours to close the door quietly next time. “
“Sorry mom, you know she’s ignorant.” I joked, giving her a kiss on the forehead.
My mom looked like, well, my mom. Her features were very similar to mine and Leah’s except, instead of black hair, she had brown.
We had gotten the color from our dad as well as our eyes.
“You think? What’s for breakfast?”
“In Leah’s words: want some, make some.” I stated, grinning.
“Such a nic-“
She was interrupted by the sound of the door opening, “Why, hello there peasants! Bow down to your king, Cade James. Yes, yes, why it is I and I have come to bedazzle your boring lives. You are welcome.” Cade announced, raising his arms in the air.
I narrowed my eyes and grabbed a pillow from the couch, throwing it at his face, “Sorry, it slipped.”
“Just like the condom your parents used while fuc- oh, hi there Mrs. Harrison. Thanks for allowing me to, uh, come over?”
The rest of the guys shoved Cade out of the way and made themselves comfortable on my living room couch.
“You’re most welcome, Caden, go on with that joke of yours. I’d love to hear it.” She remarked, using his full name.
“I, uh, forgot it, besides, it wasn’t that funny.” He mumbled, awkwardly laughing.
“Sure it wasn’t.” Daniel snorted.
Cade gave him a glare and I laughed at their immaturity.
“Well guys, I think we’d better be off now. I’d rather watch Nick make out with his Barbie doll than have Leah’s knife slice through my neck.” I pointed out, grabbing them by the arms and shoving them outside.
“Bye mom!” I shouted before slamming the door shut.
It runs in the family.
“You’d think Harrison here would have a badass school record regarding what she does but, no, she’s always early.” Keagan said, finally speaking.
“Keagan, you of most people know why I have to get my ass to that hell hole right at 7:25.”
“I don’t!” Cade said.
“Oh, shut up. I can’t be bothered explaining stuff to you. You’re too dumb. Besides, you still owe me.”
“Owe you what?” He asked, cocking his head to the side.
“Uh, everything? You forgot my sleeping bag on Saturday! I had to squeeze next to Daniel and finding your head buried in a sweaty armpit isn’t a walk in the park!” I stated.
“Hey! A lot of people would’ve killed to be you, you know.” Daniel shot back.
“Yeah, sure, if a lot meant zero.”
“I apologized! And you could’ve slept next to me, we all know how long you’ve been dying to do that.”
“Correction: dying not to do that.”
Keagan was smirking the whole way through and eventually we all shut up. The school gates were nearing and I groaned, thinking about the long hours of Chemistry and Geometry I had to pull through.
Keagan and Daniel walked in the direction of their lockers and I was stuck with the dumb blonde.
“So, Dani, when you considering getting a man in your life?” Cade asked, winking flirtatiously.
I got my books out of my locker and turned around, glaring at him, “When are you going to stop asking that question, Cade? I already have men in my life. You and the guys are enough to handle besides, Leah would never allow me to date.”
“Lies. But I’ll leave it at that. You’re too much to handle anyway.” He added, narrowing his eyes.
I walked ahead of him and placed my hand on his chest, stopping him from taking any further steps, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Uh, I don’t know? You’re just…scary. Well you give off that impression. Anyways, I’ve got to go. I’ve got Biology and Mr. James is not going to let me off for the third time in a row.”
“Good luck with that. We’re already three minutes late. I’ll see you later!” I shouted, halfway across the hall.
I had English first, my favorite subject.
Not.
Walking as slow as possible, I entered the class.
“And after that, Shakespeare decided to write a sonnet, he had written many sonnets before but this by far, was hi- Ms. Harrison, you’re late.”
I rolled my eyes at the seventeen year old, which I recognized as Vic Green. He was probably assisting Mr. Laverne while he wasn’t here.
“Tell me something I don’t know, Victor.” I remarked, using his full name.
Vic sighed in annoyance, “Grab the seat next to mine and make sure you aren’t late next time, okay?” He warned, not bothering to look at me.
“Yes, mother.” I muttered, taking a seat next to the empty desk.
Vic kept ranting on and on and slowly, I found myself putting my head on the wooden desk.
“Ms. Harrison, I’m sure Mr. Laverne wouldn’t appreciate you sleeping through his lesson.” Vic scolded.
I was starting to get really annoyed.
“Can you like, shut up? You’re not in charge of me, or anybody here in fact. Just because you’ve been picked to fill in for Mr. Laverne doesn’t mean you’re Donald Trump. So shut the fuck up and take your head out of your ass, okay? And by the way, I wasn’t sleeping; I was putting my head on the table. There’s a difference.” I spat, giving him a look.
The guy was completely speechless for a moment. His mouth kept opening and closing, and I smirked at the reaction.
“Well, Dani, I guess I’d better get someone else to fill in, right?” He mumbled, walking outside.
Taylor, a close friend of mine, gave me a look from the corner of the classroom.
“You are so dead.” She mouthed, drawing a line over her neck.
I rolled my eyes and waved her off.
I honestly didn’t care if this was going to earn me a detention or get me expelled.
I was way past caring.
Leah could go shove it.
Victor returned with the principle following root. I grinned at his cowardly ways. Calling the principle? Really?
Not so surprisingly, both of us were called outside.
“I know you’re finding it hard to fit in, Ms. Harrison but that does not mean taking it out on other stude-“
“Firstly, I’m fitting in just fine. I joined three years ago, not two weeks ago. Secondly, I wasn’t ‘taking it out’ on anyone. He was just annoying the shit out of me.” I pointed out, making weird hand gestures.
“Please watch your language, Dani. I’d like to have this issue between the two of you solved as soon as possible. Both of you will serve a detention this afternoon. Don’t be late.” He said, strictly.
I was just about to protest when he turned around and walked away.
“This is all your fault!” I heard Vic screech.
“Oh, please. Grow up!”
“Excuse me? You’re the one who couldn’t contain yourself in class.”
“Contain myself? You’re making it sound like I peed my pants. Anyhow, I’ve got better things to do than argue with a stuck-up teacher’s pet like you. Now, excuse me, Shakespeare’s calling.” I said, dying to get out of his presence.
Something about his straight brown hair and Lacoste t-shirt was making me wish I was the kind of girl who wore polka dotted dresses and flip-flops.