Wednesday arrived, and other than seeing Dipshit/Awlon on the biology class the day before (That by the way, went smooth except for the chirpy 'Bye' he said as the teacher dismissed us.) the two first days of second school week went as good as it could be.
But then there was Wednesday. Which meant Math. Equaled, Nove and I sharing another classroom with Awlon. I did not doubt that math would go as smooth as the biology classes, but I was still a bit moved by the thought that Dipshit would confront me once again.
Last week when I first met him I wouldn't dare thinking of crossing paths with this guy, but he had been such a dick, and my questions were unanswered still. But curiosity killed the cat, and I was very dedicated to the idea that Dipshit would very much want to kill me. Heck, he had even been wicked enough to let me think so. He had said such hard words, basically broken (Yes, I did feel quite broken), so why wouldn't he have intentions of killing me?
Realizing I was far off in Crazyville I willed myself to come back to reality. Which was pancakes and syrup, because the smell forced itself into my nostrils.
Forget alarm clocks. If your mother makes delicious food, that would be more effective than a ring and a buzz from these mechanical things.
I burst out of bed and immediately sat down at the dinner table.
Joining us was Alex, once again here for free food, and Penny. Baba usually didn't join breakfast as he had night shifts.
Mother Vieña handed me a plate, not meeting my eyes once.
And I didn't think anything of it. My mom was ashamed of me. Sneaking out, wearing such clothes she loathed and getting detentions?
Why wouldn't she deny my existence? At least she gave me food. More than I could hope.
Alex gave me a wary look, apologetically almost. The boy had done things worse than me, and she had no clue. But, disregarding the unfairly thought behind it, she wouldn't care less whether Alex was the epitome of devilish and none-catholic. He was a boy. And in her family, that was all it mattered.
He mattered more than me.
And I couldn't care less. Indifferent, remember? But it was unfair on Penny's part.
"Your school is like an hour away, how do you even get there in time?" I said through full cheeks. Alex shrugged, pushing food into his mouth as well.
"Madre cook better. It's worth it."
My mom heard that and even pinched his cheek.
"Eh, Alexander, flattery don't get you anywhere." And with a kiss on his head, a pat on Penny's, she left.
I didn't feel anything, like many times before. She had done this many times before.
Indifference was more like a shield than a weapon at this point. My mom could loathe me all she wanted, I couldn't care.
Though I loved her dearly still, and I would be a lier if I didn't admit that yes, yes it did hurt. But just a little.
"She's kind of a bitch now." Alex chuckled, shaking his head, but he gave me a brotherly look which made the hurt go away. "As always."
I sucked in my lips and nodded. "Yeah."
"Anyway, Penny, you ready for school?" Alexander chirped and stood up. Penny crawled her way out for he chair and Alex grabbed the five year old by her hand, squeezing it.
"Let's get you ready."
I was left alone to eat.
And I still didn't feel anything.
**
"We have Maths in five." Nove urged as I ate the last piece of the pie. Drake looked at me funnily, raising that brow of his.
"Why the rush?"
"I'm not rushing, Clakyle is." I mocked.
To be honest, I was dragging lunch to its fullest and was determined not to even stand up until the bell rang. Whether I came late or not. I had a feeling that Zack would do something today.
Call me psychic, but most of my gut feelings were right. And it was saying to postpone the meeting as much as possible.
"We have Awlon in Math."
"He's the teacher?" Camme squeaked like the bimbo she was and I resisted to drag her pretty brown eyes out.
"Yes he is." I mimicked her voice. "And he's going to teach algebra."
"That is so cool. Badboy and smart. Oh my stars, that is so hot."
I pushed my plate away and used a napkin to take away any crumbs left, collecting the buddha in me once again. I didn't turn to Cammie to make her realize how beautiful and dumb she was, but instead I turned to Nove.
"Let's skip."
"Coward."
"No seriously, I have a bad feeling and it says that I should not go into that class today."
"You had a bad feeling that the world would actually end in 2012. Now did it?" Nove counter attacked.
"Why?" Kaley perked up and looked at us confused. "Did something else happen? Did you kick the tattooed freak's ass again?" She sounded excited.
I rolled my eyes and stood up, grabbing the bag.
I was not putting my foot in that class if so life depend on it. Call me paranoid, but I seriously had a bad feeling.
"I'm not skipping, Avy." Nove argued.
I tried to communicate with my eyes. Nove and I had developed an Eye Language. We could stare at each other and understand perfectly what we were trying to say.
I was pleading him to join me.
He was basically saying 'Piss Off." Even smirked.
I sighed.
I wasn't a coward, dear reader. I wasn't. Really. But the truth was, Zack was all the way at the front alone, not eating, but holding a paper bag to himself. He looked very weird. Very lonely. And very sadistic.
And he had been giving me the creeps. He had sent some awful stares, but I had denied their existence since they were so dull and slight. So I hadn't bothered thinking too much on it, since I had a tendency to make fusses of it, and I didn't mention it because how would that help?
"Please-"
"I'll skip." Drake announced, slamming his hand down on the table and pushing himself up. "Don't have much to do either."
"But you're a senior. You shouldn't skip."
"And you're a junior?" He mocked.
I shrugged. "Well it doesn't matter that much with me."
"You have a bad sense of logic. Let's go before the bell calls it in."
I shot Nove a sharp look which he only smiled to.
"Traitor!" I hissed as I tilted after Drake.
"Whore!" He shouted back and grabbed every attention of a ten miles radius. Even the lunch lady gave me an odd look.
**
After Drake and I finished our own mission impossible, which was to sneak away from school grounds without anyone with authority seeing us, we settled in with a cafe nearby. My cousin Fernie (Or Fernando as most call him.) served us some buns and coffee and I felt very much in heaven. At least until I finished the food and drink.
I looked at Drake pleadingly.
"No." He said without even asking what I was pouting for.
"What?" I tried innocently.
"You want more."
My shoulders slumped and gave up. He did technically pay for everything, but I made Fernie give us a discount.
Family relations. Very handy.
I looked at my empty plate and cup, and started wondering if I could take them with me home. They seemed mighty fine and expensive.
I analyzed them more, because I was frankly bored, but then I just gave up on my thiefy tendencies to look at Drake. He was watching his phone, apparently reading, and I took my time to just look at him as the creeper I truly was.
Brandon's words haunted me and I couldn't believe the boy in front of me had a gang related past. At least that was my conclusion. With Brandon and Dipshit both implying the boy had a rough past with fighting, of course I thought it had something to do with gangs.
Drake used to live in England, though he had used a lot of time in Chevelry as well, and I knew London had quite a few gang related incidents there.
Could Drake Lawson McCarty truly be wrapped up in such things?
Said guy peeked up and was startled by, what I presume, was my intense stare. I smiled innocently and waved as cheeky as I could.
"What?" He tried slowly, looking like a deer caught in the head lights.
I shrugged. "Just bathing in your glory, really."
"Bathing..in my- you okay?" He chuckled, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. I didn't want to share my thoughts of him, so I nodded.
"Has Zack said something else?" He continued, now his voice turned defensive and I smiled yet again.
The boy was pretty decent, I had to give him that.
"No. Not that I know of."
"What's his deal anyway.." Drake put the phone down and frowned. "He seems messed up."
"He is." I snorted. "He seriously is."
"How do you know him?" Drake asked intently, and his grey blue orbs fixated a dark shade. I gulped, not really knowing how to explain. But I did my best.
Unlike Nove, he did not chuckle or seem delighted by my misery with Dipshit. Rather, he seemed concerned. And I was totally giddy with that.
"He's a douche." He said as I finished and I chuckled.
I contemplated adding more to that, like my colorful nickname to Awlon, but held back. Because Awlon was a dick, didn't mean I had to be one as well.
"And I actually felt bad for him when I basically beat him up that locker." I chuckled, remembering my earlier feelings.
I do not usually ten to violence. Rather I hate it. But again, push my buttons and Hulk would emerge.
"Don't. And don't talk to the guy more."
"Why would I?"
"If you bump into him, I mean. Or if he approaches you."
"Don't worry." I smiled heartedly. "I wouldn't."
"Good." Drake nodded, looking down his phone again. "Good. I don't like the idea of you getting hurt by douches like that."
"Aw, that's cute. But I think I can handle myself."
"I don't doubt that, doll. I don't. He just seems fishy."
And I couldn't describe it any better.
**
When I went home that way, Drake driving me because he lived quite close, I was surprised to see anyone in the house. My father, who I usually call baba, was slumped on the sofa reading yet another report.
Being a surgeon means that you read a lot, and had to catch up to basically everything in the medicine world. The stress of it usually takes the best of him, but he managed to say a perky welcome to me. I didn't feel appreciated by that. My dad, though not as batshit crazy as my mother, was still mad at me. He knew what I have been doing these days as mother Vieña never keeps anything from him. Especially when it comes to the flaws of their children.
"You're early." He grumpily hissed, and I realized I was wrong. The stress certainly took the best of him today as well.
"And that's a bad thing." I tried, pausing by the start of the hallway into the bedrooms.
"Could be. Did you skip school?"
My stomach scrunched in pain. Did he know I skipped a class..? Was this a test for my honesty?
"No." I lied, taking a chance.
He didn't answer to it, only gruffly nodded.
My father and I were never close, but there had also been no distance to us. We just live together, bounded by a mutual love that I sometimes doubted was even there and of course the also mutual blood. I loved this guy with all my heart and I was sorry for all the sacrifices he had made throughout life. He was a weary man from a poor town in Egypt and I was proud of the kind of man he had become. A successful man in the medicine world.
But he had a dark side I've witnessed far too many times that I could not have counted. My father was ill. He had high blood pressure, and the uncountable meds he took daily made it worse. He was addicted. And he knew better than to mix alcohol in it. But sometimes those demons he had, they won at the moments he was low. And he succumbed into this shell that I knew my baba could not be.
So bear in mind, readers, this man had seen too much and his personality and attitude was excuse able. Especially with the bitch wife he had, that continuously put stress where it shouldn't be.
I traced my way back to my room and wondered whether or not the demons that haunted this family would have a victorious win to put us down.
I'd rather not think about it.
As it was very likely.