When a friend calls to me from the road
And slows his horse to a meaning walk,
I don't stand still and look around
On all the hills I haven't hoed,
And shout from where I am, "What is it?"
No, not as there is a time to talk.
I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground,
Blade-end up and five feet tall,
And plod: I go up to the stone wall
For a friendly visit
I can't stop thinking of that poem. It's just wandering in my head and has been distracting me all week. It's interrupting my meals, conversations, and classes.
I read online, "The poem means that friends are important and so is work, but sometimes friends are worth it: sometimes it's hard to make time for friends when work is involved."
Isn't it cool?
"Kylie." I looked up, dragged out of my thoughts. That's good, I think... Considering I'm in class.
"Yeah?" I responded plainly and carelessly.
"Are you day dreaming? Should I move you away from the window?" My teacher, Miss Day smiled at me, the look of hatred and shit in her eyes.
"No, I'm perfectly fine where I am." I curved the corner of my lips upward, mimicking her fake smile.
"Are you? You're awfully distracted.." She tapped her fake nails onto my desk.
I furrowed my eyebrows and traced my eyes along the students heads, looking back at me with pity.
"You do realize we're holding up the class, right? Why don't we just..." I pushed her fingers off my desk one-by-one.
"...Drop it." I held a relaxed face, my eyelids dropping halfway.
She clenched her jaw, raising an eyebrow at me before leaning in, holding up her long fingers to the side of her mouth.
"I'd like to talk to you after class." She whispered, just loud enough for a few students near my desk to hear.
"Don't forget to bring to tea ~!" I hollered as she walked away from my desk.
Students giggled at the sound of me in trouble. Possibly at that sour face she could've been making.
.
.
"Enjoy your Thursday!" Miss Day smiled widely at the students, waving towards them as the last group of students left the class. Leaving me, of course.
"Miss Baker." She said in a sing-song tone.
I rolled my eyes.
"Miss Day." I impersonated her using her own last name.
"You have to do something about your attitude." She declared and stacked some of her files on the desk.
"Did you bring the tea?" I asked.
"No, I did not bring the tea." She rubbed the tip of her index finger and her thumb along the bridge of her nose, letting out a frustrated sigh.
"Did you finish 5.13?" She asked. I remained quiet.
"5.14? 15? 16? What about the unit test?" She smirked once she realized I hadn't done any of it.
"I expect the assignments to be turned in by Monday, the second class starts."
"Am I free to go?" I brushed my fingers through my short hair, ignoring almost everything she said.
"You are. But just so you know, you're failing my course." She took a obnoxiously loud sip of her coffee. I could just imagine the black coffee brushing past the gap in her teeth, staining her tongue.
"I shouldn't be failing!" I stood up and grabbed a few textbooks off my desk.
"That's why you should pay attention."
"Maybe you should teach better!" I laughed loudly, echoing my voice in the spacey classroom.
"See you tomorrow, Kylie.." She waved me off and watched me leave the class.
"ASSHOLE!" I threw my books into my locker and shoved my shoulder into the locker door, attempting to close it.
"Who is?" I heard that familiar voice approaching me.
"Miss Day." I purposely toned my voice to say her name weirdly.
"What did she do this time?" I looked over at my best and older friend, Sky.
"Making me do all this crap." I sighed, "For some reason!"
"I mean it's school, so.." He trailed off quietly.
"I know that!" I glared.
"Of course you did." He smiled sarcastically, "Anyway, what's the unit?"
"Unit 5.." I sighed.
"That was two weeks ago!" He burst into laughter, slapping his thigh hardly.
"Shut up."
"You shut up." He looked back up at me seriously.
"Oh, I will." I scrunched my face up and slammed my locker once more, successfully closing it.
"Where to?" He asked, marching along my side.
"Wanna go stalk Mr. Outcast?" I suggested, smiling at him.
"Yes." He said in an obvious tone.
We both ran through the crowds of students, shoving past them and cussing at them for being in the way.
Both of us slowed our pace down once we reached the side of the school, normally where Mr. Outcast hangs out. With his friends... Everyday after school.
The two of us slowly peaked our head around the corner, snickering at the view of our distant friend.
"Blah, blah, blah... Fidget spinners... Slime.." Sky impersonated the guys Mr. Outcast was with.
"I like to.. Uh..." I thought as hard as I could of an impersonation. Sky looked up at me, his eyebrows furrowed and disappointment written all over his face.
"I like to do school!" I yelled.
"No.. Oh god.. That's lame.. No, Please..." He muttered in disgust.
"Oh hey, Sky.. Kylie...." We both looked up, losing our balance and toppling over each other.
"Aw, shit!" Sky whined and elbowed my chest.
I slapped him then looked up at one of Mr. Outkast's friends.
His hands were dug into the pits of his pockets, his hair was brushed in front of his eyes. Not fuckin' moussed up like a god damn pineapple--
"Hi!" I stood up after accidentally stepping on Sky's shin.
"You motherfu--"
"We were just taking a walk." I smiled, interrupting Sky.
"Cool." The guy said, sucking in his lips and slanting them slightly.
"Isn't it?" Sky sat up and smiled widely, but of course, fakely.
"Yeah.."
"Hey, guys." Mr. Outcast approached us.
"Hi, Ryon." I sighed.
"Witts." Sky said.
"..Bander." Ryon laughed at the memory of how we used to all address each other by our last names.
"What are you guys doing?" He asked.
"Oh, my god we were just walking--"
"They were just on a walk together." His friend answered.
"Oh." Ryon replied carelessly.
"Ryon, can we talk to you?" Sky asked suspiciously.
"Yeah, sure." He nodded.
"Alone.." Sky glared.
"Okay, yeah..."
"No, not now you idiot." Sky shook his head, "Meet us tomorrow during lunch at THE PLACE."
"The place?" Ryon raised an eyebrow.
"THE PLACE.." He repeated loudly once more.
Ryon's friends all looked over and furrowed their eyebrows at Sky's tone of voice.
"The place?..." Ryon mumbled.
"Jesus christ, just meet us in the STORAGE CLOSET on the second floor." Sky groaned.
"It's not really the storage closet.." I snickered at the guys around Ryon. They looked at me with a clueless look.
"Shut the fuck up, Kylie!" Sky looked over at me.
"Why don't you make me?" I hissed.
"DO YOU WANT ME TO HIT Y--"
"I'll meet you at the STORAGE CLOSET, okay??" Ryon's voice raised at us in confusion and frustration with our behavior.
"Kay, see you later!" Sky and I smiled then waltzed away.
"What the hell is wrong with them.."