"What part of 'we're going to be late' do none of you comprehend?" I yell up the stairs, tapping my fingernails on the banister.
"Take a seat and relax," Kahlil yells as he runs down the hallway toward the bathroom.
"No, I need to finish my hair!" Jazzy yells, bounding after him in hopes of beating him to the bathroom.
"And I need to be on time for the first time all month!" I scream, knowing that it won't make any difference.
Accepting the fact that I'm going to be late and walk into the family room, plopping down on the couch as I close my eyes. But my phone vibrates in my back pocket signaling I got a new text messages. I pull my phone out of my pocket as I stand up from the couch as I step up from the recessed landing and walk over to the kitchen, grabbing the five lunch pails on the island. For once, the sound of stampeding feet beats me into the hallway.
"Where's my lunch?" Bug asks from the opening to the hallway.
I hold out one of the pails as I unlock my phone, navigating to my messages to see whom texted me. But the number is unsaved, and I don't recognize it except for the area code. Rowan takes my place on the couch as Bear bounds into the room, tugging on Bug's hair as he walks up to me. I hold another pail out to him, although he grabs a different one out of my hands, nearly knocking my phone to the floor in the process. I look up from my phone briefly to glare at him, but the sweet smile on his face makes me roll my eyes instead.
I look back down at my phone to read the message, frowning at the screen. "Hey there Hayes!"
My frown deepens. "I'm sorry, who is this?"
I don't get an immediate response, so I turn to the twins who are bickering on the couch.
"Stop!" I command, stepping toward them. "Bear, go get Jazzy and K and tell them that if they don't beat me to the car they can take the bus."
Bear groans as he stomps out of the room and back up the stairs. I tuck my phone into my back pocket as I pull Bug off the couch and escort her to the front door. While the rest of my siblings are still inside and unlock the van and put Bug into her booster seat turning around just as Bear runs out of the house with Kahlil on his tail. I toss Kahlil a lunch pail as I walk back to the front door, shouting to Jazzy that she has five seconds. She bounds down the stairs just as I finish my sentence, smiling sweetly at me as she grabs one of the two pails still in my hands. My phone vibrates again in my back pocket. I pull it out as I lock the front door and make my way back to the van.
"You forgot me already?" It reads. "My feelings are hurt."
I shake my head as I tuck my phone back into my pocket and get into the van, turning on the vehicle as I check the clock on the dashboard. Oh my God! I might actually make it to class on time today!
20 minutes later I'm running late for class.
I screech into the only space available all the way at the back of the lot, throwing my backpack onto my shoulder as I sprint to the main building. The tardy bell wrings as I throw open the door, eliciting a groan from me as I run down the practically empty hallway.
So close. I was so damn close!
I slow my run to a jog, knowing that to Mrs. Baez it doesn't matter if I'm 30 seconds or 30 minutes late. Maybe I should just skip first period altogether. I purse my lips as my jog turns into a walk. But as my first period door comes in sight I see someone leaning against the wall next to it, looking down the hall in the opposite direction. I sigh quietly as I prepare myself for this inevitable conversation. After a couple seconds he looks over in my direction, a breathtaking smile taking over his face.
"There you are!" He calls out, pushing off the wall to walk toward me.
I sigh again as I tug my bag higher on my shoulder. "What do you want, Shills?"
"Your love and affection," he smiles, his arm repeatedly brushing against mine.
I laugh as I reach to open the door, but Shills leans against it, stopping me from opening it. "Can you move?"
"Can you come to the game?" He asks, not answering my question.
"I'm late for class." I answer, pursing my lips as I let go of the handle.
He smiles even harder, shrugging his shoulders. "We both are. Maybe we'll get detention together."
I roll my eyes as I cross my arms over my chest, trying to figure out how I can get him to move out of the way so I can go to class.
"If I say I'll go to the game tonight will you move?" I ask tentatively.
"Are you saying that?" His eyes light up as he stops leaning on the door, moving closer to me.
"Are you moving?" I retort, my hand going back to the door handle.
He puts his hands up in surrender as he steps out of the way, so I swing open the door and walk into class, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.
"Ms. Hayes, Mr. Shills." Mrs. Baez frowns. "This is the second day in a row that both of are late to my class. Maybe since you both enjoy spending so much time with each other you can continue doing that in detention."
My mouth drops open as some of the kids in the class snickers. "No, Mrs. Baez I—"
"No excuses, Ms. Hayes," Mrs. Baez huffs, turning back to the board. "You have already been a big enough distraction. Take your seat so I can continue on with my lesson."
My brain races as I struggle to come up with a way to get out of detention but nothing comes to mind. Shills pushes past me, turning to grin deviously at me as he walks backwards a few steps to his seat.
"Looks like you're stuck with me," he winks.
The natural frown that appears on my face while I'm on school grounds takes over as his friends start to snicker, patting his back and trying to high five them. I look away from him as I walk to my seat, sitting down without another word or glance up. Even when I hear the wretched nickname I earned whispered repeatedly I don't glance up, ignoring everyone in the room, including Mrs. Baez, for the next 50 minutes.
Finally the bell rings. I jump out of my seat and am out the door before Mrs. Baez can even try to stop me. I push through the student wandering through the hall to my locker. Asha is already waiting there, although this time Femi is at her side, a pale white arm slung around Asha's midnight brown shoulders.
"Wow, you're actually at school today?" I ask Femi, laughing as I open my locker.
Her light brown eyes roll to the cracked ceiling as she purses her pale pink lips. "You got jokes, huh?"
"Even more than you know," I grin as I grab my English and Calculus books before I slam my locker shut.
We all start to walk down the hall, heading up to the second floor.
"Did y'all want to go to the game tonight?" Asha asks casually, tapping away on her phone. I crunch up my nose, hating this turn of conversation.
"Why are you asking?" I ask.
"I'm not," Asha says, finally looking up from her phone. "The group chat is."
I pull my phone out of my pocket, not realizing that I put my phone on silent before I got out of the car. There are about 20 messages in the chat, everyone trying to figure out our plans for the first night of the three-day weekend.
"Yeah, let's do it," Femi says, directing her and Asha around a group of talking sophomores. "The season's almost over and we haven't gone to a game since the opener."
"Yeah, I heard they were pretty good, too," Asha adds, typing on her phone.
"Fine, we can go," I huff, walking up the staircase.
I can feel Femi looking at me curiously, but I don't look over at her, instead watching the new messages appear in the group chat. But then another message notification drops down from the top of my screen, the same unsaved number messaging me again.
"Detention this afternoon is going to be so much fun!"
I stop walking at the top of the stairs, just staring at my phone as I read the message three more times. Is this...
I look at that instant, my gaze travelling all the way to the end of the long hallway, and our eyes connect. All of his friends are laughing around him, one of them is punching his shoulder and some girl is gripping his arm with a broad smile on her face. But his eyes are only for me. His smile takes on a different quality, almost reminding me of that rueful grin we shared last night. He nods once, acknowledging me and only me in this crowded hallway.
I don't know what to do. I can't look away, or maybe I just don't want to.
Then Asha grabs my arm, jerking me out of my trance. "Girl, what are you doing?" She asks, pulling me further down the hall toward him. I go along willingly, my eyes trying to find his once more. But he is no longer paying attention to me, his laughter echoing throughout the hallway as he resumes talking to his friends. I shake it off, turning back to Femi and Asha, but Femi has disappeared, probably heading to her class that's in a different wing. I'm pulled to a stop again in front of a classroom, Asha's worried face stepping into my view as she grasps my arm tighter.
"What's wrong, boo?" She asks me, her lips parting in worry as her eyebrows crinkle.
I laugh off her concerns, effortlessly drawing a smile to my face. "I was late this morning so Baez gave me detention."
She groans for me, shaking her head. "She is so unnecessary. Want me to get detention too so you have some company?"
I smile at her sweet offer, although I shake my head. "No, I'm okay. It's only an hour. It's just a good thing I'm not scheduled today."
She nods with another smile, the fluorescent lighting shining off her white teeth. "Well, you better get to class so you don't get in any more trouble."
I hug her goodbye as she opens the door and walks into her classroom, and I walk the couple across the hallway to my Calculus BC class. This time I look up purposefully, my eyes trying to meet his like yesterday. He's already staring at me, his face devoid of all expressions for once. Startled, I hesitate, searching his face to try and figure out what he's hiding. But I don't have an opportunity to find anything before someone clears their throat from behind me, and I break his gaze to walk into the room.