Chapter 3

 

9

Caitlyn

            I didn’t have many girlfriends, I mean, girls as friends. Michelle was my only girl friend. So when I walked in my designated schedule receiving class I went straight to my group of friends; Mike, James, David, Tee, and Jordan. They all gave me a five as I sat next to them.

            Sitting through an hour of telling us the rules and standards of Wicker was mandatory, no matter how many times you heard it, for me this was the third time. I sat there mimicking the teacher with my hand. My friends laughed. I smiled as the teacher shot a look at me and I looked to the door where the girl from earlier walked in. She had on a different outfit from what I had seen earlier; now she wore a t-shirt that had in curly letters ‘I’m not with stupid anymore, I left her’ with the ‘her’ underlined. I laughed out loud; she turned to me and smiled. I covered my mouth and stopped laughing. She came and sat next to me. I smiled as the teacher called names from a-z.

            “I’m Dalai.” (Pronounced Duh-lie) She said holding out her hand. I took it and shook it. I smiled.
            “Caitlyn.” I replied. “Delai, that’s a very pretty name.” I said as she let go of my hand.   

            “Thanks, I named myself.” She said proudly. I smiled but looked puzzled. “Long story, not enough time.” She said. I nodded and went to get my schedule after my name got called. Delai’s name got called after and she met me in the hallway.

            “Wanna go out on a date with me Saturday?” She asked out of the blue. I looked around and then looked at her. “My radar.” She said as if reading my mind. I looked around.
            “I’m not completely ‘out’.” I whispered. She nodded and smiled.

            “We should hang out Saturday, yeah just chill, ya’ know like regular friends do?” Delai said as loud and as obvious as possible as people walked past us. I rolled my eyes. I smiled.
            “Sure, Saturday, see ya up here, we’ll make plans where to go next.” I said mimicking her. I smiled and turned to walk away. She grabbed my hand.
            “Nice meeting you Caitlyn.” She smiled and let go.

 

10

Marco

            No one noticed as I slipped in the class. I went straight to the back and awaited my name calling. A girl walked in giving high-fives to a bunch of guys and joked about the teacher talking. The monotone voice telling us the rules gave me a headache. My hood of my sweatshirt hid my face as I studied each person. A boy sat in the opposite corner of me. He was really; really skinny and his hands were shaking like he awaited something. I turned as a girl walked into class; her shirt read a gay phrase. Kind of funny, but I couldn’t laugh. The group of boys and a girl watched as she sat next to them, the girl in particular, they were flirting, it was so obvious. Well, the phrase shirt girl was, I don’t know about the other girl, last I checked she was straight. There was another girl in the middle of the class with a boy, she smiled as if she was happy, but deep down you could tell something wasn’t right, her hair was long and black, she was mixed, caramel skin, and very beautiful. I heard my name being called and grabbed my schedule, going out of class quickly. I stared as my mother’s face sat on the wall and my dad’s bloody body lay on the floor. A girl ran past me holding her mouth, the same girl in class. I shook my head violently and ran into the nearest bathroom, only to be stopped by myself.

 

 

 

 

11

Allie

I sat in my designated class with my boyfriend Jacob. Jacob didn’t know about the rape or the beatings, he doesn’t get suspicious; makeup covers a lot. I smiled a lot as people waved at me. I was known as the popular girl to most people. Yeah, popular and dying inside. I awaited my name to be called. Jacob and I sat in the middle of the class out of earshot.

“I love you Allie.” Jacob said running his hand down my face.

 I smiled hiding my queasiness. My head was banging with every sound and I felt like I had to throw up.

 Then it happened. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I threw up all over the floor. Everyone stared. I coughed and tried to smile.

“I’m sorry; I must have had spoiled milk.” I said covering my mouth. The teacher called the janitor in the hallway. He came in and started cleaning up. The glares made me run out of the class. I bumped into a boy and when I tried to say sorry he looked as if he saw a ghost. I quickly ran into the bathroom, to blow more chunks in the toilet.

After I was done I washed my mouth and face and popped seven breath mints and chewed on a piece of gum. I looked in the mirror and prayed that I was just sick from something I ate. I prayed that I wasn’t carrying Darnell’s baby. I returned to class and Jacob was only there.

“Sorry.” I said as I went to the desk and grabbed my schedule. Jacob nodded.

“You aren’t pregnant are you?” Jacob asked. I stared.

“No, why would I be?” I replied. “I haven’t slept with you.”

“Why else would you be throwing up this early in the morning?” He asked grabbing my arm with force. I looked down and tried to snatch my arm away.

“Don’t grab me like that!” I said fighting tears. His grip got tighter.

            “You bet not be f*****g some other n***a.” He said. I frowned and looked away.

            “I ain't f*****g anybody. And I’m not ‘bout to take no abuse from you too! Its over, don’t you ever touch me again!” I finally got my arm away and ran out of the class crying.
 

12

Michael

            I sat in the class waiting to hear my name. God, the minutes went by like days. I fiddled with my hands. I wasn’t totally high and I needed an escape. My mind rattled with thoughts. I thought about Isabelle. I missed her, and now she was completely gone. I missed her kisses and her warm smile. Her smile could make a whole room light up.

I thought about my sister. The day she left me, I knew there was no hope yet for me. She packed her bags and said she couldn’t take our family anymore. My mother had gone in the gutter with gambling and my father was having an affair. Melissa was my only way out. She was my only sister. She got on the first bus with her boyfriend and said that she couldn’t do anything for me. She told me she loved me and that she would be back. That was two years ago. I was afraid of her leaving. One; she was only fourteen. Two; she was my twin sister and I needed her to be complete.

            But that was all in the past, my sister never came back, she called on our birthday and said she was having a small sweet sixteen. I got mad. Ever since we were little we promised each other on our sixteenth birthday we would celebrate it together, hers sweet, mine’s sour.

            My thoughts were interrupted by a girl throwing up all over the floor. I couldn’t take the smell. I got up, snatched my schedule and ran into the bathroom to pop a pill. I bumped into a boy that just sat in the bathroom looking in the mirror. His eyes studied his own face. I past him up and swallowed the pill with no water.