Confused Chapter 2

Summer was over and it was time to return to the confinements of school. I dreaded the ridicule that would resume itself from where it left off last year. Teachers only put up with me because of my grades, other than that, they couldn’t care less if I were to fall over dead. The principal is the same way. I make it clearly known to them that the feelings are mutual. But I know that I still need to go so I drag myself up and get ready to go.

“Hey, how was your summer?” Tim asked when I sat next to him on the bus. Tim is tall and thin. He wears T-shirts with an unzipped hoodie over it and worn out blue jeans. His shirts are usually the ones with video game characters on them. He looks like a goof with his glasses on. But all in all he has a good heart and loves and respects me.

“It wasn’t the best… but it wasn’t the worst. I read mostly, I also spent a lot of time trying to teach myself how to cook better, because I know how much you like food that is actually edible.” I told him in response. I curled my tail to lay across my lap so that the tip of it was in his lap.

“Yeah, I’m sorry I couldn’t stay here this summer. But you know that I had to go up to Alaska to help my sister move.” He told me apologetically.

“It’s ok, I know you had to help her because her husband is useless.”

“Yeah, well, I still feel bad about missing out on all of your new cooking.”

The bus stopped at the next stop and picked up a few little kids that go to the elementary school that is just down the road from my high-school. They sit in the front of the bus, not because they are afraid of us, but because it’s just something that they do.

“You didn’t miss much, it was still a lot to be desired.”

“It couldn’t have been that bad. Honestly, was it that bad? I don’t think it could have been.”

“You’re just saying that because you eat it every night and you don’t want me to feel bad.”

“Not true, I only eat food that appeals to my taste buds.” He looked at me and put his hand on top of mine and said, “You just need time with it. All things take practice, kinda like when people first start reading, how they need practice reading easy books and then work their way up to reading harder ones. You know?”

“I’m not quite sure I see where that fits in at all. But I accept it for whatever it may be.”

He laughed a little and then just kind of looked at me with a smug sort of look on his face. Then he did something that I won’t forget for a long, long time. He pulled a little envelope out of his backpack. He said that inside was a gift that we could both enjoy. He handed me the envelope but I didn’t open right away. I was feeling a mix of shock, surprise, and happiness all at the same time. I slowly opened it, and when I pulled out what was inside, I almost screamed. My mouth fell open and probably did for a few moments. Inside the envelope were two tickets to see my favorite band live in concert. I might not like many humans, but I have to admit that I love a lot of their music.

“You got two tickets to see Mumford & Sons? How? I tried and they said that they were sold out.” I said, overly excited and was probably on the verge of hyperventilating.

“Yeah, I bought them as soon as I heard that they were gonna play here in this town.” He told me. I threw my arms around his shoulders and squeezed him as hard as I could.

“You’re the best.”

“Well I don’t like to accept such flattery but this time is an exception.” He sort of half laughed. He was just about to wrap me up in a hug when the bus made its final stop in front of the school. Well I could always get a hug out of him later, or maybe more.

We walked into the school hands connected and were awaiting the inevitable torture to begin. It first started when some girl threw a breakfast burrito at my face, which I had no time to dodge. So I did the next thing, I bit it while it was in mid-air. All I can say is that it was tasty, and that it had missed its mark. What didn’t get eaten while in motion landed on Tim’s shirt, which caused all the other people around us to smirk and laugh. But when Tim acted as if it didn’t faze him they just went back to whatever it was that they were doing previously.

When we were alone in one of the back hallways I asked Tim if he was alright.

“No, no I’m not alright.”

“Just calm down, you knew to expect this from everyone.”

“That is easier said than done, you do know that right?”

“Yeah I know.” I said, “But there are no monsters, there are men, for they are one and the same.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means that the only monsters in this world are men.”

The bell rang and for once I was glad to have an hour away from Tim. He might have the sweetest personality, but that doesn’t mean he is always nice. His temper has a short fuse, it only takes a little something to set him off. In my first period class I had Spanish two, without Tim because He had already taken his two years of Spanish in ninth and tenth grade. I was going to use this time to think about things, but that idea was shot down by Mr. J.B., my teacher. J.B. was short for Jurado-Bas

“Ms. Holly, since you seem to always be well prepared by knowing most of the Spanish I teach, before I teach it, would you like to show off this knowledge by coming up here and giving us a speech about why it is important to learn another language. Oh and say it in Spanish.”

I frowned, but only for a moment, I didn’t want him to think that I couldn’t do it, because I could, and I did. My speech took up only the first ten to fifteen minutes of class, and class was fifty-five minutes long. That meant that Mr. J.B. had roughly forty-three minutes to welcome us to his class and to give us the rundown. He said that we wouldn’t be starting any new Spanish work until next week.

Next I had teacher’s aide, I was an aide to my least favorite teacher Ms. Wright. She was the worst when it came to grading and treating other people fairly. I absolutely despised the woman, she was always jumping around and happy for no reason. It sickened me, no one should be that happy that much. She always tries to make me fail, though she never can because I always make hundreds and nineties on my tests, quizzes, and everything else she hands me to do. Her attitude towards me was always hostile and defensive, though she tries to do it in a nice way.

“Hurry up with that grading.” She raised her voice at me. “I need them to be completed in the next five minutes so that I can have them ready to pass back during first period tomorrow.”

“Yes ma’am.” I said through gritted teeth. I was tired of how she treated people, especially me. I was glad that I only had one more class period before I could go home and take the rest of my classes online. I started dual enrollment in the eleventh grade. I was smart enough and I knew I could do it, but I was only accepted for online classes, so I took all the ones that I could. I only had three classes at school, and the rest were at my house for me to do on my own time, and they were almost done. They were almost done because I had taken classes online over the summer and got almost all of my credits for high school. I only need one and a half more credits for high school and those are Spanish two and drama.

“And remember, tomorrow bring in something to read, because I will not have you taking up desk space, so I am sending you to the library everyday from here until the end of the year.” She said to me in a matter of fact voice.

“Oh I won’t be here that long, I’m only here until the end of the first semester.” I mumbled under my breath.

“Oh? And why is that?” She asked,” Are you dropping out?”

“No, I’ll have all my credits for high school, and enough to graduate with an A.A. degree.” This time I was the one who had the matter of fact tone, which I knew would anger her worse than anything.

The bell rang, and I sent up a quick prayer of thanks to the lord. I was tired of that woman, her and her happiness. I thought I was going to have to kill her or me one.

I had to walk home after my third period drama class, and as soon as I got home I opened my laptop and went straight to my virtual classes. I wanted to do nothing but classes so I could get my credits and not have to worry about anything else when I get done with school every day.