“I can provide references too,” I say cheekily.
Yep, the day is turning a new leaf. I met a genuinely nice person, and my belly is no longer grumbling.
“Zilphia, I presume?” Mr. Larkin asks.
“You presume correctly.”
“Welcome to Bentworth High. This is for you.” He hands me a laptop and two sheets of paper. “The first document is the laptop agreement. Sign and date the bottom. Your username and temporary password are on the second document.”
I scrawl my signature and date on the appropriate lines, then hand the agreement back to him.
“Perfect. You’re all set.”
Mr. Larkin ambles back to his desk and sits on the smooth surface, placing the paper beside him.
“All right, everyone.” He thumps bony knuckles against the wood to quiet my chattering peers. “Settle down. It’s time for rollcall, then we’re going to discuss everyone’s favorite topic.” Mr. Larkin pauses for dramatic effect. “Arriving to classes on time.”
A collective chorus of groans and disgruntled boos resounds throughout the classroom.
“Hey, spare me the attitudes,” Mr. Larkin admonishes. “You guys knew this was coming.”
He continues with the morning routine, despite his petulant audience.
I slouch in my chair, my legs sprawled haphazardly. Momma would have my head if she saw me right now.
“A lady must conduct herself with grace and decorum at all times.”
But fuck that. Grace and decorum can go straight to hell.
I’m exhausted and a bit irritable. Sleep deprivation and traipsing around a new building are taking their toll on me. These damn shoes aren’t helping either. I’m usually a pro at walking in uncomfortable shoes all day, but the straps on these particular wedges are too damn tight. My ankles are killing me. I bought these shoes a while back and decided to break them in today. Huge mistake. I’ll definitely need to put some ice on my poor ankles later.
So far, all my teachers seem cool. The kids are okay too, but not as friendly as Leah. I haven’t seen her since homeroom. I should’ve compared our schedules to see if we had any classes together.
Haven’t seen my bitch of a cousin either, which is for the best. I’m the new girl, and getting into a spat won’t look good on my part. Cussing her out at home—calling that placehomefeelsso yuck—is a no-go too. Don’t want to stir the drama pot there; it’s already close to boiling over, and anyway, my grandmother’s peace means more to me than getting even.
Most likely, I’ll never see my pink and purple backpack again. It’s probably on the way to a landfill at this very moment.
My belly grumbles; the granola bars didn’t curb my hunger for long. I can survive the next forty-five minutes, though. This is the last class before lunch. I’m crossing my fingers that there are some good options on the menu today. Like baked ziti, grilled cheese, or chicken enchiladas. Anything with cheese will do. It’s my absolute favorite thing to eat.
I went to the library after second period, so payment is good to go. Sadly, I won’t be able to afford breakfast and lunch after next week. Keeping my belly full will set me back seven bucks a day. Doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, but when you’re broke it might as well.
Momma flat-out refused to consider any government assistance. Another reason why finding a job is priority numero uno.
What’s her plan? Does she even have one? Sheila’s shaky hospitality won’t last forever. If it wasn’t for my grandmother, we’d already be out on the street.
Leah walks into the classroom, and my mood instantly brightens.
“Leah,” I whisper-shout, relieved to see her friendly face.
“Hey.” She beams, sliding into the desk behind me. “How’s your first day going?”
I twist in my seat, giving her my full attention. “Better than I thought it would. Even had a few cuties flirt with me.”
“Nice.”
“Yeah, thinking about starting a harem,” I joke.
She bursts out laughing, shaking her head at me. “You’re hilarious.”
