Red Light

4

Monday
Picture: Shantae

The first lesson of the day is Art, my favourite subject. No matter what grade I get I always take pride in my work. When I draw, I feel like I'm in another world.

There's a seating plan on the board, 2 people per 4 seater table, so we have space. I make my way to the back of the room where I've been placed.  The teacher, Mr Edwards, has already put fresh drawing books on each table, I open it and feel the paper in excitement. I'm gassed lol. I can't wait to draw in this! I start sketching a cartoon in the corner of a page, the room around me fades out as I get into it.

Halfway through the lesson, the door opens and a teacher comes in, followed by Shantae, the girl from the office the other day. She waits by Mr Edwards desk as the teacher whispers to him. He frowns at her then directs her to sit opposite me on the table.

I continue sketching in the book. Everyone's drawing in silence now as our first task is to sketch our hands using a pencil.

Shantae kisses her teeth then whispers to me. "What are we supposed to be doing?"

Lol this girl stays in a bad mood, anytime I see her around she's screwing or being led somewhere by a teacher.

"Sketching our hands." I reply.

She nods.

After a few minutes of silence, I start bussing convo.

"So... how comes you were late?"

She shrugs. "Overslept."

I nod.

We're silent again for a minute.

I chuckle and decide to break the ice. "Why you always angry?"

She half smiles.

"I'm not, the teachers are just jarring."

"Hm, I feel you."

Silence again.

"You been here since year 7?" She asks.

"Skrr, Thursday was my first day. I just moved here."

"Rahh I need to come school more often, I don't know nothing."

I laugh.

We're silent again for a bit, just drawing.

"I moved here at the end of year 9." Shantae says randomly.

"Really? Where from?"

"All Saints."

I raise my eyebrows then chuckle. That's where Aaron went, now I get why she's like that lol.

She smiles as if she knows why I'm laughing. "Nah even though that school was bad, the lessons were liveee! We had bare bants."

"Ahh that sound like my old school."

"Isit? Where did you go before?"

"Wallis High."

She nods. "That's not far from me, my cousin went there."

"Who's your cousin?"

"You probably won't know him, Navan. He left last year."

"Ooooooh wait, the guy that makes music, NK?"

She chuckles. "Yeah."

I rap his lyrics "I put the Rush in Rushton,
Your girl give me top like trump cards!"

Shantae joins in,"3am she's calling my number
She know I can handle the bumper!"

We both chuckle.