KING & LIONHEART - REMASTERED

-1-

Courtney sat at her desk, listening to her teacher babble on the last topics of the day, but she didn't care much on what he was saying, her eyes were on the clock. She watched it tick by minute-by-minute, feeling as if it was going slower than usual. Her leg impatiently bounced as her fingers tapped against the desk. She shut her eyes, eager to leave yet afraid of home.

The bell sounded, a loud, shrill, and utterly annoying noise coming from it. The class shot up from their desks, while Courtney stayed put. The teacher's face crinkles in distaste and he waves his hand.

"Oi, the bell doesn't dismiss you, I do." he reminded, holding the bridge of his nose with his fingers, an exasperated sigh escaping his lips.

The class collectively groans, as Courtney silently asked herself why they do this every time, considering it doesn't work. The teacher goes over a few more things, which she again ignored, before dismissing the class, the sound of thumping from their excited footsteps and the shuddering of the many bag's zippers filling the room. Courtney gets up herself, grabbing a few notebooks from her desk and heading out, getting her large bookbag from her locker and shoving her belongings into it.

She sighed, not ready to go home yet. Her dad would be home, while her mom would stay at work, as always. She didn't get home until 7pm.
She threw the bag over her shoulders and held on to it as she looked down, walking through the maze of hallways she knew all too well and out the doors. She shuddered, the sudden feel of the cold weather surrounding her frail body.

She continues to walk until footsteps come up behind her, sending her into a brief fight-or-flight response, which makes her look behind her abruptly.

What met her was Maxie, her best, and only friend. He waved and gave her a friendly smile "Hey there, sorry I scared you." he greeted, speeding up to walk by her. "I don't really have anywhere to go, so um, want me to walk with you?"

A sly smile snaked across Courtney's face. "You already are." she giggled as Maxie awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah, hah, I guess you're right... uhm, anyways, how was like, school 'n.. stuff."

"You're horrible at conversation," Courtney teased, before inhaling to talk about her day. "Boring, Mr. Ferlinsky wouldn't... shut up."

"Fuhah! Ferlinsky hasn't retired yet?" Maxie interjected with a laugh.

Courtney shook her head. "Every time the bell... rings the class shoots up.. like, don't y-you know that.. he won't let you?" she continued, a bit annoyed by her class' antics, but in a playful way.

"Too right," Maxie scoffed. "I think they do it on purpose."

"Maybe..."

Their conversations continued until Courtney found herself home, and all that awaited her inside. She waved Maxie goodbye and opened the door, the old crusty metal and paint on it chipped off over time, it always chipping off onto her hands, making them smell of metal. She opened the door as it made its presence very clear with a large creak. She quietly sighed at it, wishing she could just come in silently.

"Yer home late," Courtney's father, Oscar, sneered as soon as she walked into the door.

"Sorry- I'm sorry." Courtney quickly apologised, her heart rate picking up. Oscar and her stare at each-other for a bit, Courtney's vision blurring at the sight of him. For a couple of seconds, Oscar silently considered getting up and teaching her a lesson, but he knew he would fall if he tried. Plus, his favourite show was on.

"Whatever, girlie ... don' do it again." he waved his hand, pausing the TV he was perched in front of and walking to the kitchen, presumably to grab a drink.

Courtney let out a sigh of relief, taking his mercy as a blessing. She made her way upstairs and sat her stuff down, drawing a few doodles in her notebook and writing about her day, since she didn't have much else to do. She held the pencil up against her chin, gazing at the artwork she had made silently, giving a small smile at it in satisfaction. She really prided herself in her art, proclaiming often that it was the only thing she could do right. She finished the sketch to one of them and looked over to her window next to her bed, which had been completely closed with a blanket over it as opposed to blinds. It had been meaning to be fixed for months now, but her parents seemingly forgot. She took the blanket off of one of the pins and set them on the desk beside her, softly taking the blanket off of its position to let some natural light in. She laid down on her stomach, hovering over the notebook and doodling in it some more. After she was done, she got up with it to show it off since she thought it looked nice.

She walked down the stairs at a brisk pace, turning from them and to the kitchen where she met her father, washing dishes.

"Dad!" she said, excitedly yet softly. He barely even looked at her.

"I um, made some art..!"

He side-eyed the piece for only a moment before looking back at the dishes. "That's nice, Courtney." he muttered in a flat tone, not caring in the slightest about what she did. She just silently nodded and went back to her room, tossing her notebook on the floor next to her bed then sitting down on the bed. She didn't understand why he had to be so rude all the time.

Why do I show him anything?  she thought, taking a sharp breath in and rolling over onto her side..

.

.

Why am I not used to it already?

She picked the pins back up, putting her blanket back up. She sat in isolation for the rest of the day.