can't change what you don't know

you're wasting it

"What do you wanna be when you're older Tate?" An old stubbly haired man looked over at the brown haired 13 year old girl in the corner. Tatum wasn't exactly paying attention to a word her biology teacher was saying, she was too busy staring out of the window thinking about anything and everything. After a seconds silence the whole class turned to look at her, "Tatum" The man repeated himself. The second calling must've snapped her out of her thoughts since she shot her head towards the front of the class, "huh? Sorry what'd you say?" She sat up straighter.

There was a quiet snicker which erupted throughout the classroom as Tatum smiled at them all, she was known for being a daydreamer in lessons, "what do you want to be when your older?" He repeated himself for a third time with a slightly annoyed tone. Tatum raised her eyebrows quickly and mumbled, "dead" she spoke bluntly. Her close friends let out a small laugh but most of the class just looked at each other blankly, not really knowing where to look. Her biology teacher stood up straighter a little bit, "what was that?" He folded his arms, not really catching onto what she said. Tatum nodded, "I said, I want be a doctor" she smiled slightly, that was a lie, she didn't want to be a doctor, she didn't really care about her future that much.

The older man nodded, "great aspirations everyone" he smiled and turned back to the board now that he'd asked everyone about their career plans. Tatum went right back to straying out of the window, she doesn't care about school, about education, about making it big in life, she just wants to mess around until she can't no more. She doesn't exactly have the best life to be honest, she doesn't know who her real dad is, she lives with her mother and her step dad who just so happens to be miserable all the time, she's got two siblings; an older brother who's 18 and a little sister who's 8, and being the middle child isn't easy. She's always being forgotten about, her problems and achievements are never thought about since they're never as important as her siblings, she just gives up...

Without even writing anything on her exam sheets, when the bell rang, she got up and grabbed her bag before heading over to the door, only to be stopped by her teacher, "Tatum, get back here" he huffed and grabbed her exam from her desk. Tatum sighed and turned around, "why haven't you done the exam? You do know I'm gonna have to fail you right?" He held it up. Tatum shrugged, "I didn't know anything, couldn't do it" she shook her head. The teacher furrowed his brows, "Tate come on. You're better than this, I've seen your potential and you're wasting it" he folded his arms. Tatum shrugged, "sorry" she looked down. Her teacher sighed and rubbed his head, "what's going on with you recently? You used to be one of my best students, I don't wanna have to fail you for the whole semester Tate but if you keep working at this rate I'm gonna have to..." he tilted his head .

Tatum nodded, "I'm fine, totally fine. Just do what you gotta do" she sighed. Her teacher looked at her with disappointment plastered all over his face, "off you go" he waved her out. Without needing a second telling, she swivelled on her heels, and left the classroom to go home since it was 3:05pm. Outside, three of her friends were stood waiting for her, "dead? Did you really just use that as your answer?" A blonde haired girl laughed and nudged her arm as they began walking home. Tatum laughed too, "what? Me? I would never say such a thing" she smirked sarcastically. They all laughed with her, every single one of them had a shitty home life, they were either abused, the forgotten, middle child, or were raising themselves, none of them had anything to look forward to in life.

Eventually Tatum got home 10 minutes later, she had a nice house and she was grateful for what she had, she just wanted a family who appreciates her existence. The second she got through the door her older brother was there to annoy her, "swiped" he snatched her phone from her hands. Tatum threw her bag on the floor and ran after him, "Aidan! Give me it!" She twined while trying to wrestle it from his hands. Her step dad appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, "what's going on? Pack it in both of you" he raised his voice making them both stop still, "Aidan just give her it back and Tate stop twining" he pointed at them both. Aidan gave her the phone back and pulled a face at her, even though he was going off to college soon he still acted like a 2 year old.