UPDATE

Chapter Two: A Friend In Need Is A Friend Indeed

Status: Forever A Loner

Mood: Sick of School

Last Date: 2000BC

I woke up to the ragingbeeps of my alarm. I rolled over to face my bedside table and slammed the top of it, hoping to hit the “sleep” button.

Mission. Successful.

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and groaned as I sat up in my bed.

“Ugh, school.”

I placed my feet softly on the carpeted ground and pushed myself up until I was standing. Just as I got myself to stand upright, my mother barrelled through the door.

“Up, up, up, got to get to school!” she sung as she placed my freshly-ironed uniform on the bed. A white blouse and a teal skirt with my red tie.

“I know, I know,” I grumbled, pulling a foul face. She grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the room, down the stairs and into the dining room; where a breakfast of Coco Pops and Orange Juice was waiting for me on the table.

“School today,” my mother sung as she let go of my arm and danced off into the kitchen. I think she was just glad to have me out of her hair for the first time in six weeks. I pulled out the chair closest to me and fell into it lazily. I reached out to the middle of the table to retrieve a bowl, which I filled up with the Coco Pops and milk. Slowly, I ate through the cereal and finished the orange juice, then took my bowl and glass and placed them in the kitchen sink. 

“Where’s Dad?” I ask Mum just as I’m about to leave the kitchen.

“Uh, he had to go to work a bit earlier than usual. Papers are piling up he says,” she told me as she placed the newly-washed dishes in the top cupboard above the counter.      

“Oh, righto.”

She nodded in my direction and I went off on my way to get ready for the “oh-so-wonderful” first day of school.

***

As Mum and I sat impatiently in the car, waiting for the red light to turn green, I was scrambling like a mad-man to fix my tie.

“Reaghan, it’s not that hard to tie a tie,” Mum whined. She took her hand off of the wheel to try and help me fix it but I swatted her hand away.

“I’ve got it, Mum! Jeez.”

“Are you excited for your first day of grade ten?” The light had now turned green and we were driving up to the school round-a-bout.

After a short pause I muttered, “It’s school, what do you think?”

“Don’t get an attitude with me, Reaghan, or I swear to God-”

“I know, I know.” She drove up to the closest street, pulled a U-turn and turned into the drop-off zone.

Mum took a deep breath and let it all out in a sigh.

“Bye, honey.”

I leaned forward and kissed her cheek quickly while unclipping my seatbelt, “Bye Mum.”

I opened the door out to the concrete waiting area and stepped out of the car. I turned and closed the door, waved at Mum once more and then turned to face the school.

“So, we meet again.”

I shouldered my heavy bag and walked into the school grounds via the vehicle entry gate.

***

I’d made my way to a table where I knew De would never step foot and sat peacefully knowing that she would- hopefully- not torment me again. Then a thought popped into my head.