Jessica 🦋
I jolt up from the bed, sweating and panting heavily. It's been getting increasingly harder to sleep these days.
"Another nightmare?" Grace asks, looking at me from the mirror she is seated in front of.
I nod sleepily and yawn.
"What about?"
"I don't know. . . " I can never remember my nightmares even if I get them almost every night now. I just wake up scared without ever knowing why. It's frustrating.
"Well, get it out of your system. We're late again," she smiles and gets up.
I reach for my watch. 8:40! What?!!
"Grace! Why didn't you wake me?!" I shout jumping down from the bed.
"You looked so peaceful, I didn't want to wake you." Is she for real?!
"What?!" I scurry around the room in utter confusion. "I'm going to kill you!"
"See you at school," she makes a peace-out sign and leaves.
Ugh. I hate her!
• ✨ •
I got to school pretty late. Grace left before me and Mom wasn't dropping us off as she don't want to be wasting her precious stay-at-home day. Yeah, she got the suspension. I wish I was Mom right now, she's so lucky.
But no. Here I am, stuck in this boring universe called school. Well, on the bright side, mum was here once so, maybe one-day.
I look at the long line at the canteen. Seriously? Does nobody bring food to school anymore? I mean, it was normal in St Maria's because, y'know, boarding school. But here?!
I glance at my wrist watch and sigh. It will take forever to reach my turn and break time would probably be over by then.
I sigh and turn back towards the classroom. I guess I'll just starve to death.
"Hey, Jessica!" I hear Chris' voice and turn to see him coming from the front of the queue with a tray. So it was him!
"Chris," I smile cheerily like he's some old acquaintance. I've really not seen him since Monday.
He walks up to me,"How are you? Oh," he gestures to the tray, "Care to join me?"
"Um... No thanks. I was about to go to my class."
"Have you eaten?"
"Nope. But I'm not hungry."
"You sure? You look like you're about to pass out." He's right. Due to the rush this morning I couldn't get anything to eat and I'm dyingggg. Plus the meat pies smell really good.
"So... What's it gonna be, princess?"
Aww, he called me princess. Now I'm hooked. "Ok, I am really hungry."
"I knew it. I could see it in your eyes," he laughs.
"No, you couldn't." I laugh too and follow him to the cafeteria were we sit at a table and I collect the snack he offers me.
"Thanks."
"Anytime. Remember, I'm your school dad."
