The Path of Roses 🥀

Chapter One: The Fight

(Word Count: 3,770)

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Friday, May 28th, 2004

CHAPTER ONE 

"So one last thing before I let you go..."

I let out a yawn. It's my last class period and time is choosing the wrong day to be slow.

I open my backpack and my fingers scramble through the messy pile of notebooks, pens, snacks, and everything that was stuffed to find a blank piece of paper. Once my fingers locate it, I grab it along with a pen.

"Ugh.. when does this boring ass class end? I wanna go home already!" I write while I simultaneously keep an eye on my teacher droning on with her long farewell speech.

I quickly toss the note to my Mal Warner, who sits on my left and is the closest thing I have to a best friend. I wait a while for her response as I hear the sound of her lead pencil moving swiftly on the paper.

Soon enough, she tosses the note back on my desk. I open it and her perfect cursive writing reveals the answer: "Take a chill pill V. She's gonna have to end before twelve thirty."

"Passing notes again Victoria?" A loud, booming voice asks.

My heart skips a beat. I don't have to look up to know that my World History teacher, Ms. Cobb, or as everybody else secretly calls her "Ms. Snobb" is lurching over my desk. I stare at her unusually large feet tapping the floor angrily.

"Hand me the note." She demands.

"Oh God.. this isn't gonna end well..." I think as my shaky hands give her the note.

As Ms. Snobb reads my note, I can feel the heated stares from the entire class. I try to focus on the carved graffiti on my desk instead. My palms sweat with anxiety. This is not the first time I've been called out in class, but every time it happens, it feels like it's the first time all over again.

My face feels hot with embarrassment. I look at Mal. She looks embarrassed and guilty, like she was the one who was caught. She mouths "sorry!".

"I see." Ms. Snobb starts. "Well then Victoria, I wasn't sure at first, but after I read this descriptive note," She says annoyed, "I have no doubt that you are the perfect student for the job."

"What job?" I ask.

The whole class laughs at my stupidity. For a fleeting moment, I want to run out of the class, but I know that would be a stupid thing to do and will only worsen my reputation as The Loner Skater Girl.

"Quiet!" Ms. Snobb barks. 

The class instantly shuts up. 

She sighs impatiently. "Well, perhaps if you paid more attention in class, I mentioned that there would be no homework during summer break if someone correctly answered the History question I wrote on the board."

Ms. Snobb gives me a look that makes me feel even more small and vulnerable. Like I'm stuck on the United States map on the wall for her to discover all my secrets and flaws. My throat tightens in fear.

"Victoria, since you're frequently writing notes in class and have made it a habit the entire school year to disrupt the class, please go to the board and answer within five minutes."

I feel my heart free falling inside my stomach. Just my luck. Out of twenty four other people in the class, Ms. Snobb had to ask me, the least qualified person in this class, to answer a question that determines the fate of our summer vacation.