The Street Racer's Loner

ELEVEN

Chapter 11: Skipping School

Ezra Rivera

"Ez."

A familiar voice calls out to me.

"Ez."

It calls again sounding louder now.

"Ez, man get up," the voice now clearer telling me it's Xavier and as I open my eyes the sun rays almost blind me. I wince in response.

Looking around the room I realize I'm not at home and in someone else's room.

Xavier's room?

A flashback to me arriving at yesterday's party tells me that nope, still at the party house.

Wait it's morning?

I grab Xavier's wrist and check the time on his watch, the time read 8:05am.

Shit.

Abruptly getting up from my sitting position on the floor, I stretch my limbs relieving the cramping sensation that was currently flooding them as a result of the position I blacked out in.

"Do you have some spare clothes, I need to go to school," I tell him and he gave me an incredulous look probably shocked that I'm still willing to go to school after such a raging party. In his memory we all got drunk last night and him finding me passed out in one of the rooms was his evidence that I do have hangover.

But he didn't say anything he just nodded and walked through a door in the room that wasn't the exit. Following him I realize it's a closet, I watch as he shuffled through the shelves and pulled out a pair of dark jeans and a white t-shirt then hands it over to me.

"Uh do you have any long sleeves?" I ask as I look at the t-shirt. He looks puzzled but nods and grabs the t-shirt and instead grabs a grey long sleeve and passes it to me.

"Ez, did you get in a fight last night?" He asks looking at my face intently, speaking for the first time ever since he woke me up.

Turning to the mirror on my left I notice that the bruise my father gave me yesterday was much more prominent than last night. I bring my hand to slightly graze it but immediately wince at the pain that erupts. Having no other understandable alibi I nod in response.

"Yea, if you think this is bad you should see the other guy," I comment the typical line and he laughs at that. "Damn Ez didn't think you had it in you," he says as he slaps my back. I smile and take the clothes to the bathroom and change into them.

After wetting my hair and washing my face, I put the jacket back on and reach into my pocket for a cap I knew I stashed in there before I left my house. Once the hat is on I leave the room and yell to Xavier that I'm leaving but as I open the door he grabs my arm stopping me.

I turn to see he has an ointment in his hand. "Before you go, put this on the bruise," He instructs and gives the ointment to me. Sighing I take it from him and shove it in my pocket. I wave and open the door and leave.

*

*

Staring at the red-bricked building, I contemplate if I should really go inside but then I remember the goal and pull the cap down further to hide my face. I walk in and the halls are empty for the first time, I didn't have to deal with nosy students of Blue Oaks.

Going to my locker I grab the books I have for second and third period. Then I head to the bathroom and apply the ointment in front of the mirror. Once I'm done with that, I head to the class I'm twenty minutes late for.

Opening the door to the room, the voice of my history teacher stops as all eyes gravitate to me. Clearing my throat, I nod at him and walk towards my seat in the back.