𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚'𝐬 𝐁𝐨𝐱

𝟑 | 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐚

Digging into my bowl of cereal, I stack my English essay on the table in a neat pile. Two days worth of writing and editing that has to be a solid A.

I wore a plaid cropped shirt over my simple black dress and had my converse on today. Simple but comfy.

The sun was beaming and I wish I had lived closer to RU so I could just walk there.
Placing my bowl in the sink, I hear footsteps decending.

Blair walks in, wearing the same clothes as last night.
"Still here?" I ask drinking orange juice. Xavier follows in and passes her an aspirin and water.
Couldn't she find the sink herself?

Blair looks at him with a weary smile and thanks him. "My head is pounding from last night." She chuckles. Yeah I bet.

I glare at Xavier who comes behind me. Wrapping his big hand below my waist his mouth reaches my ears. "What did I say?" He asks me.
Rolling my eyes I recall the talk we had last night. "I trust you baby but I want her out of our house. Now." I whisper.

"She needs clothes." He says.
I shake my head and he continues to stare at me. "No." I whisper-shout.

"Octavia. Just this once please." His voice is stern. Ugh I hate that I love him.
I sigh very loud as I turn my head. "There's spare clothes in my room drawer, once you've change get out of my house." I say before heading to the table to pack my things.

Blair nods and sits near me. The table shakes and the glass of juice tips. Orange juice seeps through my paper. "Shit." I say moving my essay.

No no no. This was so perfect. "What the hell!" I shout at Blair. "I'm so sorry. I'm very clumsy." She did that on purpose. I'm sure she did.

I face Xavier who gives me a pleading look. She hasn't been here long and she is already getting in my way.

God I just want to smeer her face across a brick wall. My bottom lip trembles while I try to wipe the juice off my paper. I spent days putting my hard effort in this essay.

I slide on my bag and hold my half soggy papers on my hand.
Taking my bmw car keys I storm out of the house without another word.

~~~~~

Lunch was always the same. Elsa and I have grown closer over the months and we've learnt a lot about one another.
"I'm curious El." I say starting a conversation. We sat on the bleaches watching Knox shooting ball.

"Curious about what?" She asks fluttering her lashes.
"Why did you come up to me yesterday. I heard you hate people or something." I tell her sweetly trying not to offend her.

It's just Elsa is very quiet around people, most of them would whisper around her or flirt with her but she wouldn't let any body in.

"Remember in Mrs Atkins lesson and we had that test and you gave me your paper." I remember that day vividly. I had just came new and we had an exam in the hall already.

"Why did you help me?" She adds. I shrug my shoulders. "I just saw something was bothering you and felt like you needed help." She seemed troubled like life outside of school was difficult for her. I would know when a person pulls on a happy mask whenever it tried slipping, I was one of them.

"That's exactly why I came up to you. I saw something in you and felt like you needed a friend." She tells me.
"My 4 year old brother was transferred to a new foster home in a different city that day and I didn't have enough power to take him in."

We get up to throw our rubbish away.
"I have a younger sister too that I had to leave behind when I got married. Our mother was abusive towards me and I feared so much incase she'd hurt Aziza. I understand how you feel, it's scary but at least he isn't suffering right" I rub her back while we walk to the boys.