Love vs hate

Chapter one

"WHAT THE ACTUAL!" My mother Lina shouted from the living room as she was rummaging through her purse because I had stolen something from her, with a tone that even the most oblivious person could tell was nothing but fuel for anger. Of course, taken aback, I immediately retaliated with, "Get over yourself, oh my god!" My tone was filled with metallic bitterness. I grabbed my black and green school bag off the kitchen counter, chuckling before opening the front door, looking back at her, storming out of the house with a menacing smile, and running to the bus stop to ensure that I wasn't late for school. God knows I don't want to sulk back to my mother for a ride; I want to stay as far away from her as humanly possible.

My mom opens the front door in a haste still going through her purse yelling, "KIMBERLY COME BACK HERE, RIGHT NOW!" An enraged voice sounded that I could only recognize as my very angry mother's.

"F YOU LINA!" I turned around, shooting her a scornful glare. My mother is a person that you would call, Oh, um, let's be nice here, um, well... bipolar. After my father passed away in the spring, I thought she'd change because, you know, death, grieving, sadness, or heck, even a little depression, but no. I was very wrong. Hell could freeze over before my mother would change, or could change, that is—she simply can't stop herself from making life miserable.

Sooner or later, after listening to all my period teachers drone on for hours, I went out for lunch with my best friends: Spencer, Wil, and Gena, Wil's older sister. I've known all of them since I was in kindergarten, and although they are dumb and do illegal things sometimes, they are my best friends. In a world like this, you need people like them. I met Spencer after I broke my first bone; he helped me with schoolwork that would be too challenging with a crippled wrist.

Flashback: "Need a little help?" A boy asked from the desk behind me; assuming he had seen me struggling, he got up, sat beside me, and helped me do my work until I was healed weeks later but continued to talk afterwards.

I met Wil and Gena when I was invited to Gena's birthday party. We were in 1st grade, and after that, we just stuck together. I'm not sure how to explain it better than that.

Flashback: "My mommy saw you had no friends and asked me to invite you to my birthday party. Wanna come?" Of course, I said yes because I was 7; how could I say no?

Arriving at Circle K, I grudgingly split the money I stole from my mother's purse this morning among all of my friends and got some candy, chips, an energy drink, and slushies. After managing to get it all into our bags, we made our way back to our school. Wil, in the meantime, halted to tie his shoes, which caused Spenser to stop so abruptly, he almost fell, in the process spilling his slushy onto Wil's head, which was now painted blue, and he managed to get it all over Spenser's white T-shirt, which made Gena and I share a chuckle at the two boys who were stunned across the street who saw the whole thing. Spenser, slushy, and Spencer, who spilled "Awe jeez," Wil said in sad frustration.

Spencer pulled his now-soaked shirt off. I couldn't help but be taken aback by his stature: a nice tan and a prominent amount of muscle—a soccer boy. I've had a crush on him for as long as I can remember; they all know that too; even he does, and he knows that I know that he knows I have a crush on him.

"Kimberly, stop being a creep; you're staring at him so hard you're going to burn a hole through his abs." Gena jabbed me with her shoulder, causing me to snap out of my trance.

"I am not; stop it." I gave her a light shove and laughed, and we continued to walk back to school. When we arrived at Briggs High, we heard a calling voice. Gena and I just shared a confused look, and she walked away as fast as the flash as the principal, Mr. Leach, was storming towards me with a hateful glare I can only describe as pure hatred.

Kimberly, I'd like to see you in my office, please," he said sternly through a narrowed stare before wrinkling his nose in disgust. Spenser, have some common decency and put on a shirt."

"But my shirt-"

"I didn't ask," Mr. Leach interjected quickly.

I stole a glance over at the office windows and saw my mother in an office chair talking to the vice principal. I heard her say, "She's out of control; her father passed, and now it's like she's this whole different person. Gosh, I'm not sure what to do with her anymore." The principal quickly pulled me into his office, giving my mother a loving look before he shut the office door. I sat down, and then he walked over me, standing over me dauntingly, making me feel like a mouse in a room of cats.

"Why do you think you're in here, Miss Kane?" Mr. Leach spoke in a menacing tone, almost causing me to flinch at his stare, but I was more annoyed at this point. I honestly could think of a dozen things that I've done that would get the principal involved. So, I sat there with a dumbfounded expression on my face and just looked at him like he had five heads.

"I'm sorry, sir, I'm not sure what you're talking about."

"Don't give me that look, girl; you're in big trouble, and you know what you did. Does this morning ring a bell? What about what you did to your mother before you got here?"

"First of all, dude, I don't know what you are talking about," trying to deny I did anything wrong, so he just let me leave, "Second of all, if it happened before I got here, not on school grounds, why is it your business? Also, how would you know!?" I snapped before trying to get up because I was done with this stupid conversation. It was going to go nowhere, only for him to grab my shoulders and force me back down in the seat in front of him, a real professional he is... I rolled my eyes as he continued to speak.

"Well, 'dude', I don't think it's appropriate for you to be stealing money from your mother; she's a good woman and doesn't deserve that, especially after the loss you two have had", I couldn't help myself but try and hold in a giggle, "and second off, smoking in the girls' washroom; seriously, how old are you? Grow up; you're 18," Mr. Leach said in a snarky tone, as if he had just won a court case.

"How do you know that I stole money from my mom?"

"It's not about how I know Kimberly; it's about the fact that you did it, and it isn't ok, Do we need to bring in Mrs. Lydia?"

"Oh, lord," I sat there in his office, nervous because I wasn't sure what was going to happen next.