Oh, My Teacher.

The Beginning

Journal Log               JULY 18, 2022

   Crossings, North Carolina; a town that you'd never hear about in the news. A quiet place with rusted deteriorating streetlamps and only one sketchy stop light to call its own. You could say it's homey and retro with mobile homes and fast-food joints lining the road, but I say the government doesn't give a shit about this little town. Drugs run rampant, children stay out late, and parent's party. How did I end up here you ask? Well, my mother thought it was an amazing idea to move us here. When I was in elementary school no less! They had a valid reason though; it was because of our failing finances. My Father had just died and we were all out of sorts. That was when I was 10. I hated moving  and I hated Crossings, I much preferred our previous sunny country home in Florida. It reminded me of dad. Always damask and dark, when the sun does shine in Crossings it almost seems alien.

After living here for a while the dark and dreary weather became as natural to me as the oxygen I breathed. I can't tell you how many times I walked home alone in the rain when we first moved here, it was really hard at first. I was the new kid and being social wasn't exactly my forte. Thankfully after a while, a few of my now best friends took me under their wing. I haven't walked home alone since; we all became tight at thieves. Sarah, my first friend in Crossings whom I met in 5th grade, introduced me to Justin and Brandon and the four of us have been besties since.  We fight the world together. (Metaphorically of course.) We love to talk about politics, teen drama online AND in town, and maybe smoke a little weed in Brandon's basement from time to time. It makes Crossings seem like sunny Florida when I'm around them.

To add on, I can't believe we are all graduated; together we really have done it all. TP-ing houses on Halloween, Chugging eggnog on Christmas, and getting messed up on July 4th. I'm going to miss them when I leave for college. And believe it or not, I'll miss this shithole of a town. I'll miss the rain that always comforts my surroundings here, the scenery of each bead of water coating the lush greenery lining my childhood home. But New York will be different, it will be better, surely. One of my old school friends, who lives in New York, offered for me to be her roommate until I get a place of my own, a perfect opportunity to get out of this town. Thank god for friends, the rent in New York is insane. I bet my mother would have a penthouse in a week though. One upside to my mother is the fact that she can get a deal on ANYTHING. Our house is an example of that. We have one of the nicer homes in town, mom made sure of that with her negotiation skills. It stands at two stories bearing chipped white paint, old Christmas decorations, and probably a ghost somewhere. Even then, I'll miss this place.

________

    Feeling the wind blow on my skin from my open window I tilt my head back and a triumphant sigh escapes my lips.  "Done." I muttered.
As I spin around in my desk chair to face my bed my eyes wander to the neon lights above it, to the dirty clothes on my floor.  I crack my neck to the left then to the right, temporarily satisfying my ache. Closing my laptop and getting up from the creaky computer desk I got on sale, I flop on my bed reaching for my phone. As soon as I picked it up the screen read:

(1 NEW MESSAGE)
Sarah
Anastasia!! Have u finished writing in ur diary yet?! Come to Justin's house we r all waiting on u.

I put my hair up in a low pony tail while reading her message, I shivered at the word diary, but unlocked my phone quickly to text her back.

(MESSAGES)
Anastasia
Yeah I'll be there in 30 :) BTW it's not a diary! It's a journal! 
Sarah
Whatever lol idc haha, just come quick if you want some good pizza.
We've got some 🍃🍃 too.
Anastasia
Ooo! Okay, I'll be there soon, and weed? What's the special occasion lol.
Sarah
Omg...just come over and you'll see.

Lightly throwing the phone down on my bed and standing up, I wander out from the bedroom and make my way down the stairs and into the kitchen grabbing a glass of sweet tea. Sipping on the sweet drink footsteps begin to catch my attention.  Setting the drink down I start to walk out towards the front door dodging the couches on the way.

"Mom is that you?" I call out trying not to sound too excited.
I arrive to see a taller dirty blond man with harsh stubble and a mechanic suit on.
"Nope it's Danny... grab me a beer would ya?."
The man's words slurred more one after the next.
   I shutter and immediately lose all excitement. My moms new husband, Danny isn't someone you'd be happy to see.  He's a drunk. He's not abusive, but he's just weird, I don't get what mom sees in him.
I meet him with silence and drag myself to the fridge grabbing a Beer bottle.
'Grab it yourself..' I think to myself as I wander to him and put the bottle in his hands.
"Thanks." He mutters getting comfortable on his portion of the couch. He turns on the TV to his fishing channel and looks at me.
"What are you hanging around for? Don't you have an interview to secure? You need to work if you want to live your fancy little lifestyle" He gruffly slurred.
I growled internally not showing any emotional response as I was used to his asshole-ish nature.
"Not hanging around, just heading out actually." Going back to the kitchen and grabbing my cup I silently sigh.
"Sarah invited me over, so I think I'll be out late tonight."
I take a sip and make my way up to my bedroom to put on my shoes.
"Just don't get in any cars with fuckin' strangers Ana!" Danny semi-shouted.
I don't know why he cares, he's always a dick to me anyways. Slipping my shoes on i shout from upstairs.

"Just tell mom I love her when she gets home, okay? She'll probably be asleep when I get back."  Danny drunkenly nodded finishing his beer.

With that I moved back my hairs that had fallen out from my wreck of a pony tail and headed out the front door and grabbed my bike.

"Time for some mischief."