Miss Fortune

School

         I walk to school and hope no one kidnaps me on the way.
Yeah, like that would happen. They'd have to be able to pick me up first.

         I pass by a cul-de-sac and wonder if my friend Kendra left for school yet.
It's still pretty early, maybe she's still getting ready.
I head towards the smaller house surrounded by bigger dwellings and knock softly on the door.
Please just be Kendra, please just be Kend-

       "Good morning, Claire." A short, stout, pale woman stands in the open doorway holding a baby.

       "Good morning, Marie. Has Kendra left for school yet?" I chime.

       "No," she shakes her head, "she's just packing her lunch. I'll tell her you're waiting outside."

       "Okay, thank you, Marie." Ouch.
Kendra's mom has never liked me and, from what Kendra tells me, I'm her only friend. A big smile spreads across my face, we're outsiders but at least we're not completely alone.

       "Claire!" Kendra's voice erupts from the front door as it swings open. She runs towards the sidewalk to join me. "I'm sorry about my mom, you know how she is." She rolls her eyes as we start walking.

       "I'm used to it." I shrug.

       "Do you think Brenden and Aly are at school yet?" A goofy smirk rests across her face.

       "Maybe not, we'll have to walk faster if we wanna find out." I giggle as we start to speed walk down the pavement.

       "How's your mom?" Kendra asks, slightly out of breath.

       "Dunno," I mumble, "I haven't seen her since dinner yesterday."

       "And Hank?"

       "Still a dick."
   
       "Can't be worse than Muhammed."

       "I thought you said he was warming up to you?" We slowed our pace, focusing more on our respective step-douches than the boys we were previously fixated on.

       "Yeah, I thought so too. I know I shouldn't be jealous but he focuses more on Yousuf." Her tone more solemn than it was moments ago. "I just can't compete with a baby...his baby."

       "Maybe it's because Yousuf's a baby?"

       "I know," Kendra slows down, we're barely walking at a reasonable pace now. "I feel forgotten though, my mom doesn't even notice me anymore."

       "You know is noticing you?" I say, nudging her. "Brenden." Laughter erupts from the two of us as we walk towards the two boys.

       I didn't consider Brenden and Aly
'friends' so to speak, but we did regularly hangout with eachother. Kendra has feelings for Brenden, which she makes apparent to no one but me. I don't know what you're supposed to feel when you have 'feelings' for someone, and I don't really come from a family full of love so...I'm stuck with figuring that out by myself.
Aly is pretty cool though.
 
       "We were starting to think you wouldn't show up to school." Brenden laughs, he's talking to Kendra. "Hey Claire, what's up?"

       "Missing school apparently." I try to include myself into his scenario.

       "I saw your sister walking your brother to school, he couldn't take the short bus?" Ouch.

       "My brother likes the exercise," I say, trying to shrug off the obvious insult. "you should try it sometime, Brenden."
A chime breaks the tension, the first call bell. We have five minutes to get to class before the national anthem and morning announcements.

       "Cool," Aly pauses. "I'm going now."

                   •              •               •

       Nothing else happened today, Chole was absent so I didn't have to prepare myself for my daily insults from her and her friend group, they wouldn't dare to do anything without their ringleader.
Yet still, it's time to go home and I'm dreading it.
I'd rather be insulted by people who know nothing about me than the people meant to care about and for me.

       Marie is picking up Kendra from school and is currently refusing her request to drive me home; the disgust in Marie's eyes is unmatched. I wave politely as they drive off before heading down the alley.
I'm currently debating on spending the afternoon at the Boys And Girls Club or going home but I decide on the latter. I slow my pace and start humming to myself, music is another favourite pastime of mine and carrying a melody is something I enjoy more than anything. Before I know it, I arrive at the corner store just up the street from the apartments. I can see my mother on the balcony smoking a cigarette, and two other people. I sigh as I continue down the street in silence, not really in the mood for music anymore.

        I make my way to the front entrance of the apartment building and push my way inside.
I buzz our unit.....no answer.
Buzz again......nothing.
Buzzing once more prompts a response. "You are so fucking annoying, you know that?" Charlotte.

         "Can you let me in please?" I'm so not in the mood for this.

         "Can you fucking wait? We're having a smoke."

         "Please? You're already at the intercom and there's ants in here."
...no answer. "Char?"
I buzz three more times, this time it's a different voice.

         "Claire can you please just give us a second? Just wait for God's sake." My loving mother's disembodied voice says.

         "Mom, please just let me in. I'll wait in the hall."
.....nothing.
Okay, guess I'll go fuck myself then.

          Fifteen minutes pass before Hank comes downstairs, he notices me standing in the corner and a smile creeps onto his face. He stops right in front of the locked door and taps on the glass as if I couldn't smell him from here. "What are you doing?" He smile grows wider.

          "Waiting for someone to let me in." I'm not impressed with anyone in my family but even less so at his pathetic attempt to pick on a literal ten year old.

          "Ohhh that was you earlier?" He asks as if he wasn't just there.
I nod, confirmingly. "That sucks."
I watch as he walks back up the stairs, leaving my behind, I sigh and exit the front entrance. I sit on the stairs with a soft thud and continue waiting.

          "Claire?" A stif, hoarse voice approaches the bottom of the entrance stairs. "Again?"
   
          "Hi Bob." I smile meekly, getting up to help the older man with the stairs. "Yeah, it's okay though, you're here now."

          "Let's get you inside honey."

          "Thank you."