Back To You

Birthday

Malakai Davis

I closed my car door and locked it. I took my sweet time going to my English class. I was early but not really in need of a nap this time. I was well rested, due to leaving work early on Thursday. Still, as soon as I woke up in the morning I sparked up. I had been pretty good with my rations and figured smoking for fun was permitted this time.

Part of me wanted to skip school and spend all day looking at the sky. But I couldn't afford to miss a day of school just for "fun". Even if I couldn't be productive for the first few hours of school, showing up would be better than not showing up at all.

When I arrived to class, Ms. Montgomery was sitting at her desk like she was every morning. She didn't even notice that I came in until I plopped my ass down on her desk. She looked up at me with a surprised look. "What's good?"

"Good morning, Miss Davis." Ms. Montgomery peered into my eyes. I just stared back trying not to blink too slowly. "You look energetic, has something changed recently?"

"Energetic?" I snorted.

If this was energetic then I must've been like a zombie before. Then again, that wasn't much of a surprise. I was always tired from work and when I wasn't, I was just confused and struggling to keep up.

"How many cups of coffee have you had this morning, Miss Davis?" Ms. Montgomery crossed her arms and glared at me. I laughed. "I am serious, someone your age shouldn't be drinking coffee. It's a drug. Half of these teachers here drink coffee like it's water. It isn't healthy."

I threw my hands up in mock surrender. "Alright, I'll cut back on the coffee, just for you."

"Don't do it for me, do it for you." Ms. Montgomery stood up. "Miss Davis-"

"Please, call me Malakai." I hopped off of her desk. All of the other teachers at this school called students by their first names but Ms. Montgomery never did. "And I don't drink coffee. I've been getting more sleep and eating more maybe that's why I seem more energetic." While both of those statements were true, smoking sativa was probably the largest factor.

"That's great. I checked your grades and they're going back up." Ms. Montgomery told me. I hadn't even checked my grades in a month. After having two Ds in my grade reports I couldn't bear to look at them anymore.

"I wasn't aware you were keeping tabs on me." I raised an eyebrow.

"I'm always keeping tabs on you, Malakai." Her lips turned up into a smirk.

"Mmmm sounds like a love song." Ms. Montgomery's smirk dropped and she glared at me.

"That's the last time, I'm ever saying your name." Ms. Montgomery scowled. I laughed at her reaction. "I'm assuming that you haven't had breakfast as usual."

"Your assumption would be correct." While I had enough time for breakfast, there wasn't any in the house. And I didn't want to stop anywhere to get some.

Ms. Montgomery handed me a bag of green grapes. "You should wear your natural hair out more often." She looked at the afro puff that sat on my head.

"I should." I agreed.

"Why don't you?" She asked.

I threw a grape into my mouth. I shrugged before answering her question. "Maintenance, I guess. It's hard enough getting dressed in the mornings."

"You've been doing great." Ms. Montgomery assured me.

"So people keep saying." I continued eating my grapes.

Eventually, the bell rang and I had to sit in my seat and actually learn. It was hard to pay attention when my mind kept wandering to things like caterpillars and how socks were feet prisons.