The Copper City Ripper

Chapter 03

Uzi's mother, Nori, drove her to school in their beat-up sedan, the engine making a sputtering noise as they pulled up to the curb. Uzi, dressed in her usual dark attire with her dyed purple hair pulled back so that she could tuck it under her beanie, glanced at her mom, who gave her an encouraging nod.

"Have a good day, Uzi," Nori said, her voice tinged with the weariness of a long night. "And remember, if anyone gives you trouble, you can always talk to me."

"Yeah, sure," Uzi mumbled, her tone betraying her skepticism. She knew her mother meant well, but talking about her problems wasn't exactly her style. With a reluctant sigh, she slung her backpack over her shoulder and stepped out of the car.

As she walked through the school gates, she couldn't help but notice the usual clusters of students milling about, chatting and laughing as they prepared for another day of drudgery. Uzi kept her head down, trying to avoid drawing attention to herself. It wasn't that she was shy—far from it—but high school was a battlefield, and she preferred to stay under the radar.

Her path took her past a group of girls she recognized all too well. Lizzy, the self-proclaimed queen bee of the school, stood at the center of her clique, holding court with her usual air of superiority. Uzi had always found her obnoxious, but today, something about their conversation caught her attention.

She heard her name.

"...Uzi? Are you serious?" Rebecca's voice was shrill with frustration. "He totally ignored me yesterday at the park, and it's like he was all focused on that weirdo Doorman instead."

Lizzy tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder, her expression one of mild annoyance. "I'll talk to N if I see him. Maybe I can set him up with you, Rebecca. He just needs to see what he's missing out on."

Doll, Lizzy's girlfriend, interjected, her voice thoughtful. "But Rebecca, you already have a boyfriend. What about Darren?"

Rebecca shrugged dismissively. "I'm thinking of ending it with him anyway. He's so boring. I want someone new, someone more... interesting. And N seems perfect."

Doll looked skeptical. "Maybe N actually likes Uzi. It's not like he's obligated to like you back, Rebecca."

Lizzy scoffed at the idea, her tone dripping with disdain. "Come on, that doesn't make any sense. Why would he go for some flat emo loser like Uzi when he could have a girl as hot as Rebecca?"

Uzi felt a pang of anger at Lizzy's words, but more than that, she felt a cold rush of doubt. N had seemed genuinely friendly when they talked at the gas station, but what if it was all in her head? He was popular, attractive, and kind—qualities she didn't see in herself. He couldn't possibly be interested in her, right?

She shook her head, trying to dispel the thoughts as she made her way to her first-period class. The hallways were starting to fill up with students, and Uzi slipped into the classroom just as the bell rang. She scanned the room, noticing with a mix of disappointment and relief that N wasn't there. His attendance was so unpredictable that it had become a running joke among the teachers.

Mr. Vickers, her first-period teacher, stood at the front of the room, calling out names for attendance. When he reached N's name and received no response, he sighed and muttered, "Well, there goes ten bucks."

The class chuckled, and Uzi couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for N. His situation was clearly more complicated than most people realized. She remembered their conversation at the gas station, how he had seemed genuinely interested in talking to her, despite her initial coldness.

As the lesson began, Uzi's thoughts drifted back to N. Maybe, just maybe, he saw something in her that others didn't. But even as she allowed herself that small glimmer of hope, she couldn't shake the nagging doubt that had settled in her mind. Why would someone like him be interested in someone like her?