A Tribute For Tia

Chapter 4

My mother began making me attend school after she found out I hadn't been there in over a week. School was torture, an endless cycle of screaming teenage girls and boys that were trying to grow a beard and shave at the same time. The uniform was horrendous as well, just to add to the torment. White button-down shirt and a dark blue tie, ridiculously tight and ironed pants, even dress shoes. There was a blazer, but I never wore it; I wasn't even sure if I had one that still fit. It was filled with snobby rich kids that had no idea what it was like to not have dinner on the table for seven days in a row, kids that had never experienced real pain.

I had argued for a good hour the previous night about that it was not fair that I had to go to school, especially when we all knew I didn't need it. I had to keep my voice down while I yelled at my mother through the phone receiver, as Tia was asleep; but it didn't quell the anger I knew was evident.

"That's so not fair."

"Alistair, you are going to school and there is no doubt about it." Her voice was felt, calm; I envied her for her serenity. I could hear voices in the background, probably my father's, telling her that she was needed in some room and she needed to put the phone away. My mother sighed, said her goodbyes, and hung up.

Well, I've lost that fight.

***

"Christina!" someone yelled in my ear, then a moment later a blonde girl, probably my age, ran past me. She nearly knocked me over, but I didn't fall on account of my superior balancing skills.

And the fact that I had a steady grip on the pole next to me helped a little.

"Stop screaming!" I yelled at the girls, who had been locked in an embrace until I interrupted their little conversation. "You saw each other yesterday!" I released the pole and watched them as the girls walked away, glancing worriedly over their shoulders at me. I heard a few whispers, mostly 'Isn't that the kid that tried to kill himself?' and 'I heard his sister was there watching him while he tried slitting his mother's throat.'

Real original, right? I shrugged them off, not caring what rumours were floating around the hell of a school. As I walked the halls, lockers were slammed in my face and books spilled so I would trip over them, but I knew that if I turned around I would probably start a fight, so I ignored the 'cool groups' and shoved my key into my locker. I mentally prepared myself for a bombardment of either silly string or a bucket-full of bees –not as crazy as you would think- but nothing fell down. I was stupidly glad that no one had tried to prank me.

***

Someone I knew was already sitting down in my math class, which is not what I was expecting. Maya sat next to my chair, the one that had been assigned to me at the beginning of the year and had hardly ever been used. Her hair was tied high on her head with a purple band, her eyes bright as she watched me walk, slightly dazed, to sit next to her.

"I thought you quit school." We said at the same time. she blushed, giggling as she looked away from my face.

"My mother is making me go to school." I shrugged, pulling out a pen from my pocket. Maya gazed back at me, smiling.

"So is my father." She shook her head. "Not that I want to be here, exams are today."

"Yeah, I know. Did you study?"

"Hell no." she laughed again, pulling a sheet of lined paper from her shirt. "But I wrote a cheat sheet."

"Isn't that...?"

"What, cheating?" she put it back when the teacher walked past, handing out the exams. "Yeah, but so what? If I fail, my dad's going to kill me. If I'm found cheating, my dad's going to kill me. So, I die either way."