Dining with the Badboys

Chapter 2: The Walk of Shame

I wake up to the feeling of be licked. I groan as my head throbs and my face feels as if I slammed it against a brick wall.

All the thoughts come flooding back to me and with a start, I sit up and see a raccoon watching me curiously. I let out a blood curling scream and stagger to my feet. Looking around me, the door is in fact, laying in a broken heap on the floor. The contents of my bag are sprawled all over the floor and my pack of gum is currently being chewed apart by a rabid animal.

Putting a hand to my neck, I stretch until the creak is gone. Shooing the raccoons out the wide open door, the late moon gives me a small sense of time.

Pulling myself from my deprived state, I make way towards the staff room. After collecting my stuff and checking my phone—which the time is currently four in the morning. I change into my dress that I was suppose to wear when I was suppose to go clubbing with Chloe after my shift. I couldn't stand to wear the work clothes that smelled like blood and stale whip cream.

Mumbling multiple profanities to myself, I grab my heels, not even bothering to put them on. My hair could be mistaken as a bird's nest, and my makeup is smudged in so many places it looks like I got in a brawl and threw up all over myself. Which actually the first part is sort of true.

By the time I make it to my house which is a walking distance away, I see my mother sitting on the porch half asleep. Guilt settles in the pit of my stomach and the tears from last night welt into my eyes again. Hearing the sudden commotion, she wakes up and is more alert than I've seen her in a long while.

Sitting up from her chair, she rushes towards me and drags me into a hug. "Don't you ever do that to me again Arney Daniels! I was worried sick." I can feel sobs rack through her tiny body as she cries into my shoulder.

"I'm sorry Mom."

"Do I know the guy?" She asks. I pull away and a look of confusion settles.

"What do you mean?" I wonder, thinking for almost a second she knew about the robbery.

"Don't play dumb with me. You come home at four in the morning in a dress and holding your heels. Not to mention your makeup is smeared and you have blood crusting to your temple and arms." She wrinkles her noise, "You even smell like expensive cologne. I don't care about any of that, we can get you on birth control-"

"Mother!" I say disgusted, how could she think I'd ever stoop that low?

"We can file an abuse report when I go to the department-" She says desperately, trying to get the words out as quick as possible.

"Mom, calm down." I put a hand to her arm, "No, I didn't hop in a stranger's bed. The diner got robbed."

She stares at me for a few second, almost like she's trying to see through the lie that wasn't there. Seeing the sincerity on her face, she crumples and throws her arms around me for the second time tonight. "Just tell me your okay."

I give a reassuring smile, trying to ease her. "I am."

We go into the house a few minutes later. She starts on her famous hot tea, all signs of lack of sleep leave and it's as if it were noon and not morning. The first thing I do is go into the bathroom and soak for a half our in the tub. Everything from previously runs through my mind, I half hoped it was a dream when I woke up to the raccoon burrowing into the crook of my neck. I grimace and sink down further into the bubbles.

As soon as I plopped into the water, the dried blood ran off creating a ring of rust colored water on the top layer. I don't know how hard he hit me but it was enough to knock me out for more than seven hours. The lavender smelling soap soothes me until Mom calls me down for breakfast.

The military secretary inside of her forces me to get ready for school, saying how I still slept even though I was in the most uncomfortable position possible. The only thing she said that referred to the night we had was 'all get it all worked out'. With that, she shoved me towards my bedroom and refused to let me out unless I had a backpack slung over one shoulder and a lunch bag in the other.

So instead of pouting and entering my inviting sheets, I drag myself to the closet and pick out the comfiest thing I can find. Knowing I'll hit the bathroom or library and sleep until third period.

Decking myself out in skinny jeans, a baggy sweater with my black converse; I complete my famous Arney staple. Let's be honest, I wear thing probably every day and just swap between colors. Dragging a comb through my hair and setting it into a simple braid, I start the 2 mile trek towards school. I don't even bother to put concealer over my back eye and bruised lip. Let them think I killed a man.

As I enter the building and head to my locker, I hear the whispering of the people around me. I don't judge them. To be honest, if I was a different person and saw my face, I would talk too. Ignoring the accusing stares and looks, I find my locker and grab my stuff. Just as I slam it closed, I'm faced with the angry looking Chloe.

She doesn't stay mad long though. As soon as she sees, her whole attitude changes into one of Mamma Bear. "I'm not even going to ask why you stood me up and forced me to dance with the annoying kid—Jacob—from our English Lit." She says all in one breath. "Who did this to you, I'll kill them!"

I can't help but smile and lead her away and towards homeroom. "The diner was broken into when I was there and they weren't so friendly."

She gasps and hugs me tight like Mom did only hours ago. "Oh Sweetie, I'm so sorry."

"Yeah, my face is too." I moan.

By the time we're forced to split off and into our separate classes, the word has spread about my face and not a single person isn't anticipating my entrance. Even the teacher must have caught word because Mr. Hisey is sitting on the edge of my desk and staring excitingly towards the door. His eyes light and he walks briskly towards me. I can't lie, I wouldn't mind passing out right now if it meant he'd carry me to the Nurse's office. Even better, if he took off his shirt.

"Miss Daniels, it appears you've injured yourself." He states the obvious. "Are you sure you're up for class today? I can excuse you and send you home." He says, almost begging me. It's no secret that Hisey hates teaching, so every student less for him is a blessing.

I quirk my brow. "You say that like it's a good thing."

He goes a shade darker and rubs the back of his neck. "Oh, um..."

I laugh, "Don't worry about it."

Taking my seat in the back of the class, he continues his lesson about—oh look at that—the benefits of being prepared. If only... I shrug off the books and binders I was holding onto the desk and settle deep into my seat. The other students must have seen enough of my face to hold them off for the class. A few wondering eyes land on my face and stare a few seconds longer but other than that there wasn't anything much different from any other day of Sivalts High School.