Call Me Six

13: 'Hormonal Slackers' -Tobias

TOBIAS-

October rolled around quicker than expected, and the warm summer mornings were quickly fading.

It was Friday and we only had two hours left of school. Apparently, they decided that a teenager's favourite thing to do before the weekend was gym class, or more commonly known as, running around the track whilst Mr. Gruger shouts and blows his whistle every five seconds because, "you're all a bunch of hormonal slackers!"

To top it all off, it was raining.

"Is this the best you can do?!"

And you wonder why our school has no sports teams...

"Eaton!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Pick up the pace, new girl's lapped you twice already! As for the rest of you: if you don't finish at least three laps by the end of the day, you're all in detention; cleaning changing rooms!" Have I mentioned about how much of an asshole Mr. Gruger is? No? Well, he's probably on more people's hit lists than any other middle-aged man with a beer-belly and reseeding hairline.

"Yeah, Four, pick up the pace. You wouldn't want to be beaten by a girl, now would you?" Tris says whilst jogging backwards as she passes me a third time.

After the outburst in Mathews' class, she got suspended for two days, but then came back even worse than before... If that was even possible.

The rain continues to pour down, making the muddy, beaten down track even slippier than usual.

My shins are caked with mud and the thin grey T-shirt is soaked through.

It doesn't take long for the class to end actually... Some girl slipped and her knee dislocated so we were sent in early whilst Mr. Gruger called for an ambulance and the girl threatened to sew for forcing us out in the heavy rain.

~

I return home and Sophie's still sleeping. The remnants of Marcus' liquor infused anger is scattered around the house.

He left early this morning before I went to school. I refuse to leave Sophie here with him around.

Thankfully he took most of his clothes and a large crate of files so he's probably leaving for another business trip to Dubai for the next five months - or at least that's what happened last time.

"Toby!" I hear her soft voice call from upstairs and I immediately think the worst and start charging like a madman through the house until I get to her room; where I see her sat happily in bed playing with a Barbie doll.

"Toby I'm bored, and I can't decide what dress Penelope should wear for when Chrissy comes over. She promised to play dollies with me last time she was here and she hasn't been here in ages," she says and struggles to get the plastic doll's arms through the sleeves of the pink sparkly dress. "When's Chrissy gonna get here Toby?"

"Christina's not coming over tonight, Soph."

"Oh. But I thought today was Friday?"

"Today is Friday-"

"Chrissy always comes over on Fridays though. Or she used to at least. She's missed a lot of tea parties but I can forgive her."

"Sophie, Christina's not gonna be coming here for a while-"

"Why?"

"We- Christina and I had a little disagreement..."

"An argument?"

"Yes."

"Like mommy and daddy used to?"

"No. No not at all like that, Soph," I say as she reaches for a small pile of glitter on the nightstand.

"Was it because you said she looked like Cinderella when she was supposed to be Sleeping Beauty? I get annoyed when you do that, Toby. Chrissy was wearing my pink costume and you should know that Cinderella has a blue dress and Sleeping Beauty's is pink.

"I think we need to re-watch the movies so that you understand, Toby. You really should know your princesses, Toby."