Deliver Me To Evil

Here We Go Again

"Hey, Billi!" i hear Johanna's voice from the other side of the packed cafeteria. She has a very loud, distinctive voice among the hum of the rest of the people in here.  I turn to see Jo trampoling through the crowd towards me. It's too late to try and hide. She isn't my favorite person, but we have three classes together, so I might as well try to like her, right? I put on a smile and act happy to see her.

"Hey, Jo." We head to the lines to buy our food. Irack my brain for something to say before she starts her blabbering, but she beats me to it.

"Did you finish the homework Mr. Wright gave us?" She asks. I screw up my face.

"No way, it's not due 'till Thursday."  I say.

"Billi, today IS Thursday. It's due today."

"No... Really?" I thought it was Wednesday. Joe nods and stares at me in utter disbelief. Wow, my bad.

Maybe I should copy. My grades in calculus is horrifyingly low. If my dad was here, I'd be grounded for sure. My mom is too sad to care, so neither do I, really.

"Do you want to borrow my packet? I mean, this would be the last time because you should do your own work, but do you wanna copy?"

I act like I totally wasn't about to ask. "Sure, Jo, thanks." She digs into her bag and hands me a thick packet. I hadn't even looked at the thing. I stuff the packet into my backpack and the line moves forward. I am able to pick up my whopping three chicken tenders and an apple. Honestly, how do they expect me to get full on this stuff? Jo sits with some theater geeks so we wave and she heads off withh her salad. Ugh, rabbit food.

I make my way to my table and wait for my friends while nibbling on my processed meat. I finish all of it before they get here. My best friend, Le-ann somehow sits without me seeing her at all and immidiatly starts talking about her "crazy" morning, which is usually just boys, gossip, and gossip about boys. I really couldn't care less, but she'll go crazy if she can't unload it all on me. My other friend, Dan, sits on the other side of me and pretends to listen. I take a chicken tender from his plate and he shoots me a dirty look.

"Jeez, you woulda thought I killed a guy..." I take a bite and set it back on his tray.  We turn our attention to Le-ann before she notices we aren't listening.

  "...And cheryl told me that her brother told her that Trey told  him that Brad told him that he likes me!" Brad is Le-ann's crush. I glance over at Dan. He looks up at me and gives a small smile, then looks at his hands. He has been head over heels for Le-ann since we knew him, which was three years ago, in freshman year, but she doesn't even notice.

"That's great, Le,"  I say.I really want to change the subject but I have no idea what to. Dan beats me to the punch, Bless him.

" Hey, so Billi, any word on your dad, yet?'' I take it back.

"No, nothing. My mom is trying to make us forget him. She really doesn't think he is coming back." My dad has been missing for a while. He usually is gone a lot, but never for so long. When i was a kid, he would tell me it was for buisiness. To help me, he'd say.

"Just for you, my little trick. I'm leaving for you. To help you. i promise, i don't leave just for kicks."

"Okay, Daddy. I love you." and he'd be gone He gave up trying to Kiss my mother goodbye, but she always avoided him. So he never actually got a kiss. He would then pick up his suitcase, pat Luke on the head and be gone for a few days.
But he's been gone for months, and my family has given up hope.

 "Maybe he'll be back soon, B." Le said and she touched my left hand. I smile and that's the end of lunch. Leanne waves by and takes off to sixth.

Dan and I walk with the crowd to the cafeteria doors.  Danny is quiet. He's only ever quiet when he's thinking about Leanne.
"You should tell her Dan. And if she doesn't feel the same way then at least then she would stop doing that to you." I tell him. He stares at his feet. "Really dude, it's not cool."

 Dan shrugged his shoulders and says, :I don't really mind much... I'm kind of used to it. She's been doing that since she noticed boys."
"I know, Dan, but it's still not cool. You really should tell her." Danny looks up at me.

 "I will." He assures me, "Soon."

     
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