That Girl And her Tiger Tattoo

ch. 8- my first normal day

Another chapter from Lizzie.

I wake up the next morning and pull on my clothes and the flannel. I run down the hall to the kitchen and stop. Everyone is sitting at the table, ready to eat. Aw. It reminds me of my family. For the past year, I quickly grabbed breakfast from the kitchen of where ever I was staying and got to work.
I sat down on a chair and Linda went around the table, dumping oatmeal in each bowl.
"Thanks," everyone said.
When it got to me, I smiled and thanked her, then wolfed it down while everyone else was busy talking and laughing. When I finished, I put my bowl in the sink, mumbled something like thanks and ran to my room.
I quickly stopped in the bathroom and took a shower. Then, I hurried out the door and ran to school.
I quickly reached the school and went in. I ran to my first hour and went through second and third hour, too. I finally reached fourth in what felt like an eternity and went in. I saw that Ben hadn't come in yet and I sat next to Tom. I smiled quickly at him and giggled as his ears began to tint pink. No doubt thinking about yesterday.
I turned in my seat as Ben walked in. "Hey, Ben," I offered my best half smile.
He half smiled back and sat behind me.
I faced front just as the bell rang telling everyone that they should be in class. The teacher wrote her name on the chalkboard as always and then she wrote some math problems beneath it.
"Anyone?" She turned and asked us, challenging us to try.
I raise my hand.
"Would you like to come up and do the math? Or... can you do it in your head and I'll write the answer?" She asks.
"Mental math," I shrug.
She gasped, clearly not expecting that.
"2844," I say, with a smile obvious on my face.
She checked the sheet in her hand and looked up. Saying nothing, she wrote my answer on the board. "Correct. Nathan, your turn."
I kinda tuned out while the rest of the class took turns writing the problems and answers in their notebooks or "math journals."
I sat back and relaxed, quickly jotting down notes.
The hour went by quickly and we headed to lunch. I sat by Ben and Tommy as usual.
"So, how'd it go yesterday?" Ben asks.
"Alright," Tommy replies. "Surprisingly."
"Ok. And I was asking Lizzie."
I gulped nervously. "Uh... yea. It was great."
"You guys miss me?"
"Yea... and uh... didn't I tell you not to call me Lizzie?"
"Right. And Thomas can?"
"Stop it. This has been over for awhile," I say and get up.
"And it's Tom." Tommy follows me.
"Stay," I say. "I can't let Ben know yet and you following me seals the deal. I feel kinda sorry for him y'know."
"Alright. For you, not him."
"It's kinda funny though," I say as I throw my tray in the garbage can.
"What is?"
"Just that Ben hangs out with us and doesn't particularly like either of us."
"True."
I gave him a quick kiss and hurried away.
He stared after me and I realized it was going to be difficult to hide our relationship. Just now, anyone who was looking could tell he was quite taken with this broken strange girl.
I ran down the steps when the bell rang, signalling the end of school. Tom caught up to me and grabbed my wrist to slow me down.
"Want me to come over today?" He asks.
"I have to get permission, that's what Linda said."
"Oh, alright."
"Yea. You can come with though, if you want."
"Ok."
"Do you want to?"
"Yea. I don't live far."
"That reminds me, you have to show me where you live."
"Let's go."

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Sry, yes it's short. Trying to use a time skip tho soo...