Like The Monster I Am ...

Chapter 1 : school

I open my eyes to see my phone screen directly in front of my face like it was before I went to bed , but only it was pitch black because it was sadly dead. I look at the clock , 6:27 am. I slowly picked myself out of bed dreading the fact that school is at 7 to turn and see an empty bed where my lazy brother usually lies asleep , yet the bed is perfectly made.

'Ryan?' I quietly scream to only hear nothing.

'Ryan , I swear if you're playing with me again you're not going to be happy with the consequences.'
I wait to hear a response and don't hear any , I start to think up ways to fuck with him after I find the little-

My thoughts are stopped in their tracks when I look at the clock in the kitchen of the home to see its not 6:30 like it said on my alarm clock in my room on my way downstairs, it said 7:30. Realization hits me and I sprint up the stairs to grab a tee to slip on and some jeans. My blood boils as I think about how my ass hat of a brother made me late for school and how everyone else seemed to follow along with the plan. Before I run out of the door I see Ms.Burns rustling through a bin.

'Lewis? Why ... why aren't you at school ?' She puts a hand in her hip waiting for an explanation that I can't wait to give her.

I was about to ask her why she was looking through trash but that's for another time ,'Ryan changed my alarm clock ! No one even bothered to wake me , I can't believe th-'

Ms.Burns interrupts me 'sh sh sh , hurry to school before you're even later than you already are , we'll talk after school.'

'Okay, bye Ms.Burns' I kiss her on the cheek and run out of the house in a hurry, barely having one shoe on. I get to school realizing its 2nd period and I rush down the 11th grade hall.

I quietly open the door to see my teacher is giving a lesson , hoping he doesn't catch me slipping in. Right when I think I can sneak in without getting noticed my name gets called.

'Lewis , why do you come to class now ? The whole class and I would absolutely love to hear your explanation,' he says with an eyebrow raised and sarcasm laced in his words. I hear a couple of giggles around me from some classmates.

At this point in the day giving another explanation would make my brain pop , I felt like taking Mr.V by his cheesy , colorful, 'oh I'm a fun teacher' tie and using him to wipe the desk down.

'Sorry Mr.V , just home stuff.' I gave a huge smile for the whole class to see.

'Alright, next time I'm going to send you up understood?'

'Sure.' The bell rings right before Mr.V can give me a lecture on how being on time makes a great impression , blah blah blah. I swing open the door being the first one out and head straight for the boys bathroom to meet my friend Charlie in the 10th grade hall bathroom.

The bathroom in the 10th grade hall is always empty ever since an accident that happened years back when a boy broke his head on a toilet being stupid. Now the bathroom is used for many fights , drug deals , and a hangout for kids that are definitely trouble.

I see Charlie with her fading blue hair and glasses at the tip of her nose while she scrolls through Instagram.

'Hey Charles , you got it?' I ask while I slide her glasses into the right position.

She scoffs, 'When do I not ?' She reaches into her book bag and grabs a small ziplock bag filled halfway with weed and we make our way into the bathroom. I pull out some joint wrappers and we start to talk.

'So,' Charlie pauses to focus on her joint, 'second week of school getting any easier ?'

'What do you think , Mr.V got on my head because I was late , he's such a dick about it too like he's never been late before.' I take a long drag and blow out smoke.

'See , that's why I don't go. Trust me it would be so much easier to just drop out ya know? Don't have to worry about pricks bugging you or stupid teachers telling you what to do ... they put us in such a box.' She says in her English accent and a joint in her mouth.

'Are you ... actually going to do it ?' I ask. Charlie has always talked about dropping out ever since she got bullied in 10th grade by these basic chicks. I worry for her sometimes because they still taunt her and I know she isn't okay.

'Yeah , do you know how miserable it is here , to not belong to a place where you spend most of your childhood is terrible , I never liked it , and now that I have the option to drop out , I am.' She stares blankly at a stall door like she wasn't even talking to me.

'Charlie...' I slightly lift her so she can slide off the counter she was sitting on and pull her into a hug. 'I know you're not okay , those girls have hurt you and you need tell somebody.'

Charlie squirms out of my hold 'No Lewis , I am fine , and you never seem to accept that you pester and pester but I'm fine. This is what I want to do and if you can't accept it leave ... leave like your parents did.' She quickly grabs her bag off of the counter and storms out of the restroom.

I feel like she just stabbed a knife through my chest , I grab onto the counter for some support.

Leave like your parents did. Leave like your parents did. Leave like your parents did.

I keep replaying what happened a few minutes ago in my head and I'm stuck in a trance until the 3rd period bell rings.

'Does it even matter anymore ?' I say to myself. I walk out of the bathroom and into the central area of the school keeping a close eye out for any teachers who are going to ask questions. I keep looking behind me as I speed walk with my binder in hand to the entrance of the school. I think I'm on my way to freedom until I run into someone and drop my binder.

I panic and kneel down to collect all of my papers not even worrying about anyone else until I see another pair of hands helping me. I look up to see a brown skinned girl with dark brown eyes and a perfect smile , dimples very prominent.

'I am so sorry, I didn't see you walking , and you were walking pretty fast.' She says in her light English accent, chuckling a bit.

'No it's all me , I'm just trying to hurry out of here before a teacher catches me.'

She stops in her tracks, 'You're trying to sneak out aren't you ?' She looks at me with concern written all over her face.

'Yeah but,' I grab my binder and stand up to leave, 'thank you ...?' I wait until she can give me her name.

'Zari , my name is Zari.' She smiles.

'Thank you Zari , but I must be going now. Hopefully I will see you around.' I playfully wink at her and look to see she's blushing and she shyly waves back.

I get home and I see Ms.Burns looking at some papers , running her hand through her hair. 'Ms.Burns what's going on ?' I ask and she looks straight up at me with her bright eyes.

'What are you doing home Lewis ? Are your brother and the rest of the kids with you ?' She asks concerned and confused.

'No , no just me. I wasn't feeling too well , but enough about me what's going on with you ?'
I lean my tall frame over to lean on the counter still looking at Ms.Burns.

'Lewis ...' she stops talking and she puts her hand on my shoulder. 'I think I have to sell the Foster home.'