Coffee with Mr. Casey

3 - Exile!

**********************

Lola

I parted my hair every which way I could to try and hide the shiner on my cheek. Make up didn’t help much either. I’d ended up with it still red and blotchy, only with concealer caked on. I looked like a total idiot. Rubbing my cheek with a tissue only inflamed it more. I had to find a way to hide it or Dad would just make it worse. I’d ended up just parting my hair to the side. It was the least ridiculous option.

I grabbed my unfinished homework and book, stuffing them in my bag before hurrying out the of my bedroom door. Dad was asleep on the recliner but I gave him a kiss on the forehead anyway. Mom left for work around five in the morning, so I didn’t expect to see her until late afternoon. I looked at my watch as I headed out the door. Just as I expected: fifteen minutes late as usual.  I hoped Mr. Casey was out sick or something. I really didn’t need his nagging. 

I started down the route I always take to walk to school, passing Joel’s liquor store, a gas station, and the ice cream parlor I work at. I had to walk behind the parlor as to my skipping out on my hours over the weekend. I just couldn’t go anywhere with this thing on my face. Mom would kill me if I didn’t go to school, so I made sure that I was prepared to dodge questions. I played it over and over in my head: ‘what’s that on your face? Do you have, like, hives or something?’ I didn’t care as long as I didn’t get anyone’s sympathy. That was the last thing I needed.

When I made it to the school grounds, I heard the bell ring. “Shit!” I yelled, running towards the entrances, hoping that it wasn’t the second bell. I scurried inside noticing that all the students were running to their first period. I took my chances on running through the crowds to get to the senior hall, though it slowed me down tremendously. Once I started recognizing faces, I realized there was one minute left. Yes! I wasn’t going to be tardy.

“Ms. Farber!” The voice I dreaded to hear called me out. How the hell could he pick me out of all the students that were running around? I turned my head to see Mr. Casey towering over everyone, staring at me through his glasses. Okay, so maybe he could spot someone out easily with his abnormal heighth. “Gum,” he said.

I had completely forgot that I started chewing a piece after I had brushed my teeth. This was going to be the very life of me. I took a deep breath before swallowing the piece. I opened my mouth and stuck my tongue out at him. “No gum, see?”

An actual half-smile lifted from his face, only to fade a few more seconds later. His eyebrows lowered and he stepped a little closer. “What’s that?” he asked, with a concerned look. I knew he was talking about my face. I must’ve flipped my hair on accident, or something.

The bell sounded and both Mr. Casey and I looked at the time on the wall. I was going to kill him if he took this to his advantage. As a matter of fact, I was going to kill him for making me late to class when I’d actually made it on time.

“Can I go, please?” I asked, impatiently tapping my foot against the waxed tile floor. Mr. Casey decided he was going to stare at my face for a few hours more before even giving me an answer.

“Uh, yeah. Go. I’ll write you a note if the teacher needs it.”