The substitute

Chapter 5

I wake up the next morning, happy it's a Saturday, I roll around in my bed while stuffing my face in a pillow. I want to stay in my bed forever, but I end up getting out of bed and do my usual morning routine. I take a shower, blow dry my hair, brush my hair, I put my hair in a ponytail then I brush my teeth. I get dressed in a comfy black and white leopard pajama pants with a white shirt. I go to my living room and lay down on the couch. "Morning Zooey, want some coffee?" My mother says "ya sure." I answer tiredly "so what are your plans today?" My mother asks "well..." I say gathering all my thoughts " first I need to grade some tests from yesterday and hand it in on Monday." Mrs. Smith gave me half of the test and she took the other half, I remember the deal I made with the kids about having a free day if they pass their tests, and I have a feeling they are all going to pass, now I have to buy some games for the children to play with. Great.
"Um I also have to plan what I'm going to say to the principle..." "Chief executive" she cuts me off "principle,chief executive, The Dean, they're all the same thing."I say, and she rolls her eyes at me, but continues to listen to me. "I have to plan what I'm going to say to him." I say "you better make him like you!" She says strictly I nod my head "I'm serious Zooey this is important." "I know mother" I tell her "good" she tells me. I roll my at her and get inside my room "wait Zooey!" She yells "yes?" I ask slightly annoyed. "do you want some breakfast?" Finally, something she says that doesn't add another bit of stress on my shoulders. "Um.." Unsure what to say and on cue my stomach growls "I'll take that as a yes." She says.
"So what are you going to make?" I ask her smelling absolutely nothing "oh I'm not making anything." She says. What? "Then why did you ask me if I wanted some breakfast? And you're not going to even make anything" I say clearly annoyed " I have to go to work here's a twenty dollar bill, you can go to IHOP, Denny's or Dunkin Donuts and take Nate with you" she says as she rushes to get her stuff and runs out the door. "Wait, it's a Saturday. She goes to work on Saturdays now? That's weird.
When I'm about to go next door to Nate's house my home phone rings. When I look on the caller ID it's my dad. "Hey dad?" I say through the phone "hey sweetie how's everything?" He asks. he's so sweet and so gentle. I miss my dad's voice. I hate that he works in the army and never comes home, but when I remember the days he was home he'd always drink alcohol all the time, always coming home drunk. I'm so proud that he finally stopped he finally chose his family first instead of alcohol, but that was the past I'm over it. "I'm doing great how are you? I missed you so much!" I say tears threatening to come but I hold it in trying to calm myself down. "I'm doing fine honey I missed you too baby and I have really good news sweety!" He says. Good news! "What is it?" I say excitedly. I feel like a child begging to my parents on what presents they got me for Christmas.
"I'm coming home next month." He says quietly and sweetly. Oh my gosh my father's coming home! I can't get rid of the stupid smile on my face. "Really? " I say not believing his words "yes honey I'm coming home." "Oh my god" I say " honey we're going overseas today so I'm losing a bit of connection here. I'm going to have to say goodbye sweety" he tells me calmly "bye dad." I say "I love you honey." "I Love you too." I tell him.
I sit on the couch In disbelief it's been long, too long I never asked him how long he's going to stay I hope he stays a long time, but a long time for me and a long time for him are two different things my long time is spending like at least two months together and his long time is a week but I don't care I want to spend every second with him I'll make every second count I miss him soo much. While I'm thinking about my father my stomach interrupts me by growling and I totally forgot about the twenty dollars since I was to focused about my father.
I'm about to call Nate for some breakfast when I hear a knock on the door I look in the peep hole and see Nate. "Hey!" I say and hug him. I decide to let go of the secret he's keeping from me, he's going to tell me anyway. "Hey" he said surprising me when he crashes his lips with mine, we stay there just kissing for about two minutes when he finally stops us "so what do you want to do?" He asks while he licks his lips "well I was planning to get some breakfast, where do you want to go?" I ask him "IHOP they have the best pancakes ever!" He says excitedly I chuckle at him while he runs in the car "come on!" He yells at me. I finally make it to the car and he drives.
While he's driving I stare at him. He's so handsome I'm so glad that he's with me I love his black hair with his perfect blue eyes, I love that he's not like every guy he's extremely smart, mature... Well kind of but I love him more than ever. He catches me staring and I smile at him and he smiles back we've been dating for two years and in six more months it'll be three. "So what are you going to get?" He asks breaking the comfortable silence "you know the usual pancakes and some eggs." I say "Ya same." He says we finally arrive to IHOP and sit down "hey Zoe." A familiar voice says I turn around but I can't find the source of the voice.
"Over here." He says chuckling a bit I look next to me and he's sitting at the table next to me "oh." I say laughing it off "what's up?" I say bringing the attention off of me I look at Nate and he looks pretty nervous probably cause I'm talking to a tattooed guy "nothing much waiting for the group to come they're always late." He says laughing a bit I look at the table he's sitting at and there's only two seats and he's sitting on one of them I give him a confused look "we're sitting in the back." He tells me answering my thoughts I look behind me and I see a huge booth that could fit like ten people I'm guessing it's a big group. "Group?" I ask "um ya me, Niall, Zayn, Roxy, Maria, Hunter and Harry." He says I think he purposely put Harry last just to see my reaction but I don't give him one because I don't even know him and I'm surely not scared of him.
We finally order our food and Louis went back in his booth because he got in trouble twice and Niall texted him that he's coming. When our food finally arrives I eat everything on my plate I wish I ordered more pancakes "so um that guy?" He questions "ya his name is Louis." I tell him "how do you know him?" He asks "well after school I would wait for you to pick me up and one day he came up to me for directions, I told him it and everyday.... Well almost everyday I would see him and talk to him why?" I ask him "oh nothing just curious." He tells me as he smiles at me and I smile back. He starts to ask me about my internship and I tell him everything to the first day the embarrassing moments, going to IHOP with mrs.smith, being in charge of the class, the deal I made with the class everything. "Wow it looks like your having a fun time anything else you would like to tell me?" "Oh ya, my father is coming next month!" I say excitedly "what?" He says catching him off guard "my father is coming here next month!" I say wanting to see his reaction his caught off expression turns into one of the biggest smile ever "oh my gosh! Your finally going to see him!!" He says equally excitedly as we're sharing each other's excitement we get interrupted by a group of college kids talking way to loud and laughing way to much I'm guessing these are the people Louis was talking about the 'Group.'
As they walk down the small isle to get to Louis I see a girl wearing a hot pink crop top with extremely short shorts like one more inch shorter and you could see her butt she's wearing black converse at least she has one part of her body covered fully her arms are wrapped around a curly headed boy who I assume is Harry when I look at him he's staring at me and gives me a disgusting smirk when the girl wants to know what he's looking at she finds my face and gives me the same disgusting look. Ugh I hate both of them but hey at least their perfect for each other "Zoe!" Nate yells "um ya?" I ask "are you okay once they came you started feeling uncomfortable do you want to leave?" He asks me "yes" I say eagerly wanting to leave when I look at Nate's plate he hasn't even touched his plate "are you hungry you haven't even touched your plate." I say "um no I'm fine." He says smiling "well I'll just ask the waiter to give me a bag for takeout." I tell him "how could they give you pancakes in a plastic bag?" He asks laughing a bit "or a plastic container." I say I love his laugh so much every time he laughs I just want to hear it again "okay you ask the waiter for a plastic container and I'll get the car." He tells me and I nod my head he hugs me then leaves. I look for a waiter when I finally find one I poke her shoulder "yes?" She asks politely "um can I get something to take this home?" I ask her "oh yes of course I'll get you something right now and then I'll give you the bill." She tells me and I nod my head the unknown waiter walks away while I sit back down.
While I'm waiting Louis comes running up to me "hey Zoe" he says "hi Louis" I say he's so sweet compared to his friends "would you like to meet my friends?" He asks "oh no thanks" I tell him and he frowns "I'm about to leave anyway." I say "oh come on." He begs "please for me." He says while he gives me a puppy face that makes me giggle "I really can't I'm sorry." I say I take a glance at the group of college kids when I see the girl with the hot pink crop top whisper something to the group making them laugh I roll my eyes at her gosh I hate her and I don't even know her. "Okay." I say to Louis catching him clearly off guard "you'll meet them!" He says excitedly "ya why not?" I say "awesome" he says
"Hey guys meet my new friend Zoe." Louis says "hi." I say politely and force a smile "Zoe this is Zayn, Niall, Harry, Roxy, Maria and Hunter" he says "hi" Hunter says awkwardly not really used to seeing girls with no tattoos or dyed hair. "Hi I'm Maria nice to meet you." She say and gives me a friendly hug I kindly hug her back "it's nice to meet you too." I say and she smiles at me I automatically like her. "Hi I'm Niall I'm sure you met me before." He smiles kindly "hi Niall." I say "I'm Zayn It's great to meet you, you look lovely." He tells me "It's great to meet you too." I say
"Rox say something." Maria nudges her "so do you have a boyfriend Zoe?" Roxy says making Zayn's head go up catching his attention, and it seems like Harry isn't engaged in the conservation at all. Maria rolls her eyes and gives me the 'I'm so sorry' look I nod trying to relax her a bit. "Ya I do actually his name is Nate he's actually waiting for me so I better go." I say "but you just came here can you just stay a little while please?" Maria begs "no really I...." "Jesus are we here to eat or are we having a fucking family reunion." Harry yells making me jump "ya....um bye" I whisper trying to get out as fast as I can "wait Zoe!" Maria yells "ya?" I turn around "I just want to say sorry for everything I'm especially sorry for Roxy and Harry's behavior she says raising her voice a little trying to make them hear her. "It's okay" I say giggling a little and she smiles at me "well bye." She says hugging me "bye" I say hugging her back.
When we finally make it home I go to my room and grade the test the kids took. Mrs.Smith was right these kids are pretty bright for their age, yes they're extremely immature but their second graders. All the kids are in the seventy to eighty range score until I grade Emmets test with a score of ninety eight. Wow not bad I remember the day when I talked to Richard about Emmet on Tuesday when the class took their test I will try to talk to Emmet and maybe he'll interact with some kids during the free day hopefully I hate seeing kids being left out. I was that kid and kind of still am and I hated it I promised myself from that day on I wouldn't make anyone feel left out.
When I finish grading the tests i decide to think of what I'm going to say to the principle of Hudson University I take notes and reread them, sometimes adding a few things or changing them. When I'm done I decide to go to sleep cause even though it's not even 1 yet I feel like my day went to fast. I fall asleep and dream about my father coming home making me smile.