lost.

eggs and toast

elaine//
"You did NOT just do that!"

My big brother snorts, holding my extra credit assignment, which has been adorned with orange juice.

"Whoops."

I huff. "Not fucking funny."

"Language!" Dad calls from the living room.

I groan and take the dripping paper from Jason's grasp. "Moronic douchebag."

"Dumb blond."

"Pizza face."

My brother gasps. "It's just one pimple! I am NOT a pizza face!"

I laugh at his expense and I hear my dad chuckle from the other room. "Even Dad thinks you're a pizza face."

"Am not!"

I make my way to the door and stuff the last of my toast in my mouth. "Sure!" I yell through a full mouth.

I make my way down the driveway, munching on my toast. I hear pounding footsteps and roll my eyes.

"Hey, Evan." I say, before he even reaches me.

"H-hey." Even huffs, out of breath. "You didn't wait for me today. What's up?"

"Jason soaked my extra credit in orange juice. Mrs. Ferry is gonna kill me."

"Rest in peace, Elaine Trott."

I sigh. "Promise you'll have a proper burial for me? With gunshots for every year I lived?"

Evan nods gravely. "Of course." He cracks a smile and pushes his stringy red hair out of his face. "So. The Winter Ball is coming up soon."

"Yup. And I have no date, and no intentions of going."

Evan shakes his head vigorously. "No no, you should totally go. I heard from the seniors last year that it's totally fucking awesome."

"Evan, I'd rather jump into a pool of steaming hot garbage juice." I drone.

"What the fuck is garbage juice?"

"My suicide weapon."

Evan lets out a nervous chuckle. "O-kay, well, will you at least go for the fruit punch? They spike it every year." 

"No way. You can't convince me to go to some lame school function with booze." I dismiss, turning the corner and walking through the school's parking lot. Oh, how I enjoy these conversations with Evan.

"Well I was just thinking-"

As he continues on, I stop listening and my eye catches on a blue van. It's 6:45, barely any cars are here yet. Only walkers get here this early, and no teacher owns a van that has stickers on their bumper trashing political officers.

I turn abruptly and start walking towards it, and Evan is too busy talking to notice.

"-and I thought, hey, I could- wait, where are you going? Elaine!"

I keep walking until I'm about a yard away from the van. I creep towards it, my heart pounding for no reason. It's just a van.

Then, the door swings open with such force that I jump and fall on my butt.

A girl steps out, wearing an old leather jacket and a white undershirt and jeans with rips that don't look manufactured. Her hair is tied into two messy braids that reach her collarbones. Her hair is pitch black and slightly curly and her skin is on the darker side. She looks at me with sleepy eyes.

"Who the fuck are you?" She demands, her voice softer than I expected.

"Uh, I'm Elaine. Who-?"

"Billy Dwight, not at your service because it's fucking 7 am. Wanna tell me what you're doing eyeing my van? It's not for sale."

My mouth hangs open for a few seconds before I swallow and blink. "Uh, I was just wondering why a non-teacher vehicle is doing here so early." I say, my voice sounding weaker than I was hoping for as I scramble to my feet.

Billy lets out a tiny snort and walks up to me, until she's less than a foot away from my face. She's about 4 inches taller than me, and she smells like firewood.

"Listen, flaca, I don't want to upset you and your, whatever this is," she sneers, gesturing to me, "but I don't want some chismosa student telling someone I've been sleeping in he parking lot. So why don't you and your gringo friend move along?" she finishes, flicking her hand at Evan.

I gulp and take a step back. "Uh-"

"Chica, I said get going." She makes a shooing notion with her hand. I back away and then start walking to the school again, Evan in tow.

"Who the fuck was that? Did she threaten you? Was that Spanish? She looks more black than Mexican. Is she mixed?" Evan pestered.

"It was nothing. And I don't know. Just," I spin around, looking him in the eye, "leave me alone." I turn back around and start walking.