An Open Window

Chapter 1

I wake up in History class to the sound of a hand slapping down on my desk. I look up and find old Mrs. Walters glaring down at me, and the entire class stares at me.

"Ms. Trebech, is my class boring you? Do I need you to move up front so I don't see this in my class again?" She snaps, her icy gray eyes narrow.

I sleepily shake my head, and the class giggles, except for my friend Myles, who gives me a sympathetic look. When she turns back to the front, I subtly flip her off, and Myles has to hold back his laughter.

As Mrs. Walters drones on, I try my best not to fall asleep again, and thankfully she woke me at the right time. Shortly after the public humiliation I received, the bell signaling the end of class sounds off, and we can go to lunch. I quickly gather my stuff and stand, not knowing I was about to bump into Christian Waters, aka the person I always argue with.

"Watch it, sleepyhead!" He snaps, and I scoff.

"You really couldn't find any other insult than 'sleepyhead?' Wow, you're really running out of ideas." I retort, and he glares at me.

"Well, gee, I didn't know I would be fucking scrutinized for my words." Christian snarls, and I glare right back.

"Maybe if you found better words, I wouldn't scrutinize them. Now, can I move on to my next class or will I have to use force?"

"You? Using force? Wow, someone's putting on their big girl pants today."

"Will you just get out of my fucking way?" He gives me one last death glare, and he steps aside, and I walk away with my head held high.

"Why must you two argue?" Myles asks, a witness to the whole thing.

"Maybe if he wasn't such a douchebag, then I wouldn't have to argue." I answer, frustrated and tired.

"You got me there, Sally."

———
At lunch, we sit with our friends Jenny (but we use Jen for short) and her sister Dana.

"I may hate most of the schools lunches, but I can't deny that their buffalo chicken strips are the best fucking thing to hit Earth since Betty White." Dana raves, and we all laugh at her love for them.

Jen lightly hits her sisters shoulder, saying, "Dana, don't use that language!"

"But you're my sister, you've heard me swear."

"Yeah, and I still tell you to shut up."

I tell Myles that I need to use the bathroom while they have their dispute, and I walk into the hallway to go.

I stop when I hear two angry voices speaking sharply at each other from around the corner, backing up a bit so I'm sure I won't be spotted.

"Tell me why I can't live my fucking life the way I do!"

"Why? Because some skeez can take advantage of how quickly you spread your legs and try to do stuff without your consent! Or get a disease, it's just wrong!"

"But I'm telling you, I am fine! And don't you dare slut-shame me, because I am anything but a slut!"

"I'm not slut-shaming you, I'm saying that someone can make it easy to take advantage of you and do stuff to you that can really damage your life if you keep sleeping around with every guy!"

"You know what, you've been changing a lot since this year started, it's like you've been butting into my business more!"

"Maybe this change is good! And besides, I'm only in your business because I care about you, Valerie, and I wouldn't stand to see you hurt!"