“Here you go hon”. I look up suddenly, shaking myself out of my daze. Flashing the lady at the counter a small smile, I grab my chocolate chip cookie, turn around, and scan the near empty room for a the perfect seat. After standing there for five seconds, I decide to sit in my usual spot. My usual spot, in case you wondering, is this ginormous armchair in the corner next to the fire. As I’m walking over, a couple of old ladies give me small waves and smiles. They know me. Actually almost all of the people in this room know me, seeing that I come here to the Peacock’s Feather almost every day after school. It’s not the most popular place for people my age. They would rather go to Starbucks, or Orange Leaf. So, this is kinda my safe haven. I sink into the oversized armchair, and close my eyes. It feels like the first time today that I’ve actually had time to sit down and relax. After taking a deep breath, I start to think about what happened today. More specifically what happened in the bathroom with Madison.
A couple of hours ago it seemed too real, the dead flies, the dead rat, death powers, and Madison blacking out and all. But now, sitting here, the whole situation seems stupid. Death powers? I mean come on, who’s ever heard of death powers? It’s all about flying, and turning invisible, not killing rats and flies. She was feeling sick, ill; it was nothing. I try taking another deep breath, but by now I’m annoyed. Of course she would get mad and blame me for her blacking out when she was sick. How predictable. I angrily take a bite out of my cookie. All I was trying to do was be nice, lighten the mood, distract her. It’s not my fault the rat died, and she feinted away. Voodoo death powers my butt. Ugggh now she’s probably telling her little follower friends that I’m some type of witch or something.
I try to convince myself that I don’t care what she and her friends think, but I know that I do. I silently chide myself for even walking into that accursed bathroom, and stuff the remainders of my cookie into my face. Once I’m done, I grab my back pack. Surprise, surprise, I have a huge pile of homework that needs to be done. An essay about the Holocaust for social studies, two worksheets for math, a lab for science, and some chapters to read for English. Oh, and I have to study for my Spanish test. How do you say ‘this sucks’ in esponol? Deep breaths Reina, deep breaths. With a big sigh, I start working.
Two hours later, I’ve finished everything except the assigned reading chapters. I take a glance up, exhausted. By now, the room is almost empty, only a couple more people remain. Except and old man reading the newspaper, and a women typing furiously away on her laptop, the place is empty. I take a peak at my phone, 6:15. I’ve got time. Reaching into my backpack, I grab my book; The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Sinking even farther into my chair, I open the book to page one.
Buzzzzzzzz Buzzzzzz. I jolt with a start. I look around for something to place in my book. Seeing nothing bookmarkish, I grab a paper napkin off a nearby table, and shove it into my book. Buzzzzzz. My phone goes off again. Crap, where did I put my phone? I stand up, and check the chair. Of course I would be sitting on it. Picking it up, I hit talk.
“Hola”.
“REINA KELLY WHERE IN THE NAME OF GOD ARE YOU?” I glance at nearby clock, 9:45. I’m screwed.
“Ummm the Peacock’s Feather. I’m just doing some homework”.
“Reina Kelly do you know what day it is? I bite my lip, and try to push aside all the stuff I’ve crammed into my head. Date, date…..
“Ummm Wednesday?” There is a long silence on the other side of the phone, and I’m getting a sinking feeling that that was the wrong answer.
“It is Friday! AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT IS ON FRIDAY?” What ever remains of my cookie, has now turned into a hard cold stone in the pit of my stomach.
