3) Beware Truckbeds

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With the Sinclair kids gone, Chess and I quickly close up shop, getting me home at around midnight.

At the sight of my bed, I almost cry, my exhaustion hitting me like a truck. It seems like I only achieve minutes of sleep when my alarm goes off, letting me know its time for me to get up and live the same bullshit over again.

I shower and dress, but not before pausing in front of my mirror. My milk chocolate complexion was blemished by acne, and although my height had stretched a lot of the fat I'd carried in my childhood, I was by no means thin. Since last semester I'd changed a lot of my diet and with my semi-regular jogs, I'd gone from fat to pudgy to just thick. But weight changes meant stretch marks. And I have lots of those.

I dry off, wringing out the water from my braids and change into my usual, layered with a checked flannel. Finished with getting ready, I hurriedly grab my bag and head out my front door, where I'd parked last night, to find Beck sitting on the hood of my truck, "You take FOREVER!"

"I'm sorry," I unlock it and he climbs in, "I worked late last night."

Today's color for Beck is blue, as his pants are navy, with a printed blue shirt and red vans, "All I hear is excuses. What if I'd gotten dirty walking to your house?"

"Such a tragedy," I pull out, "And you're treating today."

We stop at Burger King to switch it up, and as I get out the car, Beck picks something up off the ground.

"'Made to be broken?' KJ what's this? Who's number is this?"

"She put her number on it?" I reach for the wrinkled napkin and he pulls back, "Spill it."

"What are y'all arguing about?" Nat chimes in, "And more importantly where's my coffee?"

I take Beck's attention being off me as an opportunity to snatch the napkin from him. He shoots me a look, "You still gotta tell me who it is."

"I don't know, dude. Some customer from the JOINT gave it to me. I must've shoved it in my pocket on accident when I was collecting my tip."

Nat takes a sip from her coffee, "So you got customer digits? Nice. Are they cute?"

"She's a'ight I guess," I try to shrug it off. To say "She's the best thing I've ever seen" would not help my case.

I I continue, "It's not important. I don't like girls."

"Oh?" they look at each other, "A girl~~~"

"Is no one paying attention to the end of my sentence? I don't like girls!" I interject.

They both look at each other and then at me, "Right," they say in unison.

"Son, I'm about to put you up for adoption," I give him a stern look and he rolls his eyes.

"You aren't scary the scary mom. Nat is." She bares her teeth at him and he jumps closer to me, causing me to have to catch him, six feet and all. The force of him hitting me throws me into someone else in the hall, who glares at our antics, which just causes us to laugh. The bell rings and we continue to class while I hope they didn't notice that I still have the stained napkin in my pocket.

***

On the way to NCT I have the sense to hide in the halls before class, effectively avoiding being alone with Wren. I finally head in about ten minutes before class, which is enough time to be harassed by Yasmin with affection before heading to class.

"Good morning," Graves strolls in just as the bell rings, "We have a new student today."

"You said that yesterday," one of the guys quips.

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