Heather Duke x Female Person (???)

1- Another Day

I lie in bed, the sun shining through my curtains. Another restless night has passed. I check the clock by my bed. 7:00 A.M. I have a bit of time before I have to get up for school. Based on the fact that I didn't hear my mom last night, she must not be home. Great. I don't want to talk to her.

I consider skipping school, but decide against it. If I skipped, then I'd have to talk to Mom. She'd ask me how school was going, I would reply. She'd completely ignore the fact that she sneaks out every night, gets drunk, and then hooks up with some guy to get paid.

She thinks I don't know. I would honestly prefer if I didn't. But I do.

I pull the blanket over my head and close my eyes. Maybe if I fall asleep, she'll assume I'm at school and leave me alone.

My thoughts are interrupted by the sound of a front door closing. From what I can here, it's definitely Mom. I sigh. All my plans are foiled.

Still in my pajamas, I head downstairs reluctantly. She's in the kitchen now.

"Hi, Mom," I say.

She seems startled. "Oh, Y/N, I didn't know you were still home."

"Uh, yeah. School starts at 8."

"Oh. I guess I'm normally still asleep when you get up."

There she goes, lying about where she's been. I take a quick look at her. She seems disorderly, her hair and clothes are all messed up. Her blouse is sort of hanging off her shoulder, plus it's only half way buttoned. All signs confirming what I know.

She seems to notice my staring, cause she quickly puts her purse down on the counter and starts to quickly walk away.

"Have fun at school, then," she says, grabbing a beer from our empty fridge.

I don't bother to reply. She heads upstairs, and when I hear her bedroom door lock, I head up too.

Closing the door to my room, I get dressed. I put on a white shirt, jeans, and a jacket. I go back downstairs again. I grab my backpack, and without eating anything, I leave the house.

I have a bit less than 45 minutes till school starts, so I decide to go to the 7-11 beforehand. I normally hang around there to avoid being home, so I'm a regular. As I've recently discovered, every single attendant knows me. Which is a little surprising considering the fact that all I ever do there is walk around and maybe eat a snack.

As I enter the store, the attendant nods in recognition. I head to the back of the store where I can be alone.

To my surprise, there is someone already standing there, pouring himself a slushee. He seems about my age, and he wears a black trenchcoat. He kind of looks like Christian Slater. He notices me staring and smirks.

"See something you like?" he joked.

I internally face palmed. "I've just never seen you here before."

He laughed. "Yeah, well I just moved here." He held up his slushee and took a sip. "Decided I might get a boost before I gotta go to school."

"Join the club," I laughed.

"Want one?" he asked, pointing to the slushee machine.

Slushee's weren't my usual thing, but a bit of sugar might do good. "Don't mind if I do."

As I took a cup and filled it, he sat on the counter.

"The name's Jason Dean. Please call me JD."

I stand up to meet eye to eye with him. "Well nice to meet you, JD. Welcome to Sherwood. My name's Y/N."

I awkwardly held out my hand for a handshake for a reason that can only be explained by my social awkwardness, but he nonchalantly took it and smiled.

"Greetings and salutations, Y/N," he said. "Hey, you don't happen to go to Westerburg Highschool, do you?"

"I actually do."

"Well I guess I'll see you there."

He hopped off the counter and walked out of the store.

I sat there for a bit, dumbfounded. Did I actually just talk to someone? Did I actually just have pleasant conversation with another human being? Dare I say, make a friend?

"Uhh, kid, it's 8 o'clock. You should probably get going."

The attendant knew when my school started. Not at all creepy. Though he was right. I'm gonna be late.

Running out of the store, I see JD sitting on a motorcycle, presumably his.

"Need a ride?"

"That would be great, thanks."

I got on the motorcycle. It was pretty awkward haveing to hold onto him, but there was no other way. One more tardy and Ms. Fleming will call my mom. So if getting a ride from a stranger you met at a convinience store is the way to not be late, it's a risk I'm willing to take.

||So that was part 1. I hope you like it! I promise I'll get to the Duke part soon... I just get carried away and end up writing a lot more then I originally planned. Next time I will get there. Thanks for reading =)||