Not Important

A not-so-bad day

I wake up from the stupidly loud beeping of the garbage trucks outside. My right eye feels like it's grown ten times bigger than it was last night. I find that I had fallen asleep on the floor, my head on the settee. Not the best place to fall asleep. Especially when you smell like cleaning liquids, and you feel like your neck has had cramps in it for ten hours, but you somehow haven't noticed until now.

I pick up the clock by the chair and find that I'm running late. I run upstairs and get into the shower, almost falling over. I forget about straightening my hair, not wanting to get to school late because my hair wasn't straight enough. I jump into the jeans that Kerry lent me, and pull the top over my head. Seeing that it looks quite cold outside, I pull my old jacket on. Next, my eye. I put some make-up on to cover the bruise up, but it only makes the bruise look a little bit older, like it's fading. Not like it's new.

I put the shades back on, pulling on the ugg boots that Kerry lent me. She was going to lend me high heels, but after the first time I wore them, after falling down all the way down the hall, she told me to keep off of the heels for a bit.

I'm going to be late as it is. I write a letter to leave for my dad, before walking out of the door, and locking up. Walking down the path, I find the urge to fix the gate. I make a mental note to fix it later. With that, I walk as fast as I can to school. At some point, I run. But, I quickly lose what breath I have left, so I go back to speed-walking.

Getting into school as everyone is walking to class, I hurry towards my locker. I fumble around in my locker, until I have everything sorted out. With the books that I need, I turn away from my locker. A few people are looking at me weirdly, but aside from that, nothing much has changed. I walk to class, everything and one made to be a few shades darker due to my shades that are still covering up my bruise and hiding my eyes from sight.

I enter the classroom, seeing that almost everyone is already here. I sit in my new seat, next to Rachel. She looks at me funny, but doesn't say anything as the teacher shuts the door and starts the lesson.

Half way through, she tries to ask me about why I am wearing shades in school. I shrug it off, and carry on with my work.

At break, I walk to the phone around the corner of the canteen. There, I look in my bag for my phone book that I carry around with me everywhere. I look for the name Craig. Craig is dad's best friend, one that he spends a lot of time with, drinking. I find it, and look at the phone number. I take out my money, and search for fifty cents. I have not one fifty cents. Notes I have.

I lean against the wall, hating myself for not changing a note for

"Danielle, Kerry's looking for you", James says, sounding bored. I ignore him, and continue in my search for fifty cents. James just watches me fumbling about.

"Hey, why do you have shades on? You're inside", James says, finding me to be stupid and amusing.

"None of your business. Just tell Kerry that I'll be there in five minutes", I tell him, wanting to be left alone.

"What are you doing?", he asks, clearly not seeing that I don't want him here.

"I'm trying to find fifty cents", I tell him, hoping that my answer will bore him and he will go away.

"I have fifty cents", he says, taking one out of his pocket.

"Do you think I could borrow it?", I ask him, desperate to ring my dad now. Mrs Dobson will be back from her week at her sons house now, and she is such a snitch. If dad goes back home, she would see the state he is in, and call social services. He nods, holding it out to me. As I go to take it, he pulls it back.