Ms. Torres

Dani POV

I wasn't expecting my mother to be home, but as I enter the door, she is standing there, seeming to have been waiting for me.

"You got anything you want to say for yourself before I tell you what will be?"

I look at her, not sure how to answer.

"What do you mean, ma?"

She steps a little closer to me.

"Don't play the fool, Dani. I have spoken to Tammy. Since you seem to have forgotten, that subject is compulsory to you actually graduating, you know?"

I shake my head and drop to the sofa. So she did tell. How childish! I sit and listen as my mom goes on and on about my education. One would think I'm going to be in high school forever. Thank goodness this is my last year there.

She ends with, "your first session is Sunday."

"First what?"

"Dani, stop being childish, I said she will tutor you. I have asked. She didn't want to, but I convinced her to. It starts Sunday and will continue every other day after that, until your grades improve. She-"

I don't let her finish, I jump to a standing position, "no, Erica is already helping me."

She steps right in my face, pointing to her lips, "read my lips, it starts Sunday. I make the rules around here, not the other way around."

I storm off to my room because one thing I know for certain is that she is quite the enforcer. If she says jump, you might as well just do it. I know this is something I will not be able to stop.

I plop down on my bed and face towards my window, and I look across to see Tammy. I don't even know when it happened, but my hands bring my binoculars to my eyes.

I scan her turned figure. She is bent over her desk again, writing. I watch how after every few sentences, she would bite the end of the pen or how she would run her fingers through her wavy hair. I can see everything so clearly through these. I see there is a discolored patch of skin on her left shoulder. I will have to remember to ask about that.

My phone rings, and my binoculars drop from my hands. Damn! Was I really just checking out my neighbor through binoculars? How weird! How perverted! I shuffle to answer my phone and smile when I hear the familiar voices.

"Dan, Dan! We have all been missing you so much."

I hear noises in the background, the other two trying to greet me at once. Apparently, I'm on loud speaker.

"Hey, troop. I've been missing y'all, too."

I hear Brian's very heavy voice, "Well, not for too long. We are coming on Friday after classes. We staying the night, so be ready."

I'm grinning. I feel so happy to hear them, and even happier that I will get to see and spend time with them.

"Chrissy, make sure you drive, please? I want the troop safe. Brian, you sit in the back. Rican, you sit anywhere you like."

They are chuckling, and I can't begin to describe how I have missed my friends.
We chat for a few more minutes, and then the line goes dead. I might as well just shower. I don't want to eat anything this evening. I will just read.