Stupid Boys

09 Your Persistence

I don't remember the last time I woke up to peace. My sisters regular morning scream feels extra sharp this morning. It comes from down the hall where the bathroom is and this time a loud, dog-like growl follows. I roll over, grabbing my pillow and slamming it over my head but after a line of aggravated curses follows so high pitched that I can barely hear, my curiosity gets the better of me. I pull my heavy body out of bed and suddenly feel my stomach turn. Not enough to be sick, but enough to get off school.

The perfect balance for a hangover. I mastered it last year, when serving a hangover so bad I thought I was dying.

When I manage to walk into the hallway, I see my lovely sister trying to brush her hair. I notice three combs already stuck in it while she tries to tame what looks like the human version of a lion mane.

She then shrieks again, yanks the brush from her hair and aimlessly chucks it out of the open doorway. It smacks my shin and being weak from the night before, I buckle over and fall to the ground.

Thanks bee, I really needed that right now, yeah.

"You're coming to school." Jake says when I pick up the phone. I groan as I pull the covers back over me in the warm comfort of my bed.

"No way, I'm ill." I protest, coughing bluntly into the receiver.

"Bullshit. I'll come over and drag you out of bed if I have to." he presses. Ugh, I hate having people that care about me.

"I feel bad for Jesse." I say, pushing the covers off and stretching across my entire bed.

"I feel bad for Charlie." he rebuttals and I hang up. I slowly but surely put on my uniform, looking in my full length mirror and winking at my reflection.

When I get downstairs, mum storms up to me with a red face.

"Your sister..." she says and brushes past me. I worry for a second.

I worry because Bianca used to abuse our mum. Emotionally, of course. She did it so much whenever dad wasn't there. She'd say things about her weight all the time till mum stopped eating at the dinner table. And she's comment about her skin, calling her 'too dark' and pass it off as a joke. She would torture mum so much that we had to send her to extensive therapy sessions and then a hypnotist. Literally.

But when I walk into the kitchen I see the back of Bee's head and gasp myself. Because I literally can see the back of her head. She's one step away from looking like a man in prison. She's shaved it. She looks like eleven from Stranger Things. Holy crap. I have no words.

"Bee, what the fuck did you do?" okay, I have some words.

She turns around slowly like she's a great reveal from a telenovela. She smiles so wide I can see her red lipstick marking on her earlobes.

"Hey sexy tang." Olly greets me and ruffles my hair. Jake stands beside him with a toothy grin. I face them with a tired expression.

"Bee shaved her head." I sigh and Jake gasps.

"Show us." he demands, leaning over as I take out my phone. Olly jumps on Jake's back and leans over further. When I get up her instagram, there's already a photo she snapped of herself with me standing in the background screaming.

"Is that you?" Olly presses his oily finger onto my screen and I nod reluctantly.

"Looking good, King Amos." he then says and I laugh. Kingsley Amos. That's my full name.

We proceed to class, Olly still on Jake's back until he drops him at the door. I suddenly feel my stomach churn from last night, remembering everything I've been trying to avoid. I kissed a guy. I kissed another guy. I rush to the bathroom and splash cold water in my face.

"Kings." Tyler's voice comes out of nowhere and I jump, causing water to spray all over my shirt. I sigh and he passes me a paper towel.

"Whatsup?" I say and he walks towards me.

"I got to the club late last night, saw everyone messed up as hell. I wasn't. And I saw something. Well, I saw you." he says slowly, like he's gathering the words in his head before saying them. My throat feels dry and I wish I didn't come in today.

"What are you talking about?" I ask shyly, feeling all blood rush to my face. It's hot in here, it's really hot.

"I saw you... kissing that guy."

My whole life flashes before my eyes. Holy crap. Holy crap holy crap holy crap. This is the worst thing to ever happen. Even worse than when Bianca filled my bed with ice because I didn't want to do the ice bucket challenge with her - those chills to wake up to gave me pneumonia.

I can't speak. I've lost the will to live. I'm just watching him. And he's just watching me. I can't even deny it. My lips are stiff and parted and my eyes are bulging out of my head.

"Was that.. oh my god." he looks away from me like he's just solved an impossible case.

Yep, I am definitely dead. All blood, gone. Ready to decompose and be rated by worms any minute.

"That's what was going on with Jake. You guys... you guys kissed, didn't you?"

All I see is white. I swear to god, if I'm not in heaven I am going to kill myself.