First Day of My Life

Chapter 11 Stick Around

We find Carlos. He's happy to hear that Michael got a job with me at the library.

"Great, you won't be left alone." He hugs me and heads to work. I ask Michael if he can take me home so that I can go get another t-shirt. He looks at the time in the school's clock.

"But we will be late for work." He mentions.

"I think Mr. Williams will understand."

Once we reach the village full of shopping sites, he parks in front of a clothing store called Expertise. "What are we doing here?" He lets out a grin.

"Come on." We enter the store and I realize there are only girl clothes.

"Hello welcome to expertise. Where we know your taste in clothes. How may I help you?" I look at Michael.

"Go on, I'll wait here," he says. I follow the lady and I tell her I need a shirt. Something simple. She finds me a cute white blouse. That will do. I go to the cashier and I am about to pay when the man tells me the shirt has been paid for.

"How?" I ask him, confused.

"We'll young lady when that young man there saw the shirt you were holding he asked how much and paid." He explained. I find Michael in the same spot.

"You didn't have to pay for it." He opens the door.

"Your Welcome."

"Thank you." I laugh.

As we enter the library, Mr. Williams is checking out a book for a little girl and her mother. When he's done we approach him. "Oh great, you're both here at the same time. Well, Lisa, I am going to leave you the keys and I am off. You're in charge okay. Be good you two." When Mr. Williams leaves Michael goes around to the counter.

"Okay boss what now?" I laugh.

"Well, it's really simple. When someone wants to check out a book you first ask for their name and once you see it in the list of memberships you click it and give them a notice when their book should be returned." I let him know everything and he seems to get the hang of it. At moments I see that he can't take the silence so he starts drumming a beat using pencils as drumsticks. I hush him when he gets too into it and he just laughs.

"Excuse me, I need help finding a book." I look up and it's a boy who attends my school. It's Alex. When he realizes it's me his eyes widen. He is stuttering now. "Do.. do you know where um I can.. can find this book?" He hands me a paper that reads Outer Zone by Robert Little.

"Yeah, this way." We pass through Michael and Alex sees him.

"Oh shoot." I turn to look at him.

"What's wrong?" I ask him.

"I got to go. Nevermind about the book." Then he's gone.

I walk to Michael. "Michael what did you do?"

"I looked at him. That's it." I sigh.

"We're working Michael. We're not back in school."

"That shouldn't mean we can't look at them."

"Michael..." I walk away.

"I'm sorry. I just couldn't let him act so that what he did is forgiven." I turn to look at him.

"We'll get used to it... I did." I get back to work. I am surprised that anyone from school actually comes into the library. Not that it's useless. The library is really useful. It has plenty of computers and books. However, everyone from school affords their own computer and buys their books at a local book store instead of borrowing them for free. It's closing time and we lock up. We exited through the back of the library and were alone in an alley.

"Hey, Lisa? You know how you said I should get used to it?" I look at him and he looks nervous. "Um yeah?" He lets out a sigh.

"Did Carlos ever get used to it?" We start walking to his car.

"Yeah, well at first he got in like 10 fights every time we bumped into someone from school. But then we learned to ignore them. Like if they only existed at school but not here." He smiles. "What?" He stops walking and so do I.

"Nothing." He was still smiling. It's contagious.

"Come on tell me." I insist.

"It's just... You telling me that I should get used to it tells me that I'll be spending more time with you." I laugh and blush but I don't look away this time.

"Stick around," I advise him.

"I will." He drops me off home and kisses me on the cheek.

I spot my mother watching a soap opera. "Hi honey, how was work today?"

I sit down next to her. "Interesting how about your mother?"

"It was fine. Now, why was work interesting?"

"Member Michael?" I ask her.

"Yes honey, your dream boy?"

I giggle. "Mom."

"I'm playing. What about him?"

"Oh, he works with me now. Mr. Williams gave him the job to replace him for a while now that Amber's back."

"Oh, that's right. I saw Amber the other day."

"Really?"

"Yeah, she is one pretty girl." I smile at her and we stay watching the soap opera. But before it gets too late I need to let her know what I've been going through.

"Mother I need to speak to you."

"Yes, what is it?" She volumes down the television and faces me.

"Um. Okay. Lately, in school I have been getting bullied because I am poor." I hesitate when I see my mother's face change to sadness.

"It's been going on since my freshman year. But I met Carlos one day and he helped me get by and now I have Michael who is also helping me. He convinced me to tell my principal how the bullying got worse and now there involved the police."

She sighs and hugs me. "Oh honey, why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I didn't want to hurt your mother. You were so happy that I was getting a better education."
She released from the hug "Honey you can't keep things like this away from me. Did you get that? You have to tell me everything okay?"

I nod.

"Are you going to be okay? Do you want me to transfer you to another school? Maybe public high school?"

"No mother please don't. I'm fine."

"You sure?"

I nod. "Yes, I completely sure."

She hugs me again and I tell her goodnight.