Broken Bottles

Broken Bottles: chapter 5

"Can I get your number, so we can text any questions we have about the assignment?" Danny asked me about five minutes before the end of class on Monday.

"Uh, sure." I responded and handed my phone to Danny to add a new contact. 

"Woah, you only have like three contacts in here." Danny commented. I felt my face heat up at his words and instantly felt embarrassed. It was true, I only had a phone number for my dad, my mom, and Penny. Dad's phone was a cheap, flip phone that he never used and I can't even remember the last time I called him. I'm not even sure if my mom's phone number is still a valid number to reach her on. And Penny is the only other person in my family to have a smart phone like me, because we both pay for them out of our job paychecks.

When I didn't say anything to Danny's comment, he quickly typed in his contact information and handed me my phone back.

"Text me something real quick, so I can add your number in my phone." He instructed. I selected his contact name and sent him a simple 'Hey'. His phone quickly buzzed with my message and he replaced the number with my name.

"Great," Danny clicked his phone off at the same time the bell rang, "See you later."

"Bye." I replied and watched him leave the classroom. I collected my papers, shoved them in my book bag, and left the room also. 

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"You have to solve for x by subtracting six from both sides and then dividing both sides by five." I explained to Polly. She came to me about five minutes ago confused on her math homework.

"I just don't get why they have to put letters in math when numbers are hard enough." She complained. I chuckled slightly at her agitation and didn't have the heart to tell her that it gets so much worse.

"Do you at least understand how to solve the problems now?" I asked. She nodded before writing down the answer to the problem and showing me the paper.

"Yes, that's right. Now, try the other ones." I told her and got up from the couch to go start on dinner. I only had to make enough for three tonight, because Penny was working and got a free meal every shift and Sidney was spending the evening at a friends house.

I was busy boiling the water to make pasta when my phone dinged. I picked it up expecting a text from Penny, but Danny was the one who sent a message.

Can you translate Shakespeare's text?

I almost laughed out loud at his question, because we both spent the whole time in class earlier today just trying to understand what we were reading.

I typed back and sent him a message, I speak English, not Shakespeare.

As I waited for him to text back, I poured the pasta noodles into the boiling water.

How are we supposed to answer questions when we don't even know what we are reading? Danny texted.

We guess. I replied.

Do you think I could come over, so we can work on it? Maybe if we are reading it together some of it will make sense.

I instantly started panicking. I couldn't have Danny come over. No one ever comes over to our house. I was also making dinner and had to watch Polly and Sadie. Plus, I didn't even want to think of what would happen if Danny was over and dad came home. I finally had someone at school who seemed to enjoy talking to me and didn't judge me, because he didn't really know my situation. If Danny came to the house he could figure out how screwed up my life was and might not want to talk to me again. I refused to ruin the one potential real friend I could have in the near future.