Teacher's Pet

Chapter Three

My alarm clock buzzed and awoke me from my slumber sharply, at seven on a Monday. My muscles were already aching from lack of sleep, my eyelids still heavy. The only consolation was that it was already warm and sunny outside, so getting out of my hot sheets didn't seem quite so unbearable. I could already tell though by how I felt, that this would be a crappy day.

"Eliza! Time to get up!" my mother called, as if I didn't already have an alarm. Oh, one more consolation. This usually was the worst part of the crappy day - getting up. I peeled off my slightly sweaty bed sheets and staggered to the bathroom to shower and brush my teeth. Lucas was in there peeing and had forgotten to lock the door, so I got greeted with my second yell of the day before a slammed door in the face. Just peachy. 

I rub my eyes so hard that I started to see stars, then knocked again. When the door finally opens I am more awake now, and dart in. No matter how good Lucas and my relationship is as siblings, nothing can stop us from being irritable in the mornings. He has his waiter temp job and I have school. Mum is a doctor, and works at the local clinic, but she doesn't have to be there til ten. She still gets up at the same time as Lucas and I though, just to give herself peace of mind that we've got to school and work. Dad works from home as a writer - it's probably where I get my writing and literature passion from. It's also where I get my light features from; the blonde hair and blue eyes. In fact, I take after Dad a lot more than Mum, but Lucas is the opposite. With his scientific brain, chestnut brown hair and hazel eyes, he's Mum's son all the way. 

I tie my hair up in a messy top knot and simply rinse myself in hot water to refresh and wake me up, letting it splash over my face and in my eyes, in my mouth. After I've got out and patted myself dry, I massage some rose body cream into my skin, use some of my morning skin gel on my sensitive face, then go into my bedroom to change into my fresh school clothes. Mum always launders them on the weekends and then folds them on the chair in my room, even though she's always constantly reminding me that I should do it myself. I'm sure she just says that because she thinks that's what mums are supposed to say to their sixteen-year-old daughters.

When I look in the mirror, I sigh. The uniform at my school really is ugly. With its baggy blouses and nun-like quilted skirts. Even when I roll it up it still looks unflattering. Underneath all this rubbish, I actually have quite a nice body - one of the only things I'm confident about. Slightly over average-sized boobs,  a cute butt, even my stomach isn't too flabby, but that's because I swim a lot. Under this though, even the most curvaceous girls can look lumpy and skinny girls like flat pencils.  It's too hot to wear a jumper today, as it has been for the last few weeks. I leave my long hair loose but pin back some front strands on the right to the side with a couple bobby pins. Then I put on a bit of mascara and concealer and I'm good to go.

Mum drops me off at school today, which she usually does once a week when I don't take the bus. Once I'm inside I lean against the school wall, waiting for Kitty. This is our usual meet-up spot, the wall outside the science block around the corner from the edge of the courtyard and girls' toilets. She's always after me, but only by around five minutes.

"Hey girl!" she exclaims, unnaturally bright for this time of day. I mean seriously, what teenagers on earth are this lively before ten o'clock? "How are you this morning?"

"Fine," I mutter, clearly not fine. I elaborate. "Pretty shit actually." Her long cornrows were styled in cute space buns today, and her light brown skin held an excitable glow.

"Well, you won't be shit for much longer. I have some good news and bad news. Which do you wanna here first?"

"First I wanna know how you can walk into school at eight am looking like a spring chicken, you weirdo." Kitty gives me a look, then lets me know briefly.