Growing up too fast

Chapter 24

"They're staring."
"They're not staring. You're being paranoid."
"Okay, I have a 9 year old sister and an 11 year old brother, so I know when I'm being lied to."
"Just...keep your head down."
The bell rings just as we reach the cafeteria, and I sit down and pull out my lunchbox. It's only noon, and I'm already done with this day. I spent 20 minutes trying to pick an outfit for the first day of school, and when I was finally dressed, the baby puked on me and I had to change.
Sofia said no one knew, but the whispers and staring I've endured since first period chem lab have led me to believe that it's a load of crap.
"Have you heard from Micheal?" Sofia asks, breaking the silence between us after poking at her lunch.
"Nope. 3 months, and nothing. It's so weird. Everything was good, and then he was gone."
"Maybe he had a good reason."
"Yeah, maybe. Or maybe he realized being a 15 year old dad is mildly absurd."
"Yeah." She says. "Maybe."
I go to take a bite of my sandwich when I hear footsteps approaching from behind me. I turn around, annoyed to be breathing the same air as her. Stephanie Blyth.
She was your stereotypical blond haired, self centered, drama causing high school bitch. Her posse of followers stand behind her, looking even more moronic than Stephanie.
"Late night?" She says, in a taunting manner. "Baby keep you up?"
I raise my eyebrows and turn back to Sofia, who looks bored, at best.
"Well, at least you've got that boyfriend of yours to help." She snickers. "Oh right. Your stupid kid sent him running for the hills."
"Zola, don't make a scene." Sofia whispers under her breath. Has she met me? It would go against every fiber in my being to shut up and take it. I wish Sofia's words had a greater impact on me, though, because she's usually right.
I stand up and turn around to face her.
This is your last chance to shut up and walk away, Zola.
Nope.
"Yes. I have a baby. I am a single, 15 year old mother of a beautiful little boy. And he has already suffered in his 6 months of living, he has already faced and defied death, got abandoned by his father. He was born fighting, and it's taught me some things. One of them being that life sucks, so you have to chose your battles. So I am not about to waste an ounce of fight on a couple of insecure bitches who insult babies in their free time!" By this point, the entire cafeteria is staring at me. Several lights shine in my eyes, the flash of phones recording my tantrum. I sit back down and take a bite of my sandwich.
"Crap. I made a scene." I say to Sofia, who shrugs and gets up to throw out her lunch tray.
They second half of the day drags on, and I try and Arizona picks both of us up from school and drives us back to the hospital.
"Alright, you ladies can just hang out until this shift is over, and then we'll get you home, okay?"
"Yup. Love you mom."
"Thanks, Aunt Az."
We hop out of the car, lugging our backpacks through the doors.
"Today sucked. There was nothing great about this day."
"You know what you need, Sof?"
"Hmm?"
"You need a daily dose of baby. And I happen to have one. To the daycare!"
We walk in and aunt Maggie is already sitting on the floor with Isaac, helping him stack up a pile of blocks.
"Hey girls! How was school?"
"Meh." Sofia says.
"Hey, auntie Maggie. Hey, little guy." I say, scooping him up.He puts his hands in my hair, which is down right now, and pretty much a giant puff. His new thing is to stick his toys or Cheerios or whatever it is that's in his hands and bury it in my hair, then try and dig it out. Annoying, yes, but cute nonetheless.
Maggie is paged to the ER, so Sofia and I decide to take a walk. One of my moms scrub nurses at the nurses station on 3 said my mom was out of surgery for the next hour or so, so I keep my eyes peeled for her.
We go to the cafeteria and a get a cup of Cheerios for the baby to snack on, and uncle Alex and aunt Jo are eating lunch. Jo and Alex are talking, and then Jo looks up from her food and waves me over.
"Look at this cutie!" She says, taking Issac from my arms. "Are you having a snack with your mommy? Is that what your doing?" She says in a baby voice, and Alex laughs. Issac takes a big handful of cereal and holds it in his sticky hands for a minute, before smashing it on Jo's head. Alex immediately stats cracking up, and I hand Jo a napkin.
"Sorry aunt Jo! He...does that."
She just laughs and brushes the remaining cheerio fragments out of her hair with her fingers. Issac pulls another piece of Cheerio out of her hair and eats it, looking absolutely delighted with his mess.
I go to take him back, but my phone starts ringing. I unzip my bag and dig through the pockets until I find it. I pick it up and answer the call, and an all to familiar voice is on the other end. It's Micheal.
"Zola? You there?"