Bullied and the Bitch

Chapter 7: Education is Important

"Good morning!" Someone bursts into my room. I groan. I'd had a great night. Warmer and softer than I've ever had, without any horrible interruptions this time. "Hey! Wake up, freeloader!" I open one eye and see Eddy, El's brother beside my bed. "If you don't wake up now all the food'll be gone!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going..."

"Okay!" Eddy runs out of my room, leaving my door wide open. Great. This is why I don't like nor want kids. Ever. I rise and stretch, yawning. I'd had like ten hours of sleep and I still feel exhausted.

I move my legs onto the side of the bed, but before I rise from the bed I want to groan again. My morning wood is very evident in the pyjama slacks I'm wearing. I may as well have stuffed a block of wood down my pants, that's how hard it is. I had to use the toilet. And fast.

Lucky for me the toilet is empty when I get there. I empty my bladder, wash my hands, try and tidy my hair – only to give up on the tangled mess, and go down for breakfast. As I do, I pass the clock in the hallway. My room has no clock, and part of me is shocked to see it's six am. Who the hell wakes up for breakfast at six in the morning? School doesn't start till nine.

Everyone's at the table, eating as heartily as the night before. On an ordinary basis, I don't eat breakfast. I'm on a strict diet to maintain my figure, after all. But I'm ravenous, and after the week I'd had – I didn't give a crap about my weight.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Simon tells me, pushing out my seat with his foot.

"Morning," I mumble back, stifling a yawn.

"Good night, huh?" Simon chuckles.

"It wasn't too bad," I admit. Someone lays a plate of pancakes before me and I glance behind me. El smiles at me.

"Good morning," she says cheerfully.

"Morning," I greet her, my tone much duller than her. I don't know how she musters that much chirpiness at this time of day.

"More pancakes?" she asks Simon.

"God, yes. You make the best food!" he praises. She laughs, and gives him a new stack of pancakes, before moving on to Samuel and asking him if he wanted more. For someone so quiet in school she seemed really chipper this early in the morning. At this hour I can barely think happy thoughts.

I reach for the maple syrup and out of habit nearly turn it over to look at the label, so I know how much calories it has, but manage to stop myself in time. Screw that, guys had better metabolisms, didn't they? I'd put that to the test then.

Besides, after starving for days I can't bring myself to care about watching calories.

James catches my eye during the meal. "Eat up. You'll need it."

I blink at him. Need it?

He seems to be able to read my mind. "Today you'll join us at the construction site of the new train wing, until your enrolment to El's school gets through. It's a public school, but it's full of snobs so they're giving us some trouble. But you should finish your education, it'll help you in life. Trust me." He pauses, peering into my face carefully to see if I understand his message. "Janice will pick you up at lunch and you can both go to the school to smooth out some of the wrinkles they're giving us."

What. They were going to force me to work, and to go to school? I contemplate objecting but realise I don't have a choice – these people are providing me with food and board, and I don't want to be turned out in the cold again. I don't reply, just eat more food, stuffing my face with bacon and eggs.