Finish Line

One

"Valerie."

My teacher's hard voice brought my attention to the front of the classroom.

I quickly shut my phone off and turned my grin upside down. "Yes, Ms. Powers?" I smile through my teeth.

"Could you answer this question for me?" She sounds irritated. "Or do I have to have a screen in front of me for you to pay attention?"

I heard snickers throughout the room.

God, I hated her. She had shoulder length blonde hair that was on the verge of turning gray. Deep blue eyes that pierced through your soul and a raspy voice that could mistaken her as a man.

"No, ma'am. I'm sorry."

She raised a brow. "Next time I catch you on a phone, it'll be on my desk."

Didn't the district school board stop allowing teachers to do that years ago?

"Yes ma'am," I rolled my eyes in my head. "It won't happen again."

"Better not." She turned her back and started writing on the board again.

Minutes that seemed like hours pass by.

I had begun to dread school. The work was too much and I just stopped having motivation to do anything.

I start to doodle in the extra notebook paper in the back of my binder when somebody lightly taps my shoulder.

I twist my head and it's Olyvia. A friend that I'd started to get close to since the beginning of the semester.

"Who were you texting?" She smiles cheesy.

Lyv loved to talk about boys. She wasn't boy crazy or anything. I think she just likes to see the faces of people glow when they talk about someone they have interest in.

"Just some boy from Bhens," I blush a little.

Bhens High School was the school in the district nearest to ours. It's known to have very little academic options. Great football team though.

"Ooh, tell me his name!" Olyvia whisper-yells.

"His name is Javier." I blush the smallest bit.

I'd been snapping Javier on Snapchat for a few days, three, I'd say. Not a lot of big talk, just talking hobbies and a few laughs here and there.

It was nice to talk to someone from a different school. We didn't know a lot of the same people but enough to be able to start conversations over the ones we did know. Not like bashing. Okay, maybe a little bashing.

But there was something about Javier I liked. He seems like a loner. The type of loner who has friends but doesn't really care about them. In the few days we'd been communicating, I could tell he observed more than he interacted with people.

I just really like that.

Maturity, I think to myself.

"Is he in our grade?"

I nod to her question.

"What is he?" I assume she's talking ethnicity.

"Hispanic, I'm pretty sure." We haven't really asked each other that yet. "He's got curly hair. A kind of big nose." I chuckled.

"Oh no, a big nose. They're the cutest ones!"

"Right?" I agree with her.

Mrs. Powers shout our names.

This is going to be a fun year with her.

—

omg hi🥺

it's been so long since i've written, wow. ngl, i've had no motivation to even click on the website link for months.

but i'm back and i've found some motivation :) i have a good feeling about this book.

those who read "Rylan's Girl", i will be updating soon🥺. but if there is no activity, i will probably discontinue it :(

but hopefully this book takes off. i loved writing the first chapter and i've got big plans for the rest of them :)

stay tuned pls!

- nalei