The Blessed Curse

From Heaven to Hell

Piles of clothes lay upon my bed and I stand before the mirror, comparing a tank top to a sweatshirt. I've always been afraid of showing too much skin, but Diana's arms are skinny and her stomach is flat. Also... she has boobs. I throw the white sweatshirt on the bed without a care and adorn the racy, black tank top along with skinny jeans that don't cut off the circulation from my waist for once. Finally, I add a red cardigan that flows down to my butt and slide on a pair of black vans. My outfit is casual yet stunning. My phone dings and I unlock it with face ID to discover that it's a text from someone named Eva. I hold my finger on her name to see the text but not have it marked as read.

Are you on your way?

Uncertain of what she wants, I attempt to ignore her but then my phone begins to vibrate.

Unable to avoid her, I slide the green banner to the right and gasp. "Oh my god, I just woke up! I'm gonna be late to school."

"Huh? I thought you were set on having perfect attendance?" Damnit Diana. You just have to be little miss perfect.

"That's why I'm freaking out right now!"

"Damn. Well we'll have to beg the dean to let us off this once."

"Wait, you're also gonna be late?"

"Isn't that obvious?"

"Sorry, I'm just so drowsy right now."

"It's fine. So what time can you pick me up?"

So Diana drives to school... if only I got my license before I did the spell.

"I actually can't."

"Why?"

"My car broke down yesterday."

She sighs, "Alright, I'll just take the bus. We'll talk when we see each other at school, ok?"

"See you there, and sorry again."

Even though I didn't know her name, I recognized her voice over the phone. She had light caramel skin, and black straight hair tied up in a tight ponytail and wore purple thin rimmed glasses but her eyes were always squinting. It isn't because of her eyesight, but because her face is permanently scowling. She's the head captain of the cheerleaders but with her mom being the cheerleading coach, it's doubtful that Eva got the role due to hard work. I was partnered with her for a project in my biology class during freshman year but she was a control freak the entire time and redid my entire thesis and formula because it wasn't up to her standards. She even had the nerve to tell Mrs. Bondar that she did most of the work and then received extra credit. I forgot her name because I never wanted to remember that awful experience or her again.

I glance over at my alarm clock which reads 7:50. I'll have to take the bus as well. Hopefully not the same one as Eva. I hear Delilah shuffling downstairs and take that as my queue to leave before she questions why I'm not taking my car.

***

Luckily, I didn't come across Eva or other students on the bus and made it to school. As I walk up the steps to the school entrance, I notice Mr. Short standing outside. He's the gym teacher and despite his last name, he's 6'3 and has a monstrous build. He towers over most of the students at this school. I used to be intimidated by him when I was a freshman but when he became my teacher in my sophomore year, I realized he was the most kind teacher here. Since Mandy wasn't in my class, I would always sit alone in the farthest corner of the gym, away from everyone else. Rather than nag me about how I wasn't participating, he'd simply keep me company. I opened up to him about family issues, my loneliness, and insecurities and he would sit there and listen. He wouldn't interrupt and only provided advice when I finished ranting about life.