AN: I'm not sure if you realise, and I don't remember if I've mentioned it before, but this book is set in Jamaica.
515Please respect copyright.PENANA8rJl3KwHJo
***
515Please respect copyright.PENANA2wlHDkiqvc
It's Monday, the day that I am sentenced to return to the hell hole that is school.
515Please respect copyright.PENANAuSjMwyFxT9
Okay, maybe I'm being a bit over dramatic. Just a tad.
515Please respect copyright.PENANAdHfEUtGNkU
Today, I have the displeasure of being stuck in front of Mrs Griffin, a miserable old hag that is abusive as hell towards the students. She's dressed in a frilly blouse along with a jeans skirt, which could pass as normal. However, she's also wearing a large sombrero with a purple flower on the side. We are indoors. She's in charge of sixth form, and is supposed to organize things like outreach events, and college/university applications. We meet on Monday and Wednesday mornings, to discuss important matters, but instead, she's here bitching to us about her husband's younger, more attractive side chick. I can't truly hate her, because she obviously isn't well. A normal, sane, well adjusted person wouldn't do something like that. The room is hot, sixth formers sitting in rows on the ground, looking at her, some in interest, some in amusement, and others, like myself, in boredom.
515Please respect copyright.PENANA23cg5dHuJU
Sometimes, she talks about her children, other times, she talks about her religious beliefs (she's a devout Christian), but she hardly ever talks about things that actually concern us. I'm honestly waiting for the day when someone gets tired of her bullshit and calls her out.
515Please respect copyright.PENANAD5hxGfSLbA
"Sorry to interrupt you, miss, but I really don't care about your married life," a girl in the front says.
515Please respect copyright.PENANArpwN9b99SI
Well, I guess that day is today.
515Please respect copyright.PENANAmX41iSvuJC
She has long, kinky hair, and her arm which she is using to lean on - the part of her body that is visible to me from where I am, in the middle - is dark skinned. She looks petite.
515Please respect copyright.PENANAJOSgLP0bSS
"Bomboclaat," I hear a boy beside me say, before chuckling.
515Please respect copyright.PENANAJpGKZCHRMW
Mrs Griffith has a look of complete surprise on her old, leathery face, before it becomes a look of outrage. She's generally ugly, but she's hideous when she's angry.
515Please respect copyright.PENANAALtzYIupDV
"Young lady," she heaves, her chest rising and falling with each breath, "how dare you?"
515Please respect copyright.PENANAJyVvARySRl
"How dare I tell you that I'm not interested in your personal business? How dare I ask that you talk about our issues?"
515Please respect copyright.PENANAeLvkeMNnAT
"You have detention tomorrow afternoon!" she shouts, her eyes bulging, her medium brown complexion taking on a purplish shade from her anger.
515Please respect copyright.PENANA11WnOotAKU
The girl simply laughs.
515Please respect copyright.PENANAOljK1oDJjS
"And I'm sure Ms Smith will side with you when I tell her yuh been nyaming out we ears ova yuh husband matey," the girl says. A chorus of "Oooh" s, mixed with some profanities, ring out throughout the room.
515Please respect copyright.PENANAC0gixDT0ho
Ms Smith is the principal, and I kinda wonder to myself why no one has complained about Mrs Griffith. She's a no nonsense woman, and I don't see her letting Mrs Griffith get away with this shit.
515Please respect copyright.PENANA1m6rM2Tbt2
Mrs Griffith's expression changes from anger to fear in a split second, before swallowing. When she finally speaks again, she sounds both fearful and hostile.
515Please respect copyright.PENANAi6sWfOXneq
"Okay, then what do you want to talk about?"
515Please respect copyright.PENANAuWm7NlSfWw
"For one, I want to sign up for university, and I'd like some assistance in deciding which ones. Additionally, one of the boy's bathrooms isn't working."
515Please respect copyright.PENANA2lylyUiCb4
"Yes, miss, di t'ree tailit dem cyaa flush," one boy chimes in.
515Please respect copyright.PENANA6XdLl1dLQI
"Me waa apply fa university tu, miss," another boy says.
515Please respect copyright.PENANAU8j6IUl1zY
More students voice their opinions, before Mrs Griffith cuts them off.
515Please respect copyright.PENANA0t6RFcbDfU
"Alright! Raise your hands, and I'll get to all of you." She looks unhappy that she is finally required to do her actual job. Before she can finish answering questions, however, the bell rings. I can actually see the relief in her eyes, now that she doesn't have to talk to us about our issues anymore.
515Please respect copyright.PENANAoy0VOMeKRk
"Come to my office at lunch time if you need anything." Some of the students grumble, because we know that she's probably going to lock her office door and pretend that she isn't there, as she stuffs her oversized gut with two full plates of food. I have observed her taking two plates into her office, along with a Diet Coke (she told us she drinks it because she's watching her figure) under her arm, and later, walking back to the staff room,with two empty plates, sometimes with bones or scraps depending on what she ate. Either she eats way more than she needs to, or she has some poor soul imprisoned in her office. Honestly, I probably wouldn't be all that surprised if she did.
515Please respect copyright.PENANA6mIfWAaT3I
As we exit the room, I realise that the girl who spoke up and interrupted that crazy woman is actually in my Chemistry class. We make eye contact, and when we do, sue walks over to me.
515Please respect copyright.PENANA4Qn9JUYHDv
"Hey, Emma. Willie told me that you agreed to work with us on our chemistry project." I'm about to ask her who that is, until I remember that the guy I spoke to about the project is named William. No clue what this girl's name is, though.
515Please respect copyright.PENANArAlzG8ehuJ
"Yeah, he said two other people," I respond.
515Please respect copyright.PENANAiRlX4o7XwA
"Me - I'm Rebecca - and Ethan. He's a bit awkward, but you get used to it over time."
515Please respect copyright.PENANA4X26VbNx3H
"Okay."
515Please respect copyright.PENANAPnGZgRwNLz
"Well, I guess I'll see you around, Emma," she says, smiling before turning and walking away.
515Please respect copyright.PENANAKnQ8y1ImLj
515Please respect copyright.PENANAbcVD3Es2v1
515Please respect copyright.PENANAuFaWTwlBzH
***
515Please respect copyright.PENANAHvfQgk0qFg
515Please respect copyright.PENANAVV6IU5rIWv
Usually, on a Monday, I'd be used to coming home from school and seeing my brother alone. It has become a routine, and I know that it will change in a few weeks, due to him changing jobs. That's what I'm thinking about as I'm going home, on the bus. Thankfully, this time, the body odour of the people on the bus isn't as pungent as it was on Friday. It's still bad, due to the heat, and some of these people having endured hours of relatively high temperatures in their workplaces, if there was no air conditioning. There are air conditioning vents on the bus, and I assume that they are in, but the bus is so full, I can only feel heat. I fully intend to shower as soon as I get home, but as I walk into the house, I am greeted by the sight of Damien sitting on the couch, with a woman beside him. They still have smiles on their faces, from whatever they were talking about or doing, when they look up to see me standing there.
515Please respect copyright.PENANAdKEmpMxBii
"Uh he-hello," I say to them awkwardly, with an equally awkward wave.
515Please respect copyright.PENANA6iSrK4I6fc
"Hey, Emma," he says cheerfully. I haven't seen him this happy in a while. "This is Opal. She works at the deli with me."
515Please respect copyright.PENANAXfPl0iNwLP
I already like her. I like anyone that can put a genuine smile on my brother's face. It reminds me of how he used to be. Before.
515Please respect copyright.PENANAzCdKeAULqm
"Oh, okay," I reply. Now, I'm smiling, too.
515Please respect copyright.PENANADPzsIYRhs0
"We're dating, so you might see her around more."
515Please respect copyright.PENANAHO1T6S0V70
"Cool. I have to shower, I feel kinda gross," I tell him, before going upstairs to the bathroom.
515Please respect copyright.PENANAabqejdjtO1
515Please respect copyright.PENANApvoWQJeNvZ
515Please respect copyright.PENANAFmG52dcea2
515Please respect copyright.PENANAlDcHFZ69J0
515Please respect copyright.PENANARWR6qbhYto
515Please respect copyright.PENANAbjocFHUr6D
515Please respect copyright.PENANAk6NBlESNhG
515Please respect copyright.PENANA8pLM81vLuS
515Please respect copyright.PENANAZiY4djvPvq
515Please respect copyright.PENANA7C5dZKHo9n
515Please respect copyright.PENANAo5ifn6usOt
515Please respect copyright.PENANAmofdgU1pGw
515Please respect copyright.PENANAse9SUGXJUM
515Please respect copyright.PENANAbVtE608yBv
515Please respect copyright.PENANACXuK1BLpme
515Please respect copyright.PENANAKkoNcZAlOb
515Please respect copyright.PENANA3OdKkrDcRH
515Please respect copyright.PENANAbcpHRBPd0S
515Please respect copyright.PENANA3efcnn0Z6P
515Please respect copyright.PENANAj4Vx8KuuDt
515Please respect copyright.PENANA59h609wmPl
515Please respect copyright.PENANA2QRvc96H9l
515Please respect copyright.PENANAz9uhRrSRzZ
515Please respect copyright.PENANAMox2DHhweV
515Please respect copyright.PENANA3JDcazymco
515Please respect copyright.PENANAs7V2TZeMJA
515Please respect copyright.PENANAmXHqLMgnsZ
515Please respect copyright.PENANA3B8r2UiFvf
515Please respect copyright.PENANA9TPkjuYOFo
515Please respect copyright.PENANAx1fWP67YJ9
515Please respect copyright.PENANAbpaCVNhSYL
515Please respect copyright.PENANACYxJscni8S
515Please respect copyright.PENANAIbZ3fnTC1Y
515Please respect copyright.PENANApkpElhh8UA
515Please respect copyright.PENANAwC3daIFpM6
515Please respect copyright.PENANAWGVDCi1fHP
515Please respect copyright.PENANAMPa471Xv4y
515Please respect copyright.PENANAOxys8CfS6S
515Please respect copyright.PENANAaszTzY3UNl
515Please respect copyright.PENANA2OtVj8LD3p
515Please respect copyright.PENANAfQorYYn8tP
515Please respect copyright.PENANA2jG5Uh5u2m
515Please respect copyright.PENANAtH6gHblruW
515Please respect copyright.PENANAx4q7VowZqK
515Please respect copyright.PENANAnfFQUFLE7M
515Please respect copyright.PENANAMLQhYYv5AD
515Please respect copyright.PENANAjatjzRlIyJ
515Please respect copyright.PENANAhKa0f7nPy1
515Please respect copyright.PENANAVpHaWqwmyB
515Please respect copyright.PENANARthZhFl4iV
515Please respect copyright.PENANA3eVrWuTf9P
515Please respect copyright.PENANAbcRkhHmjX7
515Please respect copyright.PENANAGkBPVrOyPJ
515Please respect copyright.PENANAKCCZBDJ4ta
515Please respect copyright.PENANAsE58DryHft
515Please respect copyright.PENANAtZJF0uu09c
515Please respect copyright.PENANAw5xvYhctHb
515Please respect copyright.PENANA9qmP8b79hO
515Please respect copyright.PENANA17DXF6mum3
515Please respect copyright.PENANAcAxCY6iHv1
515Please respect copyright.PENANAthZSJf5TdD
515Please respect copyright.PENANAcvn9a7EJQR
515Please respect copyright.PENANA4Ddz1s4DIF
515Please respect copyright.PENANAYCnjhVvZtE
515Please respect copyright.PENANADOGAdrjt82
515Please respect copyright.PENANAVNviUaI2Sj
515Please respect copyright.PENANA09bRa8X5Gu
515Please respect copyright.PENANAdbbf9Kn5t0
515Please respect copyright.PENANAQwQq89DoDU
515Please respect copyright.PENANAvwaDAmQlss
515Please respect copyright.PENANAGnB4TFShb5
515Please respect copyright.PENANA9CjS8c5clY
515Please respect copyright.PENANAvcOzpPfb7l
515Please respect copyright.PENANAlF3gxG4RcN
515Please respect copyright.PENANAk0mR2l2P2F
515Please respect copyright.PENANA08XRDAdEds
515Please respect copyright.PENANAUTfr7wGZGS
515Please respect copyright.PENANAJoN8E3xF8T
515Please respect copyright.PENANAQuXMe1ThOF
515Please respect copyright.PENANABsl4r3k6mB
515Please respect copyright.PENANAjeR6njsETT
515Please respect copyright.PENANAXAMUBvQijp
I have to admit, it's nice to see Damien having some amount of happiness, even if I'm not the one to bring it to him. When the warm water hits my skin, I feel relief, almost instantly feel cleaner, feel happier. However, the happiness is also a reflection of the joy I saw in my brother moments ago, joy that reminds me of the happy Damien I used to know.
ns 172.69.59.154da2