Blood Roses

chapter six

My alarm is what wakes me this morning, not a distant thunder crack. School. Just the thought is making me feel sick to my stomach. Public humiliation for the party on Saturday night. I wonder what rumours will be going around this week, will it be that another girl is starving herself, or that someone got arrested, who made our school football team lose the game or who got a new scholarship.

I wearily make my way out of bed and into a steaming hot shower. I peer down at my barcode timidly, hoping for it to have all just been a dream. No such luck. It seems even more irritated this morning, the red vein standing out more than usual. After scurrying around my wardrobe hunting for my uniform I find it in plain view. I carefully dress myself; grey pleated skirt to my knee, blue woollen vest over the white blouse and to finish it off I fasten my blue and white striped tie around my collar. I work my subtly waved hair into a high pony tail and pin back my long bangs. I grab my watch again, hoping for it to cover the barcode, but as I place it around the black lines a burning sensation shoots from my barcode.  I throw the watch as I did the other day and nurse my wrist. I hold the end of my sleeve in my fist, confident that no one will spot it through the sleeve, gather my school items and make my way downstairs.

Tom is impatiently waiting in the foyer, sitting on the leather lounge, feet on the coffee table situated in front.

"I'd get my feet off the table if I were you." I mutter to him as I walk past, making my way to the kitchen. Andre is seated in the corner again, snoring softly as his cook book rests against his chest. I scan the kitchen bench and find an inviting bowl of fruit. I grab an apple and return to the foyer where I dump my bag on the floor as I eat. Fresh apple juice fills my mouth and awakens me fully.

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Walking to the bus stop tires me this morning, trudging through the rain, umbrella up trying to keep me as dry as possible, but I still manage to get drips down my back. Water flows quickly past my leather shoes with each step I take. The shelter of the bus stop can’t come soon enough.

~      ~      ~

As I enter the bus I am welcomed by the usual sight of some people staring out the window listening to their iPods, the gamers grouped together over six seats talking about high scores and acquaintances having slow conversations. Up the back spread across the last three rows are the jocks, yelling and practically annoying everyone on the bus, I mean they just make noise for the sake of it, most of them don’t even have looks or personality going for them. Just because they are part of the football team they think it gives them invincibility. I spot Sam slightly glaring at me but I strongly turn my head and look away; he’s not worth my time anymore.

“Hey.” I say as I gain a seat next to Lily, the only one of my close friends that catches a bus.

“Aye.” She says, removing an earphone. I grab the end of my sleeve in my fist again, just to be sure. I peak down at her openly shown barcode, still grey.

“Enjoy your lecture when you got home?” She says with a knowing wink.

“Ever so short and interesting.” I sarcastically reply. “So how did Rose manage to get a boy?”

She giggles a little. “Carrie and I actually made them dance together and he was pretty open to it so there they went. She was freaking out – hilarious.”

I smile back and give a slight laugh. “Good going, very smooth.”

“So how’d you and that green eyed monster get on?” Lily gently nudges me.