Teach Me to Please | Please Me #1

FIFTY

"This is ridiculous." My mom sighed as she cleaned my face with a washcloth. "I mean, what kind of school lets this happen?"

I squirmed as the cloth got too close to my eye, "Mom, I can do it myself." I whined.

"You've got nacho cheese in your hair, let me comb it out." She huffed and picked up a comb. I sighed and slumped back on the kitchen table chair as my mom wet the comb and began to brush the cheese out of my hair.

"I should talk to the principal. Surely she can't allow this." My dad argued.

"Principal Cunningham already hates me. She's not going to do anything about it." I explained with a frown. "Ouch!" I groaned as my mom pulled a knot out of my hair.

"Sorry." She cringed, "Your hair is just so thick."

"Well, that's wrong. She should care about all her students." My dad explained and wiped the back of his hand across his forehead. His dark brown skin was gleaming with sweat and his special garden gloves hung out of his jean pocket. I knew he had a big job to do today. The meeting he had weeks ago with a pair of wealthy clients went well and he has a huge scale gardening job to work on for the next month or so. He's even having to put a team together for extra help which he will be the leaders of too.

Let's just say the money he's earning from this one job would be enough for us to buy a new house. However, my parents never liked big houses. I knew they had enough money to upgrade this house anyways, but they always said something about a big house seeming so lonely and a waste. Especially if there was only three of us. Plus, my dad was a sucker of memories and still wanted the years of my heights pencilled in on the kitchen doorframe and tree in the garden with him and mom's names carved on, something they did when they first moved in all those years ago.

"Just leave it." I sighed. "I deserve I guess." I did.

"No, you don't." my mom said affirmatively. "David, get me a spray bottle." My dad nodded and handed it to her before she sprayed it on my hair.

"Mom, my hair's gonna go frizzy!" I complained.

"Oh, shut up. D'you want cheesy hair for the rest of your life?" I stayed quiet. "Exactly."

I huffed and rested my hands in my lap. "Maybe I should just quit school." I murmured under my breath, but my dad heard me.

"No." he shook his head firmly. "You've worked too hard to get where you are, sweetheart, you're not going to let that wash down the drain just because of a few stupid kids."

"A few kids? More like the whole school." I scoffed and felt a lump grow in my throat.

"Baby," my mom sighed. She placed down the comb and bent down so her chin rested on my shoulder, "Ignore those kids. In a few weeks, everything will disappear and be forgotten."

"Likely." I huffed and chocked on my words. "You should have seen everyone today, they all stared at me like I killed their grandma."

"Then pay no mind to them." My mom brushed it away.

I rolled my eyes, "Kind of hard when it's everywhere I turn."

"Isn't Rya in school?" my dad asked. I shook my head in response, unable to stop the frown deepening my expression. "That's weird. She's never missed a day. Maybe I should talk to her dad the next time I stop round."

"Don't." I shook my head. "She's probably still upset about Valedictorian and doesn't want to face humiliation in front of Christopher." And she probably still hates me.

"There." my mom put down the comb and went to the sink to wash her hands. "All gone."

I sighed thankfully and tied my hair up, frizzy pieces falling over my face. "Thanks." I smiled lightly and rubbed a hand over my eyes.