Learn to Fly

Chapter 8: Lurking Beasts

Friday, March 8th.

I end up missing the bus this morning because when my alarm went off, the sky was still pitch-black when I looked outside. I thought that I had accidentally set it way earlier than I needed to and went back to bed. Not my fault, I blame daylight savings.

I'm not in a rush to get ready. I'm already late, so what's the point? Dad's already left for work. When Mom comes downstairs, I'm sitting at the table eating some toast.

Mom lets out a tired sigh upon seeing that I'm still here. "I'm running late, Sophie. I won't be able to drive you to school. Are you alright to walk?"

I nod and quickly finish up my breakfast. The walk to school isn't that far, it's not like she's making me hike ten miles through a raging snowstorm. A car occasionally passes by, but otherwise the streets are quiet and peaceful this morning. Winter's slowly starting to come to an end. It's been getting warmer out this past week. Small strands of grass poke through the thin layer of melting snow. The gray slush covering the roads has begun to melt as well.

By the time I reach the gas station, I'm getting hungry again and my legs are growing tired. I have my wallet in my backpack, so I head inside and buy a small bag of pretzels and a bottle of kiwi-strawberry flavored Snapple.

Right as I step out of the building, I spot him in the parking lot. Eric Rodriguez standing by his car with a cup of coffee in one hand. He has his back turned to me. I quickly pull my hoodie up over my head. If I hide my face and just keep walking, he probably won't notice me. He sets the coffee on top of his car and digs around in his pocket for his keys. If I didn't know any better, I'd be curious about why he's ditching school and where he's going. He drops the keys and says a swear under his breath. My hair and face are completely obscured by my hood, there's no way he'll recognize me.

But of course, my luck when it comes to this guy absolutely sucks. Just as I pass by him, he turns his head and notices me. He waves slightly and leans against his car, smirking. "Need a ride?" He asks.

I ignore him, quickening my pace. He takes one last look at me and mumbles something that I can't make out. He saw me, but I'm pretty sure he didn't recognize me. Thank god.

I take a sip of my drink and check the time. First period ends in ten minutes. The urge to ditch school and give myself a break for the day is growing strong. The marking period ends on March twenty-sixth, a little over two weeks from today, and I'm pretty sure I'm failing Algebra. If I don't get my grade up to at least a sixty-five, I'll be in trouble. As tempting as it sounds, I can't bring myself to skip. I don't have the courage to try. The school would just call my parents anyway, so I don't see a point in trying.

~

Monday, March 25th.

Spring is on its way. The snow is almost completely melted, with only a few small piles here and then. Mom gathered up the winter coats and snow boots in a tote and moved it down to the basement. Dad's been talking about how he wants to do a little yard work, but he hasn't done anything yet. On the bus this morning, I spotted a group of people working in a field.

Spring break starts in a few days. The senior class have started getting their acceptance or rejection letters from college, the tension is the highest it's been in months. Groups of girls and guys stand in the hallway, cheering for their friends that got accepted into their dream schools and consoling the ones that didn't. Gossip about who potentially bribed their way into schools runs rampant throughout the underclassmen.

I've been on a roll lately. I passed an English quiz, a Biology test, even aced a World Studies test. I'm pretty proud of myself. It's all so stressful, and I know it's only going to get more difficult next year. Maybe this is why kids join clubs, to give them something to look forward to while they're struggling to stay awake and focused in class.