Would You Dream Forever?

[7]

Chapter 7

JANICE'S P.O.V

I trudged around school, not knowing where to go. I don't have a home, no place to stay, no food to eat, nothing.

A teacher on duty spots me and shouts, "Hey you! You ain't supposed to be here! Go home! "

"But ma'am, I ain't no home, " I shout back at her.

"Young woman, come here. Now."

"But I don't want to. " You have no idea how mean I can be.

"N-o-w. Now. " she says in a menacing tone, narrowing her eyes at me.

"Whatever. "I sigh, trudging towards her.

A wave of fear washes over me for some reason. Why am I scared?

Well, firstly, she is big. Secondly big people can scold a lot. Thirdly fat people when angry usually give worse charges, for example calling your parents just because you said 'stop it' to a person but they thought it was 'stupid'. Ever happened before?

For some reason, a scene of my life when I was younger flashed through my head:

I playfully grab Melanie's hand and take off towards the boys and girls changing room.

"What are you doing, Janice? " Melanie says, stumbling to catch up with the fast rate I was going at.

"It's April Fools! Let's change the changing room signs around! " I say excitedly, bouncing up and down.

"Why? No one else is doing it! " Melanie pants, now struggling to even stumble.

"Don't worry. It'll be fun! " I exclaim, trying to take off the sign board for the girls changing room.

Melanie sighs in defeat and helps me to take the boys changing room sign off.

Before long, a voice shouts, " Hey you two! What do you think you are doing? " we turn to see the discipline master gaining on us, slowly taking her time to walk over, just to intimidate us. I cower away from her, and she towers over us. She smiles an evil grin, and I close my eyes, ready for a big earful.

"HEY YOU!! HOW DARE YOU SLEEP WHEN I'M SCOLDING YOU!!! " a voice screams in my face.

I wake shivering and realize I had a dream. Weird.

"I have no place to stay and-"

"I know, " she says. "So you get to stay in school with some other pupils like you. With some food the shop owners decided to give you. " she says it slowly, emphasizing each word carefully for me as if I was primary one. And it would have looked like that if not for the menacing look in her eyes glaring at me.

"Now go! " she screams, wagging a finger towards a door.

I cautiously enter and see a room. Not like how I imagined it to be. An air-conditioned room with glass windows and smart food and drinks with several bunks here and there.

I plonk myself on an empty bunk and blink to make sure I'm not sleeping.

Then to be sure, I pinch myself. I grimace in pain but at least I know I'm not sleeping.

I lean back into the comfy material and think this is nice.

I could get used to this.

But not yet. I have to clarify everything.

I stand up, reluctant to leave the comfy bed and walk over to the teacher on duty. "Uh... Does it cost anything for me to be here? "