Don't

Typical School Mornings

I stretch awake and sit up, regretting that I'd awoken. For awakening means I'll have to put up with my alcoholic mother and the stares from the kids at school while I watch my grades slip from my grasp like a bar of soap.
I get to my feet and grab my black sweatshirt, laying it on the bed and pulling off my pajamas. I slip on a turquoise blue t-shirt that says Never Give Up on the front with a picture of a silhouette of a runner in black. Then I pull on a pair of jeans with rips on the calves and slide on the sweatshirt to cover the nasty bruises and bloody scars that I clean each night.
I run a brush through my tangled mass of black waves and do my makeup.
When I finish, I snatch up my backpack and head downstairs.
Nita is at the breakfast table with a spoon in her left hand and a bowl of Corn Pops in front of her. She raises her head when she sees me and cast a glance in the direction of my moms bedroom.
I follow her gaze and see that mom is awake, her hair strewn around her face and deep purple bags under her eyes. She scowls at me and, in a harsh and hoarse voice, snaps "Amara, get me a drink."
I obediently walk to the refrigerator and grab a can of Bud Light then walk it back to her.
She frowns at it then fixes me with a death glare.
"Are you deaf?" She asks, her eyes squinted at me as if she would find the answer written on my forehead.
I shake my head. "No ma'am," I reply bluntly.
"Then why," she growls, "did you bring me a Bud Light?"
"O-oh, I thought you wanted-," I begin but I never finish because she just grabs my arm in her hand and yanks me so close to her I can smell her putrid breath.
"Go get me a drink," she hisses, and throws me into the wall, my arm slamming into the metal bar by the window sill.
Now I have 26 bruises. Perfect.
I get to my feet painfully and spot Nita crying with her hand over her mouth.
"I'm okay," I whisper and she sniffs, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
"She's so mean," she whispers back.
I nod silently and pat her shoulder, feeling sorry for her.
I reach into the fridge and pull out a bottle of Kinky, then mix it with some other whisky and stuff I don't know, then put it in a glass Dixie cup and hand it to her.
She smiles at it then chugs it down in one gulp.
"Better, now go get ready for school, Brat," she snaps.
I sigh and walk off, helping Nita then heading out the door.
The air is cold and frozen, the wind whipping my cheeks as I walk with my hand entwined with Nita's. I spot a few friends on the way and they give me a polite wave.
I reach Grayson Elementary and walk Nita inside, sending her off to class.
She gives me a quick hug then runs off with her friends, smiling and laughing. I wave and exit, paying the secretary a hello.
I walk a few blocks before I reach Mary Nelson High School.
I walk down to the front office and sign in, then walk down to the commons to wait. I sit by a few friends of mine.
"Hey Amara!" My friend Lizzie calls out to me.
I fake a grin and walk to sit by her. She gives me a hug and plays with a strand of my hair.
"How's your sister?" She asks, her blonde curls bouncing around her cheeks.
"She's good, she says she made new friends last week," I reply.
She smiles. "That's good," she replies.
I nod and watch as a few more kids file in.
"Sooo, I wanted you to meet someone today," Lizzie says, a mischievous smile rising at the corners of her lips.
I raise an eyebrow.
"Who?" I ask.
She gets to her feet and disappears in a crowd of people. After a moment she returns with a boy trailing behind her, his hands stuffed in his pockets.
The boy has shocking blue eyes, brown hair, a lean athletic form. He's wearing a gray jacket over a blue shirt, and black Adidas pants.
He sits next to Liz and smiles at me.
"Hey," he greets me.
I feel myself blush.
"Hi," I reply.
Liz watches us and beams at me.
"Amara, this is Jake, Jake this is Amara," she giggles.
"Nice to meet you," he says, holding out his hand. I shake it and realize how easily my hand fits in his.
"You to," I nervously laugh, and face Liz.
"So did you hear about the test on Friday? Everyone in seventh hour failed it, the highest was a 60%," I say, trying to start some talk to change the subject.
"Really?" She asks, a shocked expression in her face.
I nod and lean on my elbows on the table top.
"Yeah, their all going to have to stay after school to redo it," I say.
"Wow that's awful," Jake chimes in.
I nod and turn to look at him.
"Yeah the reading tests aren't that hard if you pay attention, it's just some people have no brains," I reply.
He laughs a cute and short laugh that makes me feel like I just made the president chuckle.
"Right," he agrees.
The bell rings and we get to our feet.
"See you at lunch! Table six right?" Liz calls.
I nod in agreement then point to Jake. She nods and flashes me a thumbs up, then walks off down the hallway.