Bubble Wrap
Chapter Two
My alarm went off at 6:00 and I reached over to my bedside table to turn it off. I got ready like every school day. I got in Ted's car still sleepy. Stupid school.
When Ted pulled up to the school, there was a crowd of people in front. I got out of the car and when I closed the door, everyone looked at me like I was supposed to be quiet. I waded through the crowd trying to get to the front.
Principal Singer was standing at a podium. Once everyone was quiet, he started to talk, "Good morning students. I would like to inform you of something that happened last night at this school. Some students, I will not mention names, decided it would be "cool" to damage the school in some way. These three students got inside the building and put graffiti all over the walls. I do not know why no one caught them in the act, but I do know that one of them was smoking a cigarette. I don't have time to explain the dangers of smoking at the moment. The important thing right now is that you know what's going on. The student who was smoking put his cigarette in a garbage can on the second floor before it was completely put out, and I'm sorry to say that parts of the school caught fire. The students got out safely and that was when they were found to be the graffiti artists. Because of health purposes, we must ask that all students and teachers take their appropriate buses or cars home. If you do not have a ride home, you can ask another student or call from a cell phone to have someone pick you up. Every students' parent or guardian will be contacted about this. When we have information about temporary school days at another location, you will also be contacted."
I was flabbergasted (maybe I was just using that word because it's weird, but I was truthfully surprised). School is my only escape. It's an escape from my parents mostly, but it was also how I got away from my "rich boy" status. At school, I was about as unpopular as my gym teacher's pet chicken (who pecked at anyone in its path, leaving marks on their skin for everyone to assume as whatever other disease they liked. So naturally, everyone hates the chicken). I'm not saying everybody hates me but it's not like people label me as a rich kid. I'm not even in the rick kid "clique", although I should be. Not that I want to be...I would never, because, as I said before, I'm trying to get away from that. Now I have to wait until we get a temporary location for classes to be held. Fuck that shit.
I called Ted from my cell phone and he answered, "Hey Derek, what's up?"
"Long story short, the school caught fire last night. No school today. Can you pick me up?"
"Yeah, of course. I'll be there in fifteen minutes."
I got home and went to bed. End of story.
When I woke up, it was one in the afternoon. My brown hair was a mess. I guess I didn't sleep very well either because I was all sweaty. Funny thing is, I don't remember waking up during the five house that I slept.
After getting up, I took a shower, got dressed, and then headed down to the basement to play some video games.
Tonight my parents had a meeting/party to go to. Apparently, I was supposed to go too. I had "no choice". Thanks parental figures, just thanks.
I put on my black suit and tie and went downstairs. I smirked. I did look pretty spiffy.
Yeah, so when my parents go to parties, we take a limo. That's cool with me, but the bad part is that Ted isn't driving. I guess he's busy or my parents don't like him or some shit like that.
The party was at my mother's friend's house. It wasn't one of her rich friends either, which surprised me.
"Hello, you must be Derek. I'm Marnie Patterson, welcome to my party! Your mother has told me so much about you!" Mrs. Patterson said.
That last sentence came as a shock to me.
It turns out that Mrs. Patterson has two twin sons that are in my school. And my grade. When Mrs. Patterson introduced them to me, I recognized them from around school.
I told them about skateboarding and they seemed pretty interested. They started talking about music and movies. They talked about their parents and I couldn't help but be jealous.
"Do you want to come over tomorrow to hang out?" the shorter one, Freddie, asked.
"Sure, should I bring some skateboards?"
"Yeah, that would be awesome!" the tall twin, Rob, said.
"So I'll come over tomorrow and kick some blonde twins' asses!" I said, laughing. We talked some more and then I left to find my parents.
I couldn't find them anywhere so I found Mrs. Patterson and asked her if she had seen them.
"Your parents left forty-five minutes ago. They didn't go and get you before they left?"
It was no surprise. It happened all the time. "No, they didn't. How'll I get home?" I asked her.
"My daughter, Erika, can give you a ride home. She's nineteen and a good driver, you'll be fine," she added, seeing my worried face.
As Mrs. Patterson went to get her daughter, I wondered how my life would be different if my parents paid attention to me once in a while. It would be a hell of a lot different, that's for sure. I closed my eyes and saw a vision of me and my dad playing baseball together when I was little. And then basketball when I was older. But none of that was real.
I opened my eyes and saw Mrs. Patterson approaching with a tall, thin girl at her side. The girl's features were the total opposite of her brothers'. Instead of blonde hair and dark green eyes, like the twins, she had jet black hair and sparkling blue eyes. I was startled by how hot she was. God, was she fine. Damn.
Erika led me to her car, I got in the passenger side, and she drove off toward my house.
"I was adopted, if that's what you're wondering?" she said.
"Your parents must really love you if they adopted you. You're lucky. I don't think my parents would adopt me," I replied.
"Why wouldn't they?" she asked, curious.
"They never care about me," I said, wondering why I was spilling this to someone I just met. Although it did feel good to tell someone.
"I highly doubt that they don't care," Erika replied. "It might just seem like they don't."
Now why would she say that? She doesn't know them like I do...well like I don't, for this matter.
A/N
I was quite happy I got 54 reads and 2 comments. Might not seem like a lot, but I sure am thankful! So...Thanks for reading! Remember...
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~Jess~ xx
