"shit!"
i mutter under my breath as i hear the bell ring for first period. i'm late again, and if i'm late one more time i get a phone call. it's SO unfair. my first year in middle school and we're already being conditioned into mindless steampunk robots.
i'm almost to my classroom door when i hear a group of girls laughing behind me. dumb whores, i think to myself as i flip them off. they'll never understand me. while they're too busy fixing their makeup and wondering who will ask them out, i'm putting on eyeliner and facing REAL problems. it's not my fault i'm emo, and they have no right to laugh about it.
"hey beeba!" one sneers in my direction.
stupid sluts, they know i hate that stupid nickname. it doesn't even sound like bailee.
"what do you want petunia?" i respond while giving her friends, gabriella and willow, a meaningful glare.
"whatcha lookin' at, freak?" willow snarls at me.
"only your cheap manicures bitch!" i remark sassily.
they give me a death glare and start to walk away, when gabi turns around and mouths dyke in my direction. whatever, if they have a problem with me being gay than thats their fault.
the classroom is oddly quiet when i finally walk in, with most of the kids hanging their heads or whispering in somber tones. i take my usual seat in between jane and sage, but they both turn their heads in different directions. at first i think they broke up, but the glint in their eyes says something else. i tap sage on her shoulder, and give her a pleading look that i hope says what the fuck is going on in a hope to not disturb the hushed atmosphere.
"bailee, i hate to tell you this but, ms. hall got in a accident."
i almost start crying on the spot. i loved ms. hall, she was like a mother to me. she called me her shadow and always picked me for things. she did things my real parents would never do.
"is she okay?" i exclaim in my best whisper.
"she will be, but we have a sub for the rest of the year" pipes up jane from my left.
i'm relieved she's okay, but i'm also terrified because i don't know how i'll make it through 6 months without my favourite teacher here guiding me.
just then, the door swings open hard, and reveals the hottest girl i've ever seen. she's tall and thin, 22 at most, with shoulder length brown hair that straightens at the bangs and curls at the ends. she's wearing a 70's style bandana, with a disco dress and a fringed vest. she looks stunning, even dressed 40 years before her time. jane sees me stare her down, and gives me a pointed look. i glare at him jokingly, and try not to lstare as she makes her way to the board right in front of me.
"hello! my name is miss. ross, and i will be your teacher for the rest of the semester. i'm 21, fresh out of college and excited to be working with my first class of superstars!"
she drones on for a few more minutes, talking about herself, and where she got her degrees. normal boring teacher stuff. but surprisingly (or not), i'm not bored at all, in fact, i'm overjoyed to learn about her life! oh god, whats wrong with me? i went from paying perfect attention to every teacher, to getting distracted by the perfect way miss. ross' hair falls in so many directions to make the perfect symphony on her head as the curls clash with the bangs and the length makes it look so modern yet so vintage and- UGH. i distracted myself, while thinking about how distracted i am. i put my head down for the rest of the period and focus on everything but miss. R.
i guess i fell asleep, because the next thing i know the bell is going off and i feel a gentle hand on my shoulder. i look up to see none other than white beyoncé.
"uh..hi miss. ross! i'm bailee" i start to say but am quickly cut off.
"i know all about you bailee! my notes from your old teacher say that you're an outstanding student with lots of potential. she tells me how amazing you are at music and can i just say that i myself LOVE all things musical!"
seriously, could she be any more perfect? i give her a nod and a smile to prevent myself from saying something stupid, and i swear i see her smile falter at my lack of conversation. she was probably just excited to talk to a student, but the giggly girl in me chooses to believe otherwise.
by, the end of the day, miss. ross' perfect face has given me a headache. she sends me to the nurses office where i am instructed to lay down. i sneak in a small notebook and start doodling drawings and hearts that all say "ROSS" on them in big letters.
i'm about to pack up and go home, when i see a figure standing at the doorway. it looks a lot like miss. ross, but when i turn my head to get my notebook, she vanishes.
i walk to the bus in a daze, and sit alone at the back as always. but i don't care today, because i have more on my mind than petty whores who sit with me only to seem cooler by comparison. i rest my head on the window, and daydream the short ride home.
the next thing i see is the old bus driver shaking me away and i ushering me off the bus. i move quickly, not bothering to check if i have everything. i rush to my room and begin preparing my homework for tomorrow-or maybe just doodle 'mrs bailee ross' in the margins.
