SCARRED

Chapter 9

FRIDAY - FRAGILE GIRL WITH A FRAGILE HEART

The Civic test was quite easy for Anna, it had to be when she had a very lazy Civic Education teacher. As surprising as it had seem for anyone who just met the strict teacher, she wasn't as hardworking as she tried to show she was. Anna knowing that, didn't even bother to read her notebook she just focused on the questions she had gathered from the class and sure enough, the woman had not even changed the questions. Exactly the same questions, word for word no difference not that Anna was complaining or anything, it was her luck.

She stood outside the big building in her black skimpy dress as she waited for her friends. She began to walk around very uncomfortable. It wasn't the short dress that made her uncomfortable, it was the wandering eyes of the men that passed by her. She wondered where they were, they weren't supposed to take so long, she wasn't supposed to wait so long. The music from the music shop close to the lesson filled the air. Bad taste of music she thought and she really didn't like being up close to it. She rocked back and forth on her heels, her thumbs tucked in each loop of her bag. She was obviously running out of patience. The sound of a familiar set of laughter filled her ears and she looked up from the ground to see Precious and Oma playing with their sets of friends in the middle of the free road not minding that they had her waiting. She stared closely at them, her surprised look slowly turned into a hard glare. She could feel her eyes stinging from the unshed tears, she didn't know why she was tearing up and being emotional. It was probably because she was angry she tried to convince herself but even she knew that she was angry but hurt. They didn't even notice her until Marvel nudged at Precious. They stopped laughing and they all stared at her. She didn't like the attention she was getting so she turned on her heels and headed into the building on her own, something she had been avoiding.
"Anna!" She ignored their calls and walked up the stairs "Please wait" She heard hastened footsteps coming from behind her and she hastened her own steps. Cold hand touched her bare arms and she tried to flinch away from it but it's cold fingers had closed up in a grip. She was turned around to be met with her friends' face and something very strange. The smell of alcohol hit her nose. They were bathed with the the horrible smell. They had been drinking. It was very hard to believe that her friends could have been so careless but the evidence was being pushed right up her nose. She shook her head and turned around to leave the now gathered group of tipsy teenagers.
"Anna we are sorry." Precious apologised.
"Sorry what?" Oma snapped making Anna stop in her steps. She tensed at her friend's behaviour but didn't turn around.
"Why do we have to be sorry? We were out with our friends." Oma seemed to have consumed more alcohol than she could handle.
"Or is it bad to hang out with other people that are not Anna? Grow up Anna and stop being a burden. Go and make your own friends." Anna shut her eyes immediately those words dropped out of the drunk girl's mouth.
It didn't matter that Precious smacked Oma's mouth shut after, the fact was that the deed had already been done. She didn't realise that the stinging tears had started rolling down her cheeks. Burden? That's what her friends thought of her? It was the truth and it was so obvious yet she had not even noticed. She suddenly began to see herself as a parasite, taking away the energy from her friends. She walked lifelessly up the stairs no longer minding the stares from the group. She wished she found it in herself to believe the little part of her that said her friend didn't mean what she said but it was obvious being drunk made her say what she had been hiding in her.
She wiped the tears off of her face only to have them come back even more. She hurried into the Art class and sat on an empty seat at the back. She rested her head on the desk, and waited for the teacher to come in. She didn't know what to feel. It was true that she had to live her own life and not cling to her best friends but that was her life. Her life was with Oma and Precious, with her Mama and dad with Kemi. She didn't want a different life.

The sound of knuckles hitting the wooden desk got her attention and she raised her head up to see who the intruder was only to come face to face with Henry. She quickly looked down not wanting him to see her so distraught. He sat on the empty space beside her.
"Hey." He got her attention. "I heard what happened with Oma." She didn't look up so he put a finger under her chin and raised her face up. Staring into her blood red eyes, he frowned seeing the glossy tears lining them. She shut her eyes letting the tears fall. She really didn't want to look so weak in front of him but it was hard to not cry. He used his thumb to sweep the tears away and she felt her heart melt at that.
"Oma was drunk, she didn't know what she said, give her time, she'd come around." He assured her. She nodded her head even when she didn't believe.
"Now cheer up, let's have fun" It was then that Anna could hear the not so subtle music playing from a speaker in the corner of the classroom. She looked around in total confusion, the carefree students walking about the class like they had nothing to do. She turned to look at Henry with a questioning look.
"Oh I guess you didn't know. Friday is usually a free day for fun. We get to do whatever we want." Anna's lips formed an 'O' as she stared around the class.
"Since we have nothing to do, how about we play chess. I heard you are a good player." Anna was happy that he didn't suggest going to see his other friends because she wouldn't have known how to say no.