The Screw-Ups

Kelsy Araki

tacenda (tah-SEN-dah) n. - things better left unsaid; to be passed over in silence.

it has been a total of four days, fifteen hours and twenty-eight seconds since melanie asked me that favor.  i've contemplated repeatedly if i should have complied.  however, my mind continuously delineated multiple scenarios for the action, as well as moral and physical consequences. 

i sigh and pack my things for school.  notwithstanding my exemplary marks in my educational supervision centre (my college) i am, in a word, homeless. 

many of my peers gawk at me, seeing my clothes and appearance.  don't understand me incorrectly; i wash and clean on a daily basis.  however, my apparel consists of an oversized black sweatshirt, a white shirt with holes ripped at the collar, black ripped jeans, black beaten-up converse and chain jewelry.  the jewelry amounts to a chain link connecting my belt loop and back pocket, a chain link earring, and a chain link choker. 

these are not the only clothes i have; they are only the most appropiate clothes i have. 

i walk into my classroom and sit at my normal desk, in the far back corner next to the window.  i set my backpack down and pull out my textbook, notebook, utensils and laptop.  then i close my eyes and rest. 

[TIME SKIP - 5 minutes]

i wake up to a slam on my desk.  while i am alarmed, i am not surprised.  so i drift my eyes upward to see addison meyers, a fellow criminal in my grade.  she slaps my desk again.

"where is it, brainiac, huh?" she whisper-yells.

i blink my eyes lazily and slowly adjust my position so i make direct eye contact. 

"i apologize.  but i sincerely haven't a single idea as to what you are going on about."  i say softly.  from her facial expression, i believe she is confused. 

"but didn't you do what--", she ducks her head down, "what melanie asked?"  she whisper-shouts. 

i give her a look, warning her to keep her voice down.  she knows as well as i do that this sort of information is not to be heard.  she groans and sits in the seat in front of me.  meanwhile two other girls, names unbeknownst, sit down next to me. 

"melanie asked you to hack into the governmental tax system, right?"  addison asks quietly.  i nod.

"and you didn't do it?" she inquires incredulously.  i nodmy head again. 

"unbelievable.  why not?"  she demand, as soon as the bell rings for the class to commence.  she groans again.  "we'll talk about this later.  meet me during lunch."  she then turns around in her seat.  i sigh once more and close my eyes, letting my head drop down on my desk.