Life Of A Bitch

8

"You have been staring at the ceiling for the last two hours," Alz announces, irritated. "Care to explain?"

I look at the clock- four already? It feels like I flopped on the bed and started staring at the ceiling just a minute ago.

I look at her and say, "Some things cannot be explained."

"You broke up with Aiden?"

"That, Alz, would be the happiest day of my life." I say and sigh.

She comes closer and stands next to the bed. "Steve has a girlfriend."

I sit up with a jerk and look into her eyes for a hint of sadness. None.

"Aw, baby, come here!" I say and pull her into an embrace. "No need to be sad, okay? He was an ass anyway. An ass with a girlfriend? Yuck."

Alz winces and pulls away. "I am not sad. You are. Steve can stick a screwdriver up his ass for all I care. I don't give a damn. It's just-"

"What?"

She pulls my hand and opens my closed fist, placing a crumpled paper on my palm. "Mom came to pick me up today from school. Miss Andrews saw her, rushed up to her and complained about my scores to her! It's because of you! Why did you come home early?"

I flatten out the paper and the first thing I notice is an angry 'D' on the top right corner of the sheet. Alz's Maths paper. I look at her and frown. "After all I explained to you, this is what you do?"

She huffs and snatches the sheet out of my hands. "I got grounded by mom. Now, you don't start. Anyway, the grounding thing isn't what I am angry about. Mom was so upset that she hired a tutor for me! A tutor? What do I need a tutor for? I am intelligent enough to study on my own! I don't need any crappy tutors! Mom doesn't understand how deeply it will affect my karate practice sessions!"

"Calm down," I say and stand up, stretching my arms. "She did the right thing."

Als stares at me, aghast. "Really, Jen? You too?"

I nod and circle my shoulder a few times. Shouldn't have lay down with three pillows under my head. "Where did she get a tutor?"

"At school."

I turn around and look at her in surprise. At school? "She is hiring a school teacher? That's not-"

"Not a school teacher, stupid." She says and sits on the bed with a mournful expression on her face. "A student."

What?

"She hired a student?"

"Uh-huh."

My stomach gets butterflies all of a sudden. "Who is the student?"

She shoots me a glare. "How in the world will I know? Miss Andrews chatted with mom like she was her long-lost cousin. And all the time, I was in the car, 'sulking' as mom would put it. Miss Bad-drews probably advised her to hire a tutor for me and then, as usual went out of her way to ensure my life becomes hell. She suggested her a student who would be best for me! Really?!"

I am not listening anymore. A weird feeling creeps into my chest. My hands start trembling.

What if..

"-twice a week, can you believe that? Twice a week? And when am I supposed to practise Karate, may I ask? Karate is my passion! Physics and Maths? Ew, no! And I am supposed to toss Karate into the trash so that I can be good at Maths? Are you-"

My imagination starts working overtime. Twice a week? Hell, Alz needs more classes than just two a week if this tutor is who I think. Maybe, four? Or five?

"-but of course, who even cares about me? I'm beautiful, talented and strong, but studies! We cannot ignore studies, no? How can we? Studies are more important than everything, even my happiness! I will start crying now if Mom does not agree with me." Alz jumps off the bed and sits on the floor in a foetal position, placing her elbows on her knees.

"No one cares about me," she sobs -or pretends to sob. "I'm so alone! I'm so alone in this great wide world. With no one to love me! Why, God? Am I so bad?"

There's a knock on the door. Mom enters and raises her eyebrows. "What's going on?"

Alz looks up and glares at her defiantly. "I'm not talking with you! You don't love me! Just put me up for adoption."

Mom rolls her eyes and looks at me. "Jen, you know about Alz's tutor, right?"

I nod and point to Alz. "She told me enough."

"Yeah, such a drama queen."

"I am NOT!" Alz shouts and stomps out of the room.

"Anyway," Mom says with a sigh. "Her tutor will come at five today, to meet her and you know, get the necessary introductions and the matter of fees dealt with. I suggest you too stay for the meeting and, you know, be Alz's moral support?"

I smile, too happy to say anything. "Sure."

"5:15 and still no doorbell." Mom says and starts to pace the room where, Alz and I are seated.

I check myself in the glass of the coffee table. I am dressed up in my best 'You are cute if you think I give a damn' style. I look at the clock once again and pray everything goes alright and also that Brandon doesn't say anything about the locker incident to Mom.

"Mom, chillax." I say, trying to keep my anticipation in control. "You sent him the correct address. He should be here any moment, don't worry."

"He?" Alz asks, still sulking. "I thought my tutor-"

The door-bell rings and I fly out of my chair and run towards the door. I inhale deeply and open the door. Instead of Brandon's deep blue eyes, I find a familiar pair of brown eyes,  which I have grown to hate, staring back at me.

"-is a she." Alz ends.