Life Of A Bitch

23

I bend down to pick up the house key under our doormat and open the lock. The door opens with a faint click and I enter, flinging the key over my shoulders into the key bowl. As usual, my aim is worse than a two year old and picking up the key, I throw it into the bowl, cursing. I gulp down a glass of water and enter the bathroom.

This year was supposed to be fun, as it's my last at River High. But here I am, picking out glass from my hair.

I pull off my clothes and stand under the shower for a long time, thinking about the day's major events.

1. My expensive clothes are nowhere to be found. Wow, Michelle has resorted to stealing clothes now?

2. For the first time in my high school life, I didn't go up on stage on Saturday night of the SQ week.

3. I damaged school property. Would have to pay a hefty fine, far more than the actual cost of the windows, to ensure I don't do such things again.

4. A nerd is a finalist at the SQ.

5. Brandon is an egotistical dick.

6. I hate him.

I chuckle, thinking of the times I crushed on him. Brandon is just like any another guy: he knows he's the best, he knows he's always right, he knows that the girl he likes must be an angel, after all it was he who chose her.

Well, Brandon, remember that devils are actually good. It's the angels who're assholes.

I finish rinsing the shampoo out of my hair and wrap a towel around my body and another around my head. I slip into sweat shirts and sweat pants and flop on the bed, sighing.

Wait, where's my phone?

I scramble around on the bed, looking for it. Then I run in the hall and a search under the sofas, the TV, the book cupboard and the shoe rack. Nope, nowhere.

"Argh! Could this day go any worse?" I shout, stomping my feet.

Damn it. I left it in the green room. So much for making a dramatic exit out of the school after having an argument.

I rush into my room and open my Mac to send a text to Alz to get my phone when she's done with her speech and voting. But before I could do any thing, I found a text from my phone to my Mac.

It's Alz. Ive ur phone w/ me. Where d fuck were u? Do u know how much I searched for u? Wait till I get home.

I exhale in relief. That means my phone is safe. I walk to the kitchen, fix myself a cheese a sandwich and flop on the couch, switching on my TV.

The door opens and Dad enters. "Hey," he smiles, probably surprised to see me.

"Hey," I smile at him. "How was work?"

"No, don't want to bore you." He takes off his laptop bag and drops it on the beanbag. Sitting beside me, he rubs his fore head and sighs tiredly. "Mom told you had your SQ Finale today."

I nod, not wanting to have this conversation.

"So," he says, raising his eyebrows. "What are you doing home?"

"TV and sandwiches." I reply and shake my head at him. He gets the hint that I had a shitty day which I don't want to talk about and falls quiet.

Dads are so sweet.

A few minutes pass when he looks at me and gasps in an exaggerated way. "Hold on, is Jennifer Lewis wearing sweatshirts and sweatpants?"

I grin and say, "Yes, she is."