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Stella
Theyellowflorescentlightshang above me, threatening to suck the life right out of me.
For a Monday, this has to be one of the worst Mondays ever! Ok, maybe I am being a little dramatic, but still. This place feels more like a prison than a school. The cinderblock walls are in desperate need of new paint and the desks have been passed down the last twenty years. Our teachers are exhausted and burned out from dealing with misbehaviors and low pay. My teacher, Mrs. Smith, blabbers in front of the room about the Roman Empire, but no one is even listening. Sadly, this is the only advanced class options, and even in this room, the kids are terrible. I sit in the front of the room, desperately trying to drown out the sounds around me. Unlike my peers, I care about my future. Most people around here stopped believing in happily ever after's once we entered middle school. The reality of the cruel world we were born into did them wrong too many times, and now, they are lost souls. Most will continue in their parents' footsteps; working mindless jobs for minimal pay or will result to working the streets.
A paper wad soars above my head and lands next to Mrs. Smith’s feet. She doesn’t even blink or stop her lecture. Rumor is, she is retiring next year and drinks heavily on her planning periods, so nothing these kids can do will bother her now. The events from the weekend plagued me all night and I woke up on this Monday feeling more stressed than ever.
Sighing, I focus on her words and my assignment. However, my mind begins to drift away to a gorgeous boy who I have no business thinking about. Micah is rich, popular, and dangerously good looking. Sure, he’s helping me out, but it’s only because he feels bad for me, and we both know it. He has this need to do a good deed, possibly to fix a wrong he’s made in his past.
“Stella, are you ok?” I hear whispered behind me.
Ally pokes my shoulder, knocking me out of my daze. Turning in my seat, I see that she’s on her phone, and completely oblivious to the class that is taking place in the front of the room.
“Yeah, why?” I ask.
Ally looks up from her phone, rolling her eyes. “You have been pretty out of it today. When I asked you about the weekend, you blew me off. Something is going on,” she persists.
I had told Ally about Micah, since she had seen him drop me off at her place. I acted as though he didn’t have any effect on me, but I was only lying to myself. Micha was taking up way too much of my thoughts and I couldn’t get lost in a boy that I could never have.
“I guess I am just still shaken up by Lucas,” I tell her.
Ally seems content with this response. It’s no secret that Lucas has been making my life a living hell ever since I hit puberty and my mom started disappearing for weeks or months at a time. My phone buzzes in my pocket and when I pull it out, I am startled to see Micha’s name on my screen.
Micah: What are you doing?
Me: Sitting in class. Shouldn’t you be doing the same?
I chuckled lightly to myself as I read his text. I couldn’t help but wonder what Micah’s school was like. I was sure that he must attend some fancy private school where the kids wear uniforms have butlers and shit like that.
Micah: I’m at lunch. What are you doing this upcoming weekend?
I read his words over a dozen times before I could finally process them. Why did he want to know my plans? This couldn’t go too far. Sure, I had let him help me. Once. But that was enough. This couldn’t become a ‘thing.’
Me: Not sure.
I wrote the vague response and hoped he would get the hint. Don’t get me wrong; Micah is everything that a girl could ever dream of in a guy. He has a swagger to him that makes him irresistible and with his charming, good looks, money, and obvious talent with racing, he has the full package. Sadly, Micah is too far out of my league, and I refuse to allow myself to believe that this could be anything more than Micah just wanting to slum it.
Micah: Well, then how about you come to a party? I’m hosting.
This time, I almost laughed out loud. Thankfully, my teacher didn’t notice and neither did anyone else around me. I would never fit in at a party with Micah.
Me: Thanks...but no thanks. I am trying to get into another race anyway.
Maybe that will get him to stop asking. Soon enough, Micah will find some other girl to latch onto and he will forget all about me. A sudden drop of my stomach catches me off-guard. Why does that thought bother me so much? This is exactly why I can’t continue—whatever this is between us—any longer. We are from two different worlds and neither of us have any business visiting the others realm.
Micah: Where?
Me: Where what?
I internally curse myself for asking. Why am I prolonging this further? I should block his number. Erase his name completely from my phone... but I can’t force myself to do that yet.
Micah: Where is the race?
Anger consumes me. Is this why he’s texting? Does he want another shot at beating me? Like hell I will give him that satisfaction again.
Me: Screw you! I need this race so don’t even think about joining.
This time, I do block his number. The nerve of this guy thinking that he can swoop into my world and take something from me. I need these races to survive. He just needs a high.
I toss my phone into my backpack and then force myself to listen to the rest of the lecture. I know I sound crazy as hell, because honestly, I am so conflicted. Part of me can’t help but fall for Micah’s charm, but the other, more logical side of me, screams to ignore and forget about him. By the end of the day, I am so riled up, that I text Tank and beg him to sign me up for whatever races he can find. I need to earn some money and I am going to do it on my own.
