Robin Goodfellow

“You can do this.” She said into the mirror. Taking in a deep breath she sunk into the chair that still had crayon marks from when she was a kid. “Who am I kidding?” She growled throwing her brush on the vanity. Grabbing her back pack she stomped down the steps hearing her mother already awake, which was odd before noon.

“Honey I made you lunch.” Her mother smiled holding a paper bag, her hair messed and her face smudged with makeup.

Rolling her eyes she frowned. “I’d rather eat school food.” She pass her mother out. But before going out the door to catch the bus she turned. “Oh and next time you want to pretend to care…don’t.” With that she slammed the door.

The long yellow hell pulled up to her house. She hated taking the bus but school was a forty minute walk and she needed to be on time today. She ignored the usual jeers and sat next to Jacob, the top chess player on the high school team. Needless to say he wasn’t popular, but then neither was she. In high school there were certain clicks. The cheerleaders. Mostly pretty, flexible and easy. Jocks, were overly interested in themselves. Then of course the geeks, anyone smarter than the jocks or the cheerleaders and didn’t have the social graces that most of the world was born with. The bus turned the corner bringing he school into view. Then of course there were the outsiders. Kids who didn’t fit into any particular click. Mostly that was what she was. Her school was Babura High home of the Hawks football team. A big red hawk on a white banner was hung above the entrance. Walking up the walkway with the horde of others she held fast to her rule. No eye contact.

Eye contact led to confrontation, confrontation was always bad. A few people bumped into her as she pushed through the doors where the ditchers hung out until the bell rang. Finally after going up two flights of stairs she got to her locker. Jenny Wilson was her usual annoying self babbling about her last date with Connor Whales, the quarterback of the football team. Another horrible twist of fate this year, their lockers were next to each other.