Routines

"...and that was the greatest anticlimax used by Shakespeare."

Divya had just finished her presentation the concept of anticlimaxes. My pen was still on my paper, ready to put down whatever was gonna be said next, knowing fully well that my literature teacher, Mr. Dane, was loquacious.

That man can't keep his mouth shut. He over stresses his point just to lay emphasis.

Sometimes, I just blank out during his classes just to get away from his blabbing.

Things get worse when he shift from the classwork and starts telling us about his life experiences.

Of course this is  supposed to be a nice thing since he wastes his teaching period and makes us all laugh, it also has a downside to it.

I personally need his lessons in order to pass my tests and exams. Chatting all day won't help me achieve that.

I watched silently as Divya walked back to her seat, her A4 papers still in her hands which were beautifully decorated with henna designs.

I can swear I've never seen her hands without those. They're like a birthmark on her.

"Grace?"

I snapped back to reality from my henna thoughts. Dang! Those always have me trapped.

"Grace?"

I looked back at Mr. Dane through my glasses and my eyes met his brown piercing ones.

He stared me down as I slowly stood up.

"Yes sir?" I said as I adjusted my glasses and kept my pen on the paper.

My heart beat hard in my chest. I haven't really been paying attention. God knows whenever the henna thoughts come, I don't hear anything in the real world.

Please don't ask a question, please don't ask a question...

"Grace, please collect the assignment and bring it to my office at once. I really need to mark them and return it to you all. I just hope you all did the work properly, since I don't want..."

Ugh. Can he just shut up? It'd be nice if he'd just ask me to bring these assignments to his office, period. Oh his poor wife...

"...that's why you should always wash your hands after meals."

What the hell? How did he get to hygiene? Oh God save us.

"Good day class. I really need to go eat something...I'm starv-"

"Thanks so much for your time sir, I don't mean to be rude, but we're late for Civic class." I spoke up as loudly as I could.

I could hear giggles from corners of the class.

"I'm sorry. Bye!" He said as he picked up his materials and walked out of the class in his baggy trousers.

"Submit your assignments everyone!" I shouted as I pulled mine from my bag.

As soon as I said these words, the class became very rowdy as students began running helter skelter.

Of course I wasn't bothered. I just took the assignments from the ones that were prepared.

"I'm leaving!" I said as I left my seat and walked towards the door.

"Hold on G!" I heard a deep voice call after me.

I turned, trying to avoid the crowd rushing past me and through the door and faced my arch nemesis, rushing towards me.

Dylan.

Now this person here, probably doesn't deserve to exist. His simple breath annoys me to the core.

He's so loud, saucy and rude. He's also stubborn and extremely extravagant. Just because his dad is a senator, he chooses to do whatever he likes, using girls like pants.

I've been waiting for a chance to teach him a lesson. Chances have eluded me, but not for much longer. I'm not saying I hate him...Hell no! It's like this —his most likely cause of death at an early age is murder, and my mostly cause of early prosecution is murder. Get my point?

"Here's mine, sweetheart." He said with a dirty smirk on his face and handed me his script.

I held my centre and took the paper from him.

I glanced at it and saw that it was a different writing.

A rather familiar one.

I didn't think much of it, but I knew one thing —it was definitely not his work, despite it had his name on it.

I added his script to the rest I had in my hands.

I sighed lightly, held the scripts to my chest and turned away.

I walked briskly towards the door, trying avoid eye contact with anyone.

My eyes would cut through anyone they fall on.

I was boiling with rage.

Dylan pisses me off so bad...

                                     ***

The cold breeze hit my face without mercy, travelling down my neck, giving me bitter chills in my body.

I felt chilly, but I didn't want to close the window.

I loved the feeling i got as I watched the trees, cars and old ladies with their dogs rush past us in our car.

Especially the old ladies. They're so cute.

"Honey?"

The voice snapped me back to reality.

"Grace?"

Why do people have to call me twice before I snap out of my daydream?

I turned to my left and looked at my mom.

Her red lipstick complimented her bright blue eyes, which were the first things I noticed in her feminine features when I looked at her. Those are the first things I always notice in fact.

"Yes mom?"

I answered as I tried to brighten up my countenance.

She looked at me, and then turned her eyes back on the road.

If you're gonna ask about my day, then I'm gonna spill. It was messed up and annoying. Chery accidentally spilled water on me with her goddamn car and I had to go to the rest room. The delay made me miss most of my English Language class, making me super early for Mr. Dean's annoying blab filled class, that i initially planned to skip. I ended up collecting HIS assignment for him. I'm not even the class rep! It's HIS assignment, shouldn't HE be the one collecting it? It's like having too much to drink one night and asking someone else to have the hangover for you the next morning.

On my way to the man's office to drop the scripts, I had to encounter the idiotic excuse of a person called Dylan, who proved me wrong that my day couldn't get worse.

And just when I thought all was done, I had to deal with Miss Percy and her hearing problems. God knows why she was even employed as a teacher for history. The lady can hardly hear a thing without her hearing aid! And why oh why did she have to forget her hearing aid today of all days? She had to ask which class had just ended for me.

I spent the next ten minutes trying to explain the sound difference between literature and miniature. It was one word —frustrating. And all this happened because that crazy ass Chery had the guts to splash water on me with her useless car, without apologising! In short mom, I need a car. ASAP.

"So how was school today?" She asked as she pulled into the compound through the narrow path.

I swallowed hard as I drifted from my thoughts.

"Fine mom." I said.

Damn it!

"You sure?" She asked as she wound up the window glass.

"Yeah, just more hectic than usual that's all." I said as I removed my seat belt and held the strap of my bag.

It's funny how you never speak about your problems when they're actually really bothering you.

I opened the door and stepped out, taking in a deep breath of the cold air around me.

I shut the car door and heard the car beep twice as my mom locked it.

"Come on." She said as she walked on with her purse in one hand, and her car keys in the other.

Personally, I didn't see the need for the purse. I mean she was just picking me from school. It's not like she need to touch up her make up...

...unless she was coming from somewhere else.

Mom really needs to settle down.

We walked up to our porch and then approached the front door.

Mom moved the rug with her feet and asked me to pick up the key.

Would it kill you to bend down, raise the rug and pick up the damn key?

I ignored my thoughts and picked up the key.

I didn't bother handing it to my mom. I just  pushed the key into the lock.

Just then, mom's phone rang.

I watched as she frantically opened her purse and pulled out her phone. She picked up the call and a wide smile spread across her face as she put the phone to her ears.

If she's talking to her lover I swear I'd lock her outside this house.

"Good evening darling, how are you?" She said as she trailed off towards her car, with her purse and car keys shoved into my hands.

That does it!

I unlocked the door and turned the knob, pushing it open forcefully.

I walked in, dumped the materials in my hands on the floor and shut the door behind me, locking it as well.

She can remain outside for all I care. She didn't even look at me with that much glee on her face when she saw me this evening.

All she ever thinks of is her numerous boyfriends and lovers.

I was alone with my thoughts as i walked down the two steps that lead into the living room proper. The house was very lit as the chandelier in the dining room shone brightly, illuminating the room.

I fell on the couch to my right and allowed my head fall backwards as I stared at the ceiling. I adjusted my head to an upright position and my eyes went forward and fell on the TV. I then moved them a little to the left and looked into the kitchen.

I'm sure mom left food in the fridge for microwaving. She hardly cooks anything these days. I wish dad was still around. I wonder how he was like. I'm sure if he were around, mom wouldn't be like this.

I turned my eyes to the right and they fell on his picture hanging on the wall in the dining room.

I stood up and walked to it, moving past the chairs that stood as obstacles.

I picked up the picture and stared at my father's photo with tears in my eyes.

I had met him, but I was too little to remember anything now.

He had a well proportioned face with grey eyes and dark brown hair. Just like me.

I sobbed quietly as I held the picture to my chest.

After a while, I took a deep breath and sighed.

I didn't return the picture. I just took it with me and walked out of the dining room and turned to my right, taking the stairs up to my room.

I switched on the lights and walked slowly to the table beside my bed.

I kept the picture beside my night stand and gave it one last stare, before trailing off.

I fell on my bed, with my belly and with numerous thoughts flooding my brain.