SEVEN

DAWN

I try to justify to myself that the reason why I'm skipping the seventh period with Arabella and Adrian is that I have French during that time and how it is pretty much a dead language, therefore rendering a completely useless subject that will serve me better if I just don't go.

Usually, you need a special pass signed by your parents and the administration to leave campus during the school day. It wasn't always this way. Two years ago you can leave campus whenever you wanted as long as you have a free period. But things changed when this one girl got kidnapped and later found murdered. Anyways, after that incident, no one was allowed to leave school during the day without proper permission.

Regardless, the whole student body still found ways to sneak off campus: through the backdoor of the gym, where it leads to a hole in the school fence. It's where Miguel, Zelda and I go to smoke our weed whenever class gets a little too mind-numbing.

Arabella, Adrian and I notice how no one's around when we slip out so it wasn't a problem when we stroll out to the parking lot and jump straight into Adrian's cute little Jeep.

"So Dawn, what's your story? Fetishes? Guilty pleasure?" Adrian pipe up the minute we start on the road. "What's going on in that head of yours?"

"Oh my Gosh Adrian, she just got in your car. Don't scare her," Arabella cackle, a smile breaking her stoney face. Huh, so she isn't a complete ice queen.

"Oh my gosh, Adrian," Adrian mocks Arabella as she leans across and grabs a pack of cigarettes from the glove box.

"Who says 'gosh' anymore?" I laugh at Arabella, my heart skipping a beat at the anxiety of how she'll take to me making fun of her.

Luckily for my sake, Adrian saves my ass by jumping in and laughing at that too. "Oh yeah, sorry Dawn. Arabella's our resident preacher so you'll be hearing some Sunday school talk from her."

"Shut up!" Arabella huffs but she doesn't seem too bothered by it. Oh, thank God. Imagine if she was the type who get overly sensitive about the joke. Yikes. As Adrian slows down behind a red light, she takes this opportunity to light up. "You shouldn't smoke, Adrian. It's bad for you."

Adrian just smiles wanly. "Okay, mom."

"Seriously! Our squad needs to be in top shape for regionals and I need your lungs to be in perfect capacity. Smoking will just kill your sporting career."

An eye roll from Adrian. "I can still do a toe touch even if I'm dying from lung cancer. Anyway, Dawn, cigarettes?" Adrian offers as she turns sharply to the left, cruising past a used-car dealership ringed with chicken wire and an empty lot advertising space for lease.

I don't really do cigarettes (that's more Miguel thing- he smokes anything) but I don't mind. "Sure."

Adrian toss me her pack and lighter. I help myself. An awkward silence settles as Arabella drives and both of us smokes. Arabella eyes us both disapprovingly and pinches the bridge of her nose. I try to think of a conversation.

"So um, I think I'm in calc with you Arabella. Miss Ameson is a bitch, isn't she?"

Arabella, thank fuck, nods. "I mean, yeah kinda. Who gives homework on the first day back?"

"Shit really?" Adrian pulls a face as she blows a drag. "That's fucking satanic. Like math needs to suck ass any harder."

Arabella turns her head in the front seat and meets her gaze with mine. She has really pretty eyes. They're a coffee almond colour, making me think of warm fireplaces and wool jumpers and Autumn afternoons. "How did you find the worksheet?"

"Um...well, I haven't touched it."

"I can help you," Arabella offers kindly. I don't know why I thought she was a bitch. She's actually kinda nice. I just think she's reserved.

"Um thanks," I force myself to look down and tear my eyes away from hers. "That'd be really great." 

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