Mackenzie

Chapter 31

My eyes landed right on the bedside alarm clock as soon as my eyes fluttered open.

7:23am.

Early. I should go back to sleep, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't sleep back. I guess that was it for the morning. I sat up in bed, wondering why I'd woken up so early.

I slid my feet into my flip-flops and walked into the bathroom, washing my face and brushing my teeth, my eyes not breaking from my reflection in the mirror. I didn't see a happy me, neither did I see an extremely sad one. That's right. I felt very neutral and unexcited about everything.

I walked back to my bed, sitting with a sigh and wondering just what to do now that I was awake unusually early.

You should clean the house.

If this was why I up, then, I should go ahead and clean the house, actually.

*****

"Light it up, on the run. Let's make love tonight!.. Make it up, fall in love

Try!" Bambi screamed on top of her lungs as she walked into the living room, closing her eyes, completely unaware that I stood in the middle, holding a vacuum cleaner. I wondered though, if she was screaming on top of her lungs at this part of the song, then.... Oh no, I placed my hands over my ears.

"But you'll never be alone!... I'll be with you from dusk till dawn, I'll be with you from dusk till dawn... Baby, I'm right here.. I'll hold you when things go wrong!-"

"Bambi!" I groaned loudly and immediately, she kept quiet.

"Don't judge. That's what I do everytime I come here, but luckily, you're always asleep-"

"Dang. I must be a deep sleeper." I muttered to myself.

"Babe, you're deeper than deep." She chuckled.

"Anyway, I gave you list of the people whose songs you shouldn't try singing, and isn't it sad that Zayn and Sia's name are on that list and they have a song together?"

"What are you trying to say?"

"Quit singing that song. Sing songs by, uh... Kodak Black?"

"But he doesn't sing!"

"Exactly my point, sister." I nodded.

Bambi rolled her eyes,"Whatever. I'd still get into America's Got Talent, for sure."

"Yeah, just make sure Simon's dead."

Bambi huffed,"Anyway, I'm surprised. You're awake... At this time."

"Weird, right? I know.. what time is your uh... Wait, is it a date or hangout?" I looked at Bambi.

She shrugged,"It's a hangout, obviously.. I doubt Jesse would ever take any girl on a date."

"You might be the first." I moved to her, nudging her playfully.

"Oh, please." She rolled her eyes,

"What's your plan for today?"

"Well, I'm cleaning the house, then,uh.. I'd study, surely. I also got work in the evening. My life's so damn interesting!"

"I know, right." Bambi said dryly,

"Which reminds me, there's a party next week!"

"How'd you know?" I tilted my head to one side.

"I overheard Jesse and Edward talking about it." She shrugged, "I'm not so sure, though."

"Party or not, I'm not interested. Last time I went for a party, I'd drunk myself senseless, ran my mouth and woke up with a banging headache. This time, I'd rather stay home, study and wake up with a head full of

Pre-calculus."

"C'mon, Kenzi.. we were both drunk the last time, don't forget. You weren't the only one."

"You're not even sure if there's a party yet." I sighed.

"But if there is, you'd come?"

"No. What's the whole point of going when surely, Jesse would take you away or.. I'd end up having a fight with Mr. f*****g Jerkface.

"Who's that?"

"Mr. Finn." I answered sarcastically.

"Wait. Why would you have a fight with Mr. Finn? Why would he even be at the party?" She stopped. immediately, then looked at me, eyes wide with realisation,"Mr. f*****g Jerkface is Tanner!"

I sighed, shaking my head.

"What's up with you two, by the way?"

"Nothing. I'm no longer interested in being his tutor. I've had it up to here." I pointed to the top of my head.

"Wow. That must be pretty serious, considering, usually, everybody had had it up to their neck."

"Bambi." I groaned.

"But it's true."She nodded, smiling.

I sighed,"I really wish my life was so easy and smooth." I said, falling into the nearest couch beside me.

"Let's face it, Kenzi." Bambi looked at me with all seriousness,"Those with the easy and smooth lives actually have no story to tell in the end. The ones who have lived the hard-knock lives turn out to be the greatest."

I was quiet, taking in what Bambi just said. She was right. These days, people needed to hear messages of hope. They wanted to hear stories of people who had grown up in very tough times, but came out successful and victorious in the end, and if I was going to be like that, then, I'd probably write a book when I make it.

"You're right, Bambi." I nodded,"But that means-"

"No. A cat wakes me up and I'm best friends with Mackenzie Starr and Ryan Smith, that's a hard-knock life." Bambi said and we both laughed.

"But you love us." I playfully punched Bambi's shoulder.

"Crazy enough." Bambi nodded.

*****

"Mackenzie!" Kora waved to me, smiling big, her braces making her look even prettier.

"Hey Kora." I stepped beside her in my uniform, smiling back at her.

"How did your day go?" She asked

I rolled my eyes,"It was a total bore-"

"It couldn't have been more boring than mine."

I chuckled, looking at her sympathetically.

"So, are you in school or something?" she asked me.

"Yes", I nodded," Yes, I'm in school. High school."

"Oh great. I just graduated."

"Must feel nice. No waking up so early or annoying teachers and their endless homeworks."

She laughed, nodding. "You bet.."

There was some kind of silence between us. Nothing awkward, just one of those silent moments between two people when what they do is smile to themselves and think of what next to ask or say.

"But.. working and going to school, that must be a lot." Kora said.

I nodded,"Yeah... Just trying to make ends meet, y'know."

"I understand." Her eyes ran over the almost empty diner.

"What about you? I mean.. do you plan on going to college soon?"

"Yeah.. but y'know.. just like you, I'm also trying make ends meet. Get some money and see myself into college."

I couldn't help but wonder if she had parents, but I wouldn't ask. I didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable or anything so I just let it pass, nodding my head slowly.

"Is it me or nobody's coming in here tonight?" I looked at her.

"It's Saturday night, usually this place is full, I wonder what's happening."

I shrugged.

"Do you have any friends here?"

"Uh, not really. Lacey's nice but she works on the other side of the diner.. same goes for Owen, he's super cool and nice. To be honest with you, you're one of my few friends, plus my boyfriend, Tristan who's already in college."

"Aw wow." I smiled, happy to be at least one of her few friends.

Just then, the diner's door opened and two men strode in.

"I guess they've started arriving." Kora looked at me and together we left our stand, Kora going to one of the men and me to the other.

"You're welcome to Joyce's Palace. Can I take your order?" I smiled brightly.

Yeah. Work just started.

*****

Monday came too soon for me, really. I remember falling asleep after putting my Geometry textbook away, and then it felt like five minutes later, I was awake. My eyes felt very heavy and I rubbed my eyes as many times as I could, but to be perfectly honest, it made me feel more sleepy.

Bambi had come into my room ​just as I'd brushed my hair and folded it into a neat bun.

"Greetings!" Bambi strolled into the room, taking short strides and blinking her eyes slowly and waving a hand in the air.

"Greetings?" I shot her a weird look

"Yeah, y'know... The Queen?" She looked at me, expecting​ me to get what she was saying,"Of England?"

"Oh." I nodded,"Is that what she says?"

She sighed, sitting on my bed,"I really don't know." She shrugged.

"Stick to your Canadian roots, girl" I reminded her, smiling. Sometimes she didn't remember her mom was actually Canadian, and she'd act like she was British, even when she had a terrible fake British accent. I shook my head.

"I know, I know." She bit her lip.

"So, how was your date?" I looked at her through the mirror.

"Hang out." She corrected and I let out a breath,"Whatever. How did it go?"

"Well, it started out really good, and again I wasn't looking at him as a bad boy, but towards the end, I felt really uncomfortable."

I turned to look at her,"Really?"

"Yeah." She nodded, looking down

"Why?"

"Well, he kept on getting texts, and then he was smiling and smirking-"

"So?"

"I could swear he was texting another girl!" She threw her hands in the air.

"It could be anybody, Bambi. It could be a guy, and I'm sure it was-"

"You can't be sure. I was the one with him. You know that smile guys give when they're seeing-"

"Bambi. I tell you, it could be a guy. Wait, why are you so bothered about who it was?"

"Because it's very rude when two people are together and one is busy on their phone. It makes the other person uncomfortable! And I know what you're about to say, but-"

"No, you don't." I sighed,"See, Bambi it could still be anybody."

"Yeah that's what I knew you'd say."

"Oops." I chuckled.

"It could be anybody with any other guy, but Jesse? That smirk was so..." Her voice trailed off, "It was another girl."

"I doubt it."

"When are you gonna see that what I'm saying is true?"

"When you see that what I'm saying about Lenore and that guy is true."

"That means you'd never see what I'm saying is true, because Lenore is not cheating on Edward."

"Okay. Fine." I put my hands up in surrender. Lenore was cheating and I knew it.

Bambi sighed, "Look, I don't ever want to be one of those girls Jesse's gonna sweet talk, bang, and leave."

"You wouldn't be.. I'm so sure of that." I nodded.

*****

"Ready to see your test result today, Mr. Smith?" I smirked at Ryan as we walked to Trig that morning.

"Why, yes, Miss Starr." He smirked back.

"So how did it go with Brooke's dad?"

"It was awesome!" He smiled,"I'd tell you all about it right after class."

"Right." I smiled, extremely happy that clearly, he'd had fun. We walked right into the class and Mrs Martinez was already in, but just setting her stuff on the table. We walked to our different seats and just as I sat down, getting out a breath, Tanners eyes met mine, and he wouldn't stop staring into my eyes.

What's this? A staring game? Take your eyes away from his!

His eyes were so beautiful they could be illegal. He had such strong arched brows with thick lashes over his eyes. His beautiful but catastrophic eyes.

Are you an i***t? Take your eyes away from his! Lose the game! Whatever, just stop staring into those dangerous eyes.

I peeled my eyes off his, clearing my throat a little as I looked at Mrs Martinez.

"So! Your scripts are ready and, uh.. well, you'd see for yourselves." She shrugged, taking the graded test papers from the table, then looking around the class before she went round placing everyone's test paper on their tables.

She got to Tanner's seat and dropped his test paper on his table. I was dying to know what he got, to see where the tutoring had gotten​ him to. Knowing I wouldn't ask him, my side eyes did the job. And I saw it.

B

The grade was boldly written at the top of his first page.

Just then, Mrs Martinez was beside me. I looked at her as she dropped my test paper. I smiled lightly and she stared back.

My eyes dropped to my paper.

D