We All Work To Survive

“This sucks. How do we only have one class together?” My best, and only, friend, Kara groaned and threw her head back. “The only one we’ve got together is English. And thank God for that, because I suck at it.” I wanted to say that she sucked at every class. But she would’ve taken severe offense to that and I would’ve been talking to myself for the rest of the week.

“At least, you’ve got people in your other classes to talk to.” She simply shrugged my comment off and started down the hallway towards her locker. As usual, my red haired friend was dressed up for school. Her floral sundress and gladiator sandals went with her perfectly curled hair. I had just stuck with my usual t-shirt, jeans, and Converse. The only thing that was different about my outfit for this year’s first day of school compared to last year’s first day was the fact that I was wearing a minimal amount of jewelry. Two days ago at the mall with Kara, I had gotten my ears triple pierced. Along with getting my belly button pierced. I hadn’t told anyone but Kara about it. And I wouldn’t have even told her about it if she hadn’t been with me. She had a big mouth. Most of the time she didn’t realize it. She would just be talking and something you’d asked her to keep on the down low would slip out.

“Hey, I’m gonna go get a couple laps in before my first free is over. I’ll see you later?” I nodded and continued walking, only slightly changing direction to get to my locker. We’d always been across the hall from each other. It just worked out that way every year. Our hallway changed, but the fact that we were across the hall from each other didn’t. My locker was always sandwiched between Anthony Carlings and Marissa Golds, too. It was terrible because the two had started dating a couple months before the year ended last year and they always ended up making out in front of my locker. But from the way I was seeing them ignore each other’s existence right now, they must’ve ended things over the summer. I didn’t really care. It all worked out fine for me. Anthony shot me a smile as I swung my locker open for the first time. I was utterly confused for a second. Then I smiled back at him. When he turned back to his little circle of jock friends, I continued shoving my new school supplies into my new locker.

“That was fucking weird.” I mumbled under my breath as I slammed the metal door shut. I spun around to make my way to my first class. Only to find a body there. “Jesus!”

“I see you haven’t cleaned your language up.” I groaned when my ears caught the voice. “Oh don’t be like that, sis. You’ve finally got me to look after you here.” I rolled my eyes and shoved past my little sister. A lot of good it did. I could feel her following me.

“Shove off, Laney.” I shot over my shoulder.

“Why would I do that? I’m just looking for my big sister to show me around the school.” I spun around and shot her a glare.

“Look, be whatever kind of bitch you want to. But quit following me around. It got old the second the idea popped into your head.” She did her best to look innocent. “We both know that the only reason you’re dead set on following me is because you want to bring our father some dirt on his poor excuse of a child.” Then an idea sprung up in my head. “You want something to report to him? Tell him I got my belly button pierced.” Then I slid the hem of my shirt up to show her the jewelry that dangled there now. “Now shove off.” I waved and smiled fakely at her. Giving her the only option of walking away. I knew for a fact that the second she ran into my older brother she would tell him. And then I would have to deal with him. Jesus, this day had barely started and I was ready for it to be over with.

I didn’t run into my brother until lunch. There was no doubt that he knew by now that I had pierced my belly button. I hadn’t taken into account that there were other people in the hallway when I had whipped up the hem of my shirt to show my sister. A whole lot of people knew by now that the quiet, shy, little Tuesday Walker had her belly button pierced. And according to the male half of the population, it was hot. Like I knew that not a lot of girls in Beacon Hills had their belly buttons pierced? Sorry, had no clue. My brother didn’t think it was a cool as the rest of the male population of the school.

“You’re turning into a decorated whore, Tuesday.” He hissed at me when he slid into the lunch line behind me. I frowned and looked down at my clothes.

“Well, shit, my closet must’ve missed that memo. Could you tell me when that officially happened so I could write it down? I’d really appreciate it.” I shot him a sarcastic smile and turned back to the line. There wasn’t really anything good for lunch, so I grabbed a salad and a fork and paid the lady. Making sure to smile and thank her. They always seemed to appalled when a student said thanks to them. No matter how many times I said it to them, they didn’t react as though they got it said to them at all.

“Stop being such a smart-alec.” My siblings really honestly didn’t swear. It was really boring. “You know dad is going to flip out when he finds out that you pierced your body.”

“Jesus Christ you make it sound like I got my lady bits pierced. Which isn’t true, by the way.” I added that last piece on for the people who were listening in. No doubt, there would be a rumor going around that I had that pierced too by the end of the next period. This school was way too into their rumor mill. Like shit, talk about the new girl or something. She was in my English class second period. She seemed super nice. But I wasn’t exactly looking to sign up to be her best friend with Lydia pouncing on her every ten seconds. “It’s just my belly button. He should be happy that I can cover it up. I was debating whether it should be this or my nose. But maybe I should go back and get Mikey to do them both. He’ll do it for free if I flash him a little bit.” The look on my brother’s face was so worth the rumor that I had just started about myself. I laughed a little and patted his cheek. “See ya, bro.”
I took my lunch outside, like I usually did. It was much easier to breathe out here. I dropped onto the bench just outside the side door and flicked open the salad container. The lettuce was flimsy, and all the dark leafy parts. I suppose that’s the more healthy part. But I preferred the crunchy parts. At least there were cranberries and walnuts in it.

“Mind if I sit here?” I nearly choked on my lettuce with a little bit of cranberry when the voice spoke. Anthony Carlings was standing at the end of bench that was unoccupied.

“Uh, sure. If that’s what floats your boat.” He laughed like I was the funniest person in the world. Did he get too high this morning before school? Because I was not that funny. I mean, sure, like everyone else, I had my moments. But that was not one of them.

“So, we’ve had our lockers next to each other since sixth grade and I feel like I hardly know you for being your neighbor that long.”

“Well, I doubt you really want to. Sorry, but I’m not that interesting.” I shoved another forkful of gross lettuce into my mouth. He leaned a bit closer before whispering to me.

“Well, I think you are.” Then he got up and left.

“What the hell did he smoke this morning?” I hadn’t meant to say it out loud, but it came out. I was just glad that no one was around. I did that a lot recently, spoke out loud without thinking about it. My therapist said that it was because I was finally in an environment that I wouldn’t get slapped for saying something out of turn. I thought it was just the drugs she prescribed me messing with my brain.