Page 28 of Jerk
“Hannah, this isn’t a suggestion. Leave. Now. You’ve already made things uncomfortable.”
I blink. “I’m sorry I made someone else uncomfortable inmyhome, but Ma, I just want to sleep.” I start heading up the steps, but I’m stopped when she grabs my arm. Looking back, my eyes narrow when I see the anger in hers. “Are you kidding?”
“Hannah, please.”
The foyer fills with cold air as the front door opens.
“Hannah?” My father’s voice rolls through the space.
When my eyes move from my mother to him, he glares at me, handing his coat to Carrie. He looks at my mom and says something in Spanish before addressing me again. “What are you doing here?”
Am I going insane?
“Trying to go to my room," I repeat for another time as I finally pull from my mother’s hold.
“No. Richard will be here, and you can’t stay.” My father shakes his head like he chose the wrong company to invest in. Like ‘I just won’t do.’
“And where should I go?” I move down the steps, trying to catch his gaze in hopes he remembers I’m his freaking kid. “This is home.”
When his eyes finally meet mine, they’re glossed over. Red. “I pay the bills. Leave.”
“I’m not some insubordinate employee you can just get rid of.” It’s like he doesn’t even hear me as he looks around him, more concerned about who hears this interaction. “I’m yourdaughter. Where do you expect me to go?” My voice gets louder, emphasizing my words. “Ilivehere.” I thought the comforts of home would be good while in school, but staying on campus might have been the better option. Proving my point, my father grabs my wrist, tighter than my mother did.
“Carlos!” Mother calls.
“Stop!” Wriggling doesn’t help as he drags me to the open door. My feet stumble over the other, my father’s grip the only thing keeping my face off the floor. “Pa!”
“Carlos, wait!” Carrie calls him. But one hard look her way and she takes a literal step back.
“I’ve spoiled you, Hannah.” My wrist still in his hold, my father shoves me out the door. “That ends now.”
First Day of Freshman Year - High School
“Didyou get lost on the way to The Valley?”
Three girls stand before me, giggling in designer shoes. Gucci and Fendi. They block my path through the school cafeteria, their uniforms decorated in brands I've only dreamed of. It’s a far cry from my mom’s scratchy old sweater that I’m wearing over the school’s polo.
“Are you on the way to public school?” One girl’s eyes land on my earrings. Handmade flowers from Bogota. She twists her nose as if it stinks, light streaming in from the glass ceiling.
It’s the fanciest cafeteria I’ve ever stood in, in the fanciest school I’ve ever been to. Classes have extra-comfy sofas, the library holds five floors of books, and students dress like they’re in a TV show. The building alone has three pools — all indoor. And this is just the town’s high school.
The locals aren't as welcoming as the school’s facilities. All week, I’ve heard whispers and comments. I get it, I’m new to Paradise Hill, but I didn’t think Paradise came with prerequisites. My parents say to keep my head down. Get to class. Get good grades. Take initiative.
These girls don’t know it yet, but this morning, I took the biggest initiative I could.
“How did you get here, anyway?” The girl with the Burberry headband asks next. “In a dumpster?”
“No," I respond, a smile spreading across my face. "But that’s where your parents should have left you.”
Burberry Headband’s face reddens, her jaw hanging. “We have ourselves a mouthy one,” she says, glancing at the group of boys sitting in the middle of the cafeteria. They're spread out across two large sofas behind stone coffee tables, like their own cafe.
My mind floats to what it would be like, sitting there, soaking in the entire student body. Every clique. Every move. They glow with power. I’ve watched them all week, posting up around the school. On top of the front steps. By the statue. I can’t tell who the leader is. The one with the long dark hair dresses the best, but the one with blue streaks is the loudest.
“You don’t belong here." Burberry Headband isn't giving up.
“Yeah, well, you don’t belong in that size six, even when you suck it in.” Cheap shot, but she forgot I saw her friends telling her to do just that two days ago, before they locked me in the bathroom.
The cafeteria goes silent.
