Chapter 3 In homeroom the next day, Derek had decided that his new nickname for me would be nerd. That’s it. Nothing special. While I was brooding over the stale but effective nickname, Miranda sauntered into the room. I overheard Derek say loud enough for her to hear, “Oh, look! The little nerd’s nerdy friend is here, too!” I looked up long enough to see her face flush to a deep red. “Oh, her? She’s not my friend. She’s just a nerd I felt sorry for. You know, I pity her.” I sat up from my book for the second time today. Did Miranda really just say that? She caught my eye and glared at me. What was going on? As I said before, everything seemed fine on the phone. Then again, I know about cyberbullying firsthand, and people are different on the internet than they are in real life. Maybe lunch yesterday was just a ploy? Chapter 4 “Good morning, sleepyhead!” Mama’s voice broke through my deep sleep on Saturday morning. Four days after Miranda ghosted me on Tuesday. No matter how much I want to pull the covers over my head and burrow into my blankets like a groundhog, I know that will just make Mama’s life harder than it already is. My dad left us when I was only 3. I don’t remember him much, but whenever I ask Mama about him, she just breaks down in tears. She gets headaches a lot, but she says it’s just from working too hard. She does double shifts at the hospital, and practically every night she gets assigned to a twenty-four-hour shift. I wish Mama didn’t have to work so hard just to put food on the table for us, but it’s not our fault. Not many businesses are willing to give her a job, all because she’s a person of color. I hop out of bed and hug her. She seems taken aback by the sudden act of affection, but then hugs me back. I then herded her out of my room so I could get dressed and get ready for the day. As I’m washing my face, the warm smells of pancakes and bacon waft up the stairs and into my nostrils. I finished quickly and bounded down the stairs to gobble up my delicious delicacy. The rest of the day I spent reading. I was nearly done with my book, and the main character was about to solve the mystery! Luna, my older sister, knew not to mess with me when I was reading. She’s nice like that. Besides, she was making an Instagram post in her room, and when she gets started, you can’t drag her out of her bedroom for at least two hours. I kept reading late into the night after dinner, and when I finally crashed onto my lemon-yellow bedspread, I was absolutely exhausted. The last thing I registered before I fell asleep was the glow of my digital alarm clock shining in the deep darkness.
all writing still by me
