“Hold on! Coming!” I yelled down the stairway.

I combed my hair and plucked out the strands of black hair still stuck in my comb. I yanked my jacket on and grabbed my backpack, then rushed down the stairs as quickly as I could. As I got to the last step, I missed it, getting my green t-shirt dirty. I dusted it off as I ran through the door, hopping onto the car and tossing my backpack onto the car floor.

“You ready for your first day of tenth grade?” My mom asked me through the humming of the car engine.

I shook my head, beads of sweat rolling down my face. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and checked the time. 5:58a.m. I groaned. School started in thirty two minutes and we had just pulled out of the driveway. I closed my eyes and prepared to refill the sleep I didn’t get.

“Amos!” I screamed, “Stop it!”

Of course my younger brother Amos would think this was the right time to steal from me. I slapped his hand away from the pocket of my jeans and took out the pack of black forest gummy bears that I had kept as an afterschool snack. I reached into the pocket of my backpack and pulled out a mini makeup bag. I checked my reflection from the mirror attached to the bag.

Heavy eyecircles hung from my eyes, indicating my lack of sleep. I shoved my hand into my makeup bag and pulled out the cakey foundation I had bought two years ago but still hadn’t finished using. I checked the expiration date. “10/15/2022”, I threw the foundation on the ground and howled in frustration. 2022 was a year ago.

“Rose honey, what’s wrong?” My mom asked, risking a car crash to look back at me.

“Nothing.” I shrugged.

I reached back into my makeup bag and grabbed a Summer Fridays lip gloss. I checked the expiration date once more. “11/23/2025”, I sighed, and applied it on. The glossy texture spread across my lips like a brush through smooth hair. I looked at the mirror once again, and gave a small satisfied smirk. I shoved the gloss into my pocket and the makeup bag into my backpack, then zipped it up.

“This should keep them away from noticing my eyecircles.” I murmured to myself as we pulled into the school parking lot. 

I pulled out my phone once more and checked the time. 6:23, I jumped out of the car while Amos took his time, flexing his blond hair and non-existent muscles. I raced toward the stop-sign lady as she raised the stop-sign. Crossing the road, I felt more at ease. Still, I ran as fast as my short legs would get.

The second I reached the school gates, I was out of breath. I checked my watch that only showed me how far I’ve run or walked. So far, it said eighteen feet. I leaned against the wall to catch my breath. 

“Hey!” A familiar voice called out.

“Jisoo!” I said, smiling and waving, “Is Hee-sung here?”

With a nod of her head, I started walking towards her and He-sung.

“Hey girl.” I said to Hee-sung.

She waved at me and brushed back her chocolatey brown hair as Jisoo shook her red one. I glanced at the watch on her wrist.

“Time to head to class?” I asked, noticing the flashing letters on her wrist reading six twenty nine.

Hee-sung nodded as the bell rang. We raced each other towards homeroom and luckily reached our homeroom just before Mrs. Leslie closed the door.

“Sorry for us being late by a minute.” Jisoo said, flipping back her red hair and pointing at us three.

Mrs. Leslie rolled her eyes and beckoned us into the room, marking us late on her sheet. I sat down in my usual seat in between Jisoo and Hee-sung. Reaching into my backpack, I picked a colored pen and a notebook with the word “Notes” neatly scribbled across.

“You won’t need that. Homeroom is twelve minutes.” Jisoo reassured me.

I groaned again and shoved them back in my backpack. Mrs. Leslie then passed out a syllabus. On the syllabus were neatly written letters that had clearly been written, then printed out.

Please turn in all assignments the day after the day it was given to you. This applies to all classes. None of your  other classes will be passing  out syllabuses.

Then, on the bottom, the grading sheets were written. Just as I was about to read it, the bell rang and me, Jisoo, and Hee-sung flooded the doorway as we rushed to our next classes. I read the grading requirements while huffing and puffing to my next class.

A=98% and above

B=89%-97%

C=78%-88%

D=63%-77%

F=62% and below.

As I finished reading it, I bumped into somebody. Not bothering to look up from my paper, I continued walking.

“Watch where you’re going!” The person called out to me. 

I gulped. 

“Sorry!” I yelled back.

I didn’t want to look up from my syllabus anymore. I should’ve been more careful of where I was walking. I had just run into my most hated person: Teressa.