Five Minutes To Midnight {part 4}

feeling superior with every lucky penny.

     My parents hate me.  They adore my twin sister, Anabel.  They think I'm a f**k up.  I say I'm a little behind.  Maybe, just maybe, a bit malnurished.  Anyways, Anabel gets straight A's, she's a dark blonde, beautiful, with fierce baby-blue eyes, she has a great boyfriend, and a million friends.  The teachers love her too.  They think she's a sweet, innocent, young girl with a great future ahead of her.

     I envy her.  I mean, I'm proud of her, but I feel like a loser compared to her.  No one notices me.  I ended up dark haired with waves and gray eyes.  I get okay grades, but I'm not a genius like Anabel.  I don't have a boyfriend.  Hell, I don't have friends.  Though I think I've mentioned that before.

    Okay, okay, I f*****g hate her.  She can suck a c**k and choke on it for all I care.  She completely ignores me at school and when people ask if we're related, she tries to avoid the subject as best as possible.  Or says I was adopted...  If her friends make fun of me, she joins in.  No, of course she won't stick up for me--she hates me.  She wishes I were someone else and that she had someone else as a sister.  Someone who was wise and cool and smart and funny and just like her pathetic, brainwashed, a*****e friends.

    I think I mentioned my parents hate me.  Well, if I didn't, they do.  They say things like, "Why don't you try being like Anabel, Regina?"  Yeah, they don't like my nickname, Genie.  They'll say, "Regina, I know you can do better..." or "Anabel, why don't you show Regina how to..." or "Anabel, I think Regina's having a little trouble with...can't you help her?" like they're so exasperated with me and they don't know what to do anymore.  Like I'm such a f*****g nuisance and they can't put up with me. 

     One day, I'll either die or move out and when people ask if they ever had a second daughter, they will lie.  I have not a single doubt.

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Mr. Green is a crackhead.  Now, I know I've mentioned that  a million times before.  He probably has piles of pot locked up in his crazy, shelf thingy.  Everytime he unlocks it, he looks around to make sure no one's really looking at him and opens it up like there's something special in there and slams it back up. 

I watch him trip over someone's backpack and laugh a little, embarassed.  Yup, he's a crackhead.

"Could someone tell me the chemical formula for the process of photosynthesis?"

Anabel raised her hand.  A couple other people did too.  I know Mason raised his hand.  He raises his hand even when he doesn't know just because he's a f*****g freak and wants to goof off.

"Yes, Anabel?"

She smiled.  "It's 6CO2 + 12H2O then C6H12O6 + 6H2O + 6O2."

"Nice.  Perfect.  Any questions?"

"I've got one." Mason called out loudly.

Mr. Green nodded, hesitantly.  Here we go again.

"I don't get it." he said.

A few people snickered.  He's doing this on purpose.

Mr. Green adjusted his glasses.  "Well, technically, that's a statement..."

"I don't get it?"

Mr. Green smiled.  "Alright then.  What don't you get?"

"Everything." he blurted.

Someone burst out laughing.

I started carving into my notebook.  I hated this time of day.

Anabel giggled, smiling at Mason.  He grinned back.  Everyone likes him.  Everyone but me.  And the exception of a few people who he bugged the hell out of too.

"Could you be a little more specific?"

"Uh...I just don't get how...the 6 and the...O..."  he stuttered, then snorted out a laugh.  "I don't really know."

Some people giggled.  Don't worry.  I was "giggling" in my mind...

"Mason Ghendirs, I can't help you if you don't even know what you want to ask." he said, sternly.

"Okay, just come back to me, alright?" he said, acting all serious.

Anabel looked back at Mason.  Mason was sitting behind me--I told you they make me sit next to him everywhere--and Anabel sat diagonal of me, in front. 

"Mason, you're a beast." she giggle-whispered.

"Ima' wolf." he grinned.

I don't understand their language.  What does 'beast' mean?  Does he turn into a furry, disgusting creature in the moonlight?  I mean, he's already a disgusting creature, but I'm still left puzzled.

"Genie.  I need a pencil." he asked, poking my back with--guess what?  A pencil.

"You have one." I spat back.

"It's broken."

"Well, too bad."

"You're mean." he whispered.

I didn't say anything. 

"Nah, I love you, Genie."

I still didn't say anything.  I think he feels that if he acts funny, I might actually acknowledge his existance...or maybe he just feels the need to dampen my day with every trick he's got up his sleeve.

"Emagod, Mason.  Leave the poor girl alone." Anabel joked.  Or she was trying to.

"Yeah, Mason.  Emagod." I muttered to myself with a smirk.

"Anabel, this conversation doesn't include you." Mason joked back.  "This love triange consists of me, Genie, and my--"

"New project!" Mr. Green said loudly, followed up with a huge groan from the audience.  He smiled, satisfied with the petrifed looks on our faces.

"F**k." I muttered.

"I want you to break up into partners and write up a report on cell respiration...and you'll be presenting it through props and skits...anything you can come up with to make the report interesting, fun, and entertaining for the class.  This project is due in two months.  I have some sheets on here.  If you have any questions, please ask."

Danny, another student, raised his hand.  "Can we pick partners?"

Mr. Green shook his head, like he was just as disappointed as the class.  "Sadly, I'll have to pick partners since last project too many people were distracted and chatting most of the time.  You may not like it, but hopefully you'll be serious about this experiment and you'll do successfully.  I hope you all studied, because everything we've learned so far can help you with your project.  Any more questions?"

I think people were afraid to ask more question.  So no one did.

"Okay.  Partners, partners.  Now where did I put that sheet...?" he asked himself, searching his desk full of pot.  I know it is.  I have a feeling.

"Ah, partners.  Jenny, you'll be working with Darren.  Garret with Daneille.  Anabel...you're with Andrew.  Lizzie and Rita.  Genie and Mason.  Tyler and Bethany.  Gabby and Mark.  Destiny, Amanda.  Amber, Vinny.  Olivia and Tucker.  Any problems?  Questions?"

He asked if there were any questions about a billion times.  I counted.  And I did have a problem.  I have about a million of them...but I have a very specific problem with the fat, ugly, horrifying creature behind me probably getting ready to burst my bubble.  

The bell rang.

I walked up to Mr. Green's desk.

"Um, Mr. Green?  I was wondering if I could switch partners?"

"Is there a problem with your current one?"

"Yes, actually, we're partnered for everything.  Mason and I.  And we have pretty much the same classes too.  He usually ends up having to sit next to me and work with me on projects.  I was just hoping for a change is all.  Do you think you can..."

"Well, if it's not a problem with the other group I ask, I may."

"Thanks, Green."

"Your welcome.  Have a nice day."

I will.