In clean clothes and well scrubbed, I met Rocky after class as we once more headed to Sir Grieve's classroom. Once again the older students in the hallway were there making nasty remarks especially about my being a cat girl, openly placing bets on how we'd die, and laughing at how we'd sabotaged ourselves the day before. I just kept looking at the floor, wishing this would all be over.

My class after lunch was Advanced Placement English, with Mr. Vaidya. Vaidya was a quiet, mousy kind of guy who spoke in a thin voice and had an East Indian accent. One of the things we found unintentionally hilarious was when he recited poetry, and today was no exception.

“Today, class, ve vill be studying Dylan Thomas, a Velsh Poet who came to US on four occasions. He is vone of the most important Velsh poets of the 20th Century.”

Raquel looks at her reflection in the full-length mirror mounted on the back of her bedroom door. It finally took her eighteen years to become how she felt inside herself. A smile appears on her cute youthful face.

“Are you ready to go yet, Raquel?” Larry comes walking out of the main bathroom, fully dressed.

“Yeah, I’m ready, sweetie.” Raquel turns around to look at her boyfriend.