Click click click. My crutches not only annoyed my armpits, but they also annoyed the ears of those around me. Not only was I twenty minutes late to first period, but I was also the talk of the school. One of the two girls to leave homecoming in an ambulance, and the only one to return. Drunken night leading to a fractured foot and a 5 day suspension.
Why is my seat taken? Oh god everyone is staring at me.
"Ms. Norman please take a seat." Mrs. Freeman said awkwardly taking the yellow late pass from my hand.
"Where would you like me to sit? Mrs. Freeman." I ask imitating her awkward tone.
Her boney hands gesture towards the back of the class. Of course I'm practically banished to the back where the rest of the misfits sit. It seems like I'm sandwiched between the entire hockey team. I can't even see the board, for the green giant himself is sitting in front of me. I have no idea what we're even doing. Mrs. Freeman was one of the many teachers who didn't send me work to do during those three days.
"So what is Salinger saying in this line?" The tall woman returns to scratching on the board.
"Probably that he'd rather be drunk." I mumble.
It's ridiculous that my one wrong decision landed me in such hot water.
The random boy beside me chuckles at my remark. His eyes meet mine and he does this sort of nod. Kind of like an understanding. The boy returns to his work, then he lifts his head and looks at me again. His lips widen into a smile and he raises his chin laughing again.
"Shawn. Is their something you'd like to share with the rest of the class?" The witch at the front of the room says dryly.
"No sir—I mean ma'am…" He laughs at his own joke.
The green giant turns around and high fives Shawn. The entire class is giggling. Mrs. Freeman on the other hand just rolls her eyes and turns back to her chalk board.
"You can all thank Shawn for the homework due tomorrow." She spit underlining the assignment on the board.
I raise my bruised arm and cough awkwardly.
Mrs. Freeman nods in annoyance.
"I can't see the board." I mumble.
Mrs. Freeman ignores my comment and goes back to ranting about her miserable life. I think most of the people in her class can agree that they've learned more about her failing marriage than they have about english. Maybe that's what the homework is; to write in our journals what we think she should do to forgive her husband.
"We have to write a two page analysis on the line "The mark of an immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one."—but I'm not going to write it," Shawn smirks.
"Thanks…for telling me about the homework…not getting us the homework…" I joke.
"Ms. Norman and Mr. Mendes. Since you two have so much to talk about, why don't you meet back her after school for detention." Mrs. Freeman smirks as she brushes chalk off of her hands.
Seriously. Suspension to detention, just call me a bad ass. My parents call me grounded, and all of my friends call me ignored, but I'm just going to label myself rebel. My lips curl into a amused smirk, but Shawn's are in a thin straight line. His pencil stabs at the paper as he, finally, starts to do his work.
Mrs. Freeman doesn't even give me a pass to leave five minutes early. In the crowded halls it is impossible to get to my next class. Once more, I am late. This teacher gives me even less sympathy, and just hands me a pass to the office for being late. So now instead of learning, I'm yearning to go back home and mope about my suspension. Missing school in bed was at least more comfortable than the wooden chair in front of the secretary.
Word about what had happened at homecoming had spread beyond the school walls. The entire small town was talking about my drunken night. Even the janitors gave me looks as I passed by. Every teen at the tiny school was drunk at the game, but of course I'm practically shunned for being caught. What kills me is that I wasn't the only one! Another girl had to have her stomach pumped, and another boy spent the night in jail. But Elizabeth's father was a fancy lawyer, and the boy was the hockey team's goalie, without him they'd be demolished every game. Instead they only lost by one, or tied, thanks to his tireless efforts.
Those thoughts just spin through my head well I go through the day. Even as I crutch, I don't know what you call shuffling with crutches, to detention those thoughts run through my mind. Shawn is friends with John, the goalie, I always joke with Chloe at lunch that they're gay. Well I always joked. Now I eat in the library trying to catch up on work, and watch as Chloe and Margaret walk by giggling and avoiding my gaze.
Shawn is already in Mrs. Freeman's room complaining about his detention.
"But Mrs. Freeman I have practice and we have a game tomorrow and if i miss practice than I can't play tomorrow." He whines.
"Well then I guess you should start warming the bench now." I awkwardly take a seat and wince at her response.
"But—!"
Mrs. Freeman cuts him off, "Shawn. Take a seat. You're not getting out of detention. Now take a seat and be quiet please. I'm going to go make copies I'll be back in ten minutes."
"Sorry about your game." I apologize as he throws himself into the seat beside me.
"Yea. It's just seriously. I talk all of the time in her class. No one pays attention to her! We all make fun of her in the back, but because I was talking to you I get detention! I'm missing an important game tomorrow because I talked to you! Jesus christ!" He rants with anger in his eyes.
A loud sigh escapes his lips, as he throws his fist into the desk.
"I'm sorry." I bite my lip not actually knowing what to say.
"It's not even your fault! I want to blame you so bad, but I can't. It's like all these hypocritical teachers want to use you as the scape goat." He groans.
"Yea. Everyone sort of sucks."
"I'm surprised you didn't spend the day in detention! If you have Freebitch for all of your classes I bet you would."
"I practically was. I'm surprised they only gave me three days."
"No one even knows what the hell happened! Yet everyone who comes in contact with you gets thrown in detention."
"Well Elizabeth tried to convince the school that I gave her spiked booze and influenced her to drink all of it. She said I was a gross lesbian who drugged her so I could have my way with her "delicate temple" and that's a direct quote." I grumble remembering the meeting.
"Who the hell would even believe that bullshit?"
"Literally everyone. Seeing how all of the homophobic townsmen are practically forcing me to wear a scarlet letter."
Shawn chuckles about the reference. "Frankly I didn't believe it when I saw you stumbling on to the Ambulance. Isabelle freaking Normal Norman black out drunk."
"No Isabelle freaking Normal Norman black out drugged not drunk." I shake my head remembering the fuzzy details.
Shawn gets quiet not really having a response.