o*O~ GROWING TO SUCCESS ~O*o
MPOV
"Max, why didn't you reply to my text messages?" J.J. asked from behind me. I turned around and sighed.
"My mom took my phone away and gave me a whole speech about this being my last chance at public school," I groaned. "If I get in trouble again, I get sent off to the Dreaded Academy for the rest of freshman year, and maybe the year after." I really didn't want to go. The Dreaded Academy was a place where you learnt how to be an adult or something. Boring, right?
"Well, might as well say good-bye now," J.J. smirked teasingly. I punched her arm. And none too gently either. She scowled at me with her green eyes, and rubbed her pale, skinny arm tenderly.
We made it to gym right before the bell rang. J.J. and I walked off to the locker rooms to change into our gym clothes.
And it's just my luck that our school sluts happened to still be in there. Lissa and Brigid. They were giggling like horses about some guy at another school named Fang Walker, saying how hot and fit he was, and how perky his butt was. Going by what all the other rumors I heard about him, he's the school jock and a player. He's sweet at first then gets cocky and hits on you. Besides, what kind of name is Fang? Was it a nickname? If it was, I really didn't want to find out how he got it.
"Ugh! Look what the cat dragged in... Another rat." Lissa snorted, her top lip pulled upwards and her way too arched eyebrows angled even more in an expression of disgust. I ignored the comment and acted as if I didn't hear her, and carried on getting my stuff out of my locker.
J.J. sent me a look as if to warn me not to do anything stupid and get sent away. I nodded at her, saying I understood the message. These sluts better not get on my nerves today.
The thing is, Lissa and Brigid pick on me because they think I can't do anything to them. The worst I've done, was tell them off when they picked on my little brother, Ari. He's in 8th grade, but our school goes from middle school to high school. Anyways, back to the story.
"Haha… two loser friends! Must be best friends," Brigid lamely teased. I almost choked on air. That was the worst I've ever heard from her. I smirked at how lame it was, and J.J. was giggling at her stupidity.
"Are you laughing? If you are it doesn't sound like it. Sounds more like a dying pig," Lissa hissed at J.J. I was about to punch her right then and there, but J.J. stopped me. Lissa smirked, thinking as if J.J. worshipped the ground she walked on and didn't want her to get hurt. To hell with that.
"Shut up," J.J. said to them. With that, we left them both, as they turned their noses up and continued applying their raccoon make-up. When we left, I turned to J.J. and raised an eyebrow, asking if she was alright. She just nodded at me. I sighed, knowing she would just say she was fine if I asked.
That's J.J. for ya'll.
Lunch
I sat down on one of the plastic circle chairs at the lunch table with J.J., and waited for Ari. It was about five minutes later when I saw Ari walking to the 'Pop's, Cheer's and Jock's' table. He was probably going to ask Sam to sit with us. You see, Sam was Ari's best friend since 2nd grade. When they got to 8th grade, Sam was offered a chance at popularity. That dick-head gave up Ari in a flash, but being Ari, he had forgiven him, and still tried sometimes to talk to him. Ari was kind almost to a fault.
"Hey Sam, you wanna sit with us?" Ari asked. He laughed at Ari, acting like he never knew him; popularity can turn you into a real jerk when it gets to your head. Then Lissa decided to butt in.
"Look little girl. Just look at us, the look at the rest of the school. Notice anything different? Of course you didn't, you're too dumb. Allow me to explain, this table is set apart for the deities of the school. The rest of the tables are for the simple mortals and the lowest of the low. The deities simply don't mix with the others, otherwise they lose they're godliness. So, no. Sam won't sit with you." After that little 'conversation', she picked up Sam's mac 'n' cheese and dumped it over Ari's head. Every idiot at the table started laughing. This was my cue to interfere.
I pushed back from my own table and headed over to their's, death glare on my face, a glare that made the whole table go silent. Lissa looked in my direction, and fear crossed her sickly face. Everyone knew I could put you in the hospital in a second. No kidding. It had been done before.
Lissa just expected me to bluff, or just chicken out when I saw her. Like the idiot she is, like most of the popular's, they thought being popular meant they could do anything to anyone without consequence. I don't need to tell you how wrong that opinion was. The thing is, when someone picks on Ari or Ella or anyone close to me, I get ticked. Majorly ticked. All the pops – minus Lissa and Brigid– knew not to pick on them.
"What do you want, R-Ride?" Lissa stuttered, backing away a little, almost tripping and falling onto the table, trying to sound intimidating. Keyword: trying. The cafeteria went silent, and a little crowd started forming around us.
"What the freak? Just because you are popular, doesn't mean you own the school or the other people in it! And plus, you're only popular because you apply a truck-load of makeup on your face so every notices you, but it isn't because it makes you prettier, it's because they can't stop staring at your clown face! When and if you graduate, you won't be a popular kid anymore, you aren't at the top of the food chain!" I yelled at her, losing patience.
Regaining her nasal voice, she scoffed, "Ha! Shut up Ride. I knew you were jealous but not this jealous. You're jealous of face perfect face and my sexy body. I mean I can totally see why. As you are as ugly as a donkey."
I raised my eye brow. "Really Lissa? Really? I knew you sucked at comebacks but not this sucky!," I mimicked her squealing pig voice. "Frankly, I don't care about my looks, I don't feel the need to impress, because I'm not insecure about myself, which you obviously are."
"SHUT UP MAXIMUM!" She screamed, stomping her foot down, so hard, her six-inch heel snapped. She screamed again. With that, she slapped me. My head jerked to the side, bluntly stinging, and I could imagine scrapes where her claws of fingernails had cut it. I heard gasps. I quickly turned back towards her, and drew my fist back.
I smirked, real REALLY angry by now. "Poor you, you just called me by my full name." I said and punched her square in the face like I had been wanting to do for goodness-knows-how-long. Lissa fell to the ground, holding her nose, wailing. I smirked at my handy-work and turned away, walking towards the double-doors.
"Maximum Ride! Report to my office immediately!" Principle Sandborn screeched through the intercoms, most likely seeing our spat through the cameras placed all over the school. This was a regular time thing. I grabbed my stuff and waved behind me towards the dumb-struck people before leaving for his office.
"Maximum Ride! This is the 10th time you were in my office this week!" He yelled, "You're suspended!"
"Jeez, Doug, that hurts! I thought you liked my visits..." I replied sarcastically, holding hand over my heart, as I feigned hurt, blinking innocently at him.
"Enough! I called your mother, and she's on her way here; go grab your things and report back to the office quickly," he stated, obviously trying to restrain himself from strangling me.
I sighed and left. On my way to my locker, I heard Lissa failing to whisper to Brigid.
"I hate my daddy! He's supposed to love me, not send me off to some academy to learn how to get along with other kids and 'mature'," Lissa said. That was all I heard until I was called to the office again.
Please let Lissa not be going to the same place as me. I pleaded silently.
Quickly, I opened up my locker, shoved my stuff into my bag and took off to the office, where Mom was waiting impatiently.
She drove us home, smoke practically billowing out her ears. As we drove onto our driveway, she spoke eerily calm. Tension was in the air.
"Max, that was the last straw. Have your stuff packed by tomorrow. The school semester at the academy starts on Monday. It ends three weeks into junior year," my mom said sternly. I sighed and trudged upstairs. My life sucks...
1 Hour Later; and all packed up.
J.J.: So this is good bye until jr. yr? D:
Max: Yea…but Ill see you 2morrow, maybe
J.J.: Oh… well I g2g. sorry bye! ):
I put my phone down and flopped onto my bed. I couldn't go to school, or hang out with friends, since I got suspended, and I had nothing to do. Life is cruel.
Sunday.
Bags in the car. Check.
Phone and wallet in pocket. Check.
Glare at Mom. Check.
Say good-bye...
"Bye J.J.," I sighed, pulling her into a hug. And I am not the hugging type.
Check.
"Wait… Max!" someone called from behind.
I turned around and saw…
Oh holy moly.