Why Scream, It's Over
Thanks so much to anyone who has reviewed and I apologise for making people wait so long for this chapter. It'll take place practically straight after the previous one. I hope everyone enjoys.
Lyrics: Just go ahead and hate on me and run your mouth, so everyone can hear
Chapter Three
I wanted to just pretend as though Ronnie wasn't sitting in absolute silence because of the fact that I had practically just told him that I wasn't going to know him very well in the years to come, but I couldn't bring myself to do so. He was currently sitting at the lunch table with his head buried in a magazine in an effort to block eye contact with me. It hurt, but I knew that he would feel like this for a while.
"Hey, Ronnie, I haven't smoked today" I informed, smiling at my victory. I had tried to quit multiple times, but never lasted longer than an hour. This was a miracle for me.
He didn't even look up when he spoke to me. He simply muttered, "Good for you, Monica." He never usually called me by my full name either. It was always 'Mon.' Well, it looked as though this victory in my exam had really shaken him up. It was my own fault for thinking anything less than this would happen.
"Jeez, dude, what's up with you?" Robert questioned. "You could at least pretend to be happy for Monica. You know how excited she was for this opportunity."
"Dude, I am happy for her" He defended. "I'm just not in the mood to fuss over her like you guys for one exam. There's plenty obstacles for her to face later that she might not get over." It hurt. He was so willing to stop my victory lasting for very long, so he could make himself feel better.
Before I even had a chance to argue back with him, the bell sounded and the room was set in motion as people made their way to class. Damn, I had English, but at least it was a lesson where I could cause trouble with Max.
"Ready to go give Mrs Fenwick a heart attack?" Max asked as we walked with Ronnie trailing behind us. "She hates us so much."
"To be fair, we haven't given her a reason to like us" I laughed, turning the corner that led to the English classroom. "What's the plan for today?"
"I was thinking tripping her up, breaking her chair and then you arguing with her" He explained.
"Nah, I can't be bothered with breaking anything today" I retorted. "I'll argue with her, though."
"Don't you think you should at least try and learn something?" Ronnie questioned. Max whirled on him, disbelief in his eyes.
"Who are you and what have you done with Ronnie?" He joked, walking into the classroom with me in tow.
"Shut up, man" Ronnie grumbled. "I just think you're constant bad behaviour with that teacher can get a little annoying."
"Jeez, Ronnie, you don't have to be in such a foul mood all day just because I think I done well in that exam" I snapped, taking my seat. It probably wasn't needed, but I just couldn't help myself. The comment he made about the obstacles that could stop my journey in becoming successful had aggravated me and I felt as though he needed to know that. He was taking the news like a five year old and I didn't want to listen to him whine about it for the entirety of my senior year.
"Oh, you've done it now, Radke" Monte sighed as he took the seat next to me. "What did you do to her this time?" The plump teacher soon walked into the room and shushed the class in order to start teaching.
"He's in a horrible mood" I said to Monte, ignoring the piercing stares from Mrs Fenwick. "He'll snap out of it soon, though."
"Monica, did you not hear me?" She questioned. "I want to teach if you don't mind"
"Actually I do mind" I grumbled, enjoying the sniggers from Max. Mrs Fenwick stood at the front of the room, her arms crossed over her chest in a sign of anger.
"Well, if you mind so much then I suggest that you go stand outside" She retorted. Ah, the common threat that a teacher gives that nobody really cares about.
"No, I'm okay here" I sighed.
"Why do you always have to be such an insolent little child?" She mumbled. "You are the greatest misfortune I have ever had to teach."
"She's no insolent and she's definitely not a child" Max supported to receive a glare from Mrs Fenwick. "From where I'm sitting, she has all the right curves in all the right places."
"Max Green, I do not want to hear about your affections for Monica" She shouted. Oh gosh, I could see exactly how this was going to play out and it would end with me and Max in the hallway.
"I don't have affections for Monica" He argued. "Well, not the ones you're thinking of. You know, as a teacher, you shouldn't really be assuming these things about your students. It's very disrespectful."
"Max, no it's not disrespectful" She sighed. "What's disrespectful is the way you treat other people." Max's mouth fell open at this.
"What the hell are you even talking about?" Max questioned, his voice raising. "I've never treated anyone with disrespect apart from maybe you."
"But that's only because you are presumptuous, closed-minded and an incredibly bad teacher." I finished, trying to ignore the glares I was gaining from Ronnie, so I could revel in the shocked and slightly sad look on Mrs Fenwick's face.
"Monica, are you ever going to leave that woman alone?" Ronnie whispered from the other side of me. "She just wants to teach us."
"Ronnie, don't try and tell me what's right and what's wrong." I snapped. "The way you just treated me about the exam was wrong. This is simply stating facts."
"If you feel that way, Monica, you know where the door is" Mrs Fenwick sighed. "You too, Max. I've had it with trying to cater your needs. When you learn some basic manners, you'll be welcomed back in here with open arms." I stepped away from my desk, slinging my bag over my shoulder and following Max out of the door. This was the first time she had acted like this with us. It made me a little confused.
"So, what do we do?" Max asked after the door had been closed and we were left in the hallway. "I'd expected her to just shout a lot and threaten us. I didn't think she'd kick us out of her lesson."
"Who really cares?" I questioned. "We don't need to learn about Jane Eyre and whatever other shitty books she makes us read. We don't need that lesson at all. Let's just go and not come back to it."
"Ronnie will be even angrier with you" Max warned as he followed me down the corridor. "He didn't like the fact that you kept acting up."
"Well, I don't care if he doesn't like it" I sighed. "It's fine to do it when he wants to join in, but as soon as things don't start to go his way, it isn't. Max, when I'm not here, do you promise to look after him?"
"Hey, don't talk like that" Max scolded. "Don't bite my head off like you did with Ronnie because I have to say this. You can't be sure yet that your whole life is going to plan out the way you want it. Have your dreams and goals, but don't talk like that."
"Whatever, Max" I grumbled, hitching my bag up and striding down the corridor. "Maybe you shouldn't have gotten the matching tattoo."
…
Back at home, regret was washing over me. I shouldn't have said all of those things to Max. I shouldn't have asked Max to promise me that he would look after Ronnie and I sure as hell shouldn't have said that he shouldn't have gotten the tattoo. That was simply uncalled for.
"Monica, can you get your brother?" My mom questioned as the cries greeted my ear. Don't get me wrong, I loved my brother and my mom to pieces, but sometimes I feel as though I'm Jeremy's mom sometimes.
"Sure, mom" I called, making my way over to his room. "Hey, Jer" I cuddled him closer to me and rocked him back and forth before winding up the mobile to sing him a lullaby. "You need to get some sleep, Jer. You're only a few weeks old. Goodnight, Jeremy" I sighed as I lowered him back into his crib once the crying had stopped.
"You're a good kid, Monica" My mom sighed from behind me. "And I know that you don't want to be here for very long and that's fine. Ronnie's here to see you, by the way." My jaw dropped at this point.
"Ronnie's here?" I asked in disbelief. "Why didn't you just tell him that I wasn't in? It couldn't have been that hard to send him away."
"Look, I know that Ronnie must have done something to upset you, but you need to learn to just forgive him when he screws things up. I'm sure that whatever he done wasn't that bad."
"Jeez, Mom, way to have faith in your own daughter." I grumbled, following her out of Jeremy's bedroom, flicking the switch as I left.
"So, I'm guessing that you're still in a bad mood" Ronnie laughed just as I was about to follow my mom down the stairs. Oh great, he had already made it into my bedroom. Something told me that it was going to be very difficult to get him to leave this time. "Don't give me that look. We need to talk."
"I have nothing to say to you" I sighed as I closed my bedroom door. "You made it very clear that you didn't want me to do well in life and I suppose that's fine. After all, you can't stand the thought of people being more successful than you."
"Oh my God, do you really think that that's what's made me angry and upset?" Ronnie asked as I nodded. "You're an idiot then."
"Okay, Ronnie, there's no need to get all angry and call people names" I snapped. "God, I need a cigarette."
"No, you don't need one." He sighed. "I'm not going to be the one responsible for your smoking habit." For a moment, it almost sounded as though he cared. It could have easily been me wishing that it was that, though. "If you must know, I was upset because I knew that that exam was just one more stepping stone to you getting the life that you've always dreamed of. The life you've always dreamed of is a one where I don't seem to fit in. It kills me to know that my best friend will either have to choose between her dream life without me or a life she hates with me. It just all got a little too much for me." I forgave him then. His reasons made sense and I felt the same way.
"Ronnie, why don't we just cross that bridge when we come to it?" I asked. He shrugged, almost looking as though he didn't fully forgive me.
"Whatever, Mon" He sighed. At least he was back to using his nickname for me. "Oh, I thought you might want to know that Max is pretty pissed at you for whatever you said to him in the hallway."
"Oh, man, I've got myself into a mess"
Well, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter and please drop a review on your way out. Oh, and I promise that I'll try and update quicker next time, so I don't feel guilty.