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I was so angry that nothing was going my way so, I kicked the locker that I was walking by and then hurt my foot and fell to the ground. I began to cry again.
I stood up from my tears and started to limp to the office, which took me longer to get there, but I did not care. When I did end up getting there, I walked into the office and saw Mr. Sweetie was waiting for me angrily.
“Hey,” I smiled, “Heard you wanted to have lunch!” I saw a little bit of ketchup in his goatee. I wasn’t going to say anything though because he deserved to be embarrassed.
“Come to my office so we can finish talking,” Mr. Sweetie told me, with his sly, evil smile. I want to say he added one of those freaky laughs that they do in those creepy movies but that is not right.
“What do you want to talk about now, we seemed kind of done,” I said as I followed him, limping.
“We have contacted your aunt and we are going to be giving you a detention. Monday you will be sitting in detention and will need to be picked up. Ok, now you may leave.”
“Ok bye, but I don’t see the effectiveness of a detention.” I can’t take him seriously with ketchup on his face.
“Wait, take the detention slip.”
“Nah, you didn’t even offer me anything to eat and I’m missing lunch,” I walked out. I know that I should respect my elders, but this guy is a jelly head.
I went to lunch and sat by Hayden. That day we were having cheeseburgers, the nasty not real beef kind.
“Why was your name on the intercom?” Hayden asked because he cared about me, I think. He could just be noisy; he was like that.
“Ms. Flores kept me late in math then I was late for third period. So, I got an office referral and Mr. Sweetie was talking about how it was not going to happen again, so I stormed off. Then he wanted me back so now I have a detention.” I replied, on the verge of tears, but I was still smiling.
“That’s nice, I will get a detention too, so that you are not lonely, ok?”
“No, don’t.” I tried to talk him out of it but I kind of did not want to.
“Ok, whatever, your call.”
“I don’t want you in trouble.” My puppy dog eyes were on point, especially because I was on the verge of tears.
“Ok, but I heard Ashley isn’t here.”
“Yeah, now my anxiety is over my head about that stupid song. It’s a week from today.”
“So, what are you doing after school?”
“Nothing, I told you this, this morning,” I said with a little bit of anger in my tone.
“Ok well, I am walking home with you.”
“Why? You don’t live that close to me, yeah you live close but not really walking distance.”
“Yeah, but don’t you go by my house?”
“That is true ok then we will walk together.” (I only go by his house because I take the long route.)
“Yay,” Hayden said smiling.
“Yep.”
“So where is Ashley? You’re like her bestie, aren’t you?”
“I really don’t know, and yeah I think we are best friends.”
“Oh, really there is drama isn’t there in your friendship?”
“No, not really. She is kind and would never hurt anyone, why?”
“Oh, ok just wondering.”
“Wait has she ever missed school?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“I am going to go check on her after school.” Oh, but her house!
“Ok but I am coming Ashley’s dad is a big fat monster, so I am going to be your knight in shining armor. Plus, you don’t know where she lives.”
“No Hayden, I mean you can come, but her dad isn’t bad. And thanks, but I know where she lives. It is that scary house on the end of the street. The one that I go the long way for so that I do not have to look at it. When I walk by, I feel the chills and hear the screams from the basement.” I should not be saying this stuff because it is mean, but I was trying to scare Hayden from coming.
“Whatever I am still coming.”
Then the bell rang to dismiss us from lunch where the students all headed to their next class. I was surprised Natalie did not bother me at all and then she walked by me in the hall and yelled, “Nerd alert, nerd alert.” There was her taunting. I must have jinxed myself.
I was upset and kept walking, soon I finally made it to my next class. I just sat and listened to the teacher mumble about the week. I soon dozed off and started thinking about my family and when I was going to go visit my grandparents.
“Lilian,” my grandmother gave me a big hug. “Wow, you are getting tall.”
“Yep, well last time you came I was in third grade, I was still a little bitty baby.” I smiled at her.
“I’m so sorry Lilian.”
“Where are Jackie and Jason?” I asked looking around the room which was turning white all around me.
“They are planning the funeral.” She replied and I pulled away from her arms.
“What?” I asked, looking around for grandpa, “Where is grandpa?”
“It’s not grandpa’s funeral.” I looked at my feet, they were not there. “It’s yours.” I was breathing heavy and running away, more like soaring.
“Lilian, Lilian, Lilian!” My grandma yelled after me. “Lilian, Lilian, Lilian,” It was Hayden’s voice.
I opened my eyes just a tiny bit. I saw him and gave him a big hug around the neck.
“Shh! Be quiet! Two more minutes till the bell rings.”
“Have I been sleepwalking to my classes?” Thinking back to the last thing I remember. “How does that work?”
“I don’t know you are really tired and tremendously overwhelmed by lots of things. I wouldn’t think anything of it unless it happens again.”
*ring-a-ding-ding*
The school was out! Hayden and I walked out of the building. I was so thankful for him.
“So where are we going?” Hayden asked.
“You know,” I replied as we started on our way.
“Actually, I don’t.”
“Ashley’s house, idiot.”
“Oh yeah, I know that, but where is that?”
“I thought you knew,” he looked at me guiltily, “She lives on my street I will show you. Plus, I told you this at, lunch. Remember, it was that creepy house.”
“I thought you were kidding and didn’t actually want me to go with you. I thought that creepy house was abandoned but what do I know? You are her bestie! So off to the creepy house we go!”
“Yeah, I figured it out once. I have been taking the long way home because I’m scared of that house.”
“Ok, you guys are lucky. Conner lives in the country and I live here, in this stinking town.”
“Yeah, I don’t visit much I’ve never been inside. What am I talking about, I never have visited her! She offered me to go to her house once, but I was too scared, but now I am still really scared but will go see her.”
“Everyone that goes in there doesn’t come out. Wahaha!”
“Shut up Ashley and her dad have.”
“Yeah, I mean others.”
“Like, who?” I was not going to buy his crap; he was really trying to scare me. Hayden was trying to get back at me for what I did to him.
“Ella.”
“The girl from kindergarten? You’re kidding!”
“Well, hey, have you seen her?”
“No....” He was starting to scare me.
“Am I scaring you?” Hayden asked, then he started to laugh in that freaky way again.
“Maybe...” I thought about it for a second, “Her parents were divorced, and she went to go live with her dad. Come on let’s go.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” I said as I got irritated and rolled my eyes.
* * *
“YOU KNOCK.”
“Ok,” I said as I knocked.
A man opened the door, he was older, looked very slim, and was wearing an old blue shirt. He shared a lot of features with his obvious daughter, Ashley. They both had the same dark complexion. They also were both built well. Their eyes were both brown and they had darker brown hair.
“What do you want?” The man asked, he sounded irritated.
“I am here to check on Ashley, she lives here, right?” I asked filled with anxiety.
“Yeah, you must mean my daughter.” The man replied then he turned his head into the house and yelled, “Ashley come here.”
“Why dad? Who is at the door?” Ashley yelled back.
“Your friends!” He said turning again and then she appeared in the doorway.
“Oh, hi Lilian, hi Hayden, why are you here?” Ashley asked.
“We are here to check on you, our song is due Monday,” I replied.
Ashley had hesitated and finally said, “Lilian I might have to drop out of school we do not have enough money. Sorry about the song I am hungry Lilian, my dad lost his job, and I can’t go to school hungry and stinky.”
“No, that isn’t right don’t drop out I can get you food,” I said as my eyes began to tear up. I had just made a new friend I cannot lose her.
“I might come back depends on my mood.”
“No, come back. What does your dad say?” I said as I turned to the man with a tear running down my face.
“I don’t know if I should send her back.” Ashley’s dad replied. What kind of guy does not want his kid going to school?
“What about her education?”
“She does need one, doesn’t she? Ashley, you are going back to school Monday. I’ll let you have the rest of the week but Monday you are getting on the path to success I don’t want you turning out like me and definitely not your mom.”
“Thank you!” I said with a big smile on my face whipping the tears away.
“No, thank you!” The man said, “For bringing common sense to my mind.”
I smiled, left, went home, Hayden still tailing me, I got some cans and foods I thought Ashley and her father would need. We went back to Ashley’s house and dropped off the food and left, after saying, “Goodbye.”
I finally got home, to stay this time, Hayden and I parted after bringing the cans to Ashley. Soon Jackie and Jason got home, and we all ate supper. I told my aunt and uncle about what I had done that day to help Ashley, to get my detention, and about missing one of my classes.
Surprisingly, my good deeds overpowered the bad ones, and I was not in trouble, Jackie had too many other things to worry about with work and her cravings.