‘What did you get?’ George asked as I slid into the seat next to him.
‘Nothing.’
‘What?’ George demanded, earning a scowl from our teacher who was halfway through his revision class. George apologised swiftly before turning back to me more quietly. ‘You skip like a month of school and get nothing? I was late to freaking math one time-’
‘Every time for four years.’
‘Shut up, Liam,’ George grumbled. ‘You’re not exactly Mr Perfect Attendance either.’
‘I’m average all round. Best way to stay unnoticed. You get away with more that way. You’re too relaxed and Bradley’s too much of a good boy, that’s why you’ve both been called to the principal’s office before and I never have,’ Liam shrugged.
‘You know what, you’re onto something,’ George sighed. ‘So, what did they say? I can’t believe you don’t have at least one detention,’ he pressed.
‘My record was good so they let me off,’ I replied, pretending to focus on the lesson. It seemed to work and I was left alone while he and Liam argued some more about something I didn’t bother listening to.
My conversation with the principal had been quick. I’d only been in his office one before; back when mom died and the school basically offered me and Remi their condolences. It hadn’t changed much since. Our principal was an old guy who was pretty quiet, sort of unmemorable because he just got on with his job normally and didn’t poke around too much. I got the feeling he didn’t like it when students were sent to his office.
Anyway, he took one look at my clean record, gave me a brief, definitely recycled, speech about how I should care more about my education and let me go. I don’t even recall saying a word. I sort of respected the efficiency. Though I was late to class because of it which was a little ironic.
We didn’t have many classes left this week. The seniors were allowed self study time to prepare for their exams from Wednesday onwards and my last piece of work was to be handed in on Friday. I had yet to complete it. Every time I sat down at my desk and opened my laptop, my wind wandered to other things.
Mainly her.
It was hard walking round places we’d been so often. And the thing was, we’d been pretty much everywhere. All of my favourite places. How could we have been everywhere yet I had no sign of her? She’d came and went and left nothing behind.
Except me.
‘So, you up for it?’ George asked me.
‘Yes,’ I replied immediately, snapping out of my head.
‘Good, so you park round back, I’ll get the bodies from the garage and we’ll pack then into the trunk as best we can.’
‘Yes – wait no. I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ I frowned, just starting to process the words coming out of his mouth.
‘I know. You shouldn’t agree to things when you’re not listening. You wouldn’t be a very good lawyer,’ George replied, rolling his eyes. ‘I said, next weekend we’re going to my brother’s place. Me and Jojo are going to drive up there, it’s like five or six hours in the car. You should come. Take your mind off things.’
‘Uh, maybe,’ I said distractedly.
‘What? You have other plans? I highly doubt it.’
‘Is this your way of calling me a loser?’ I asked.
It was nearly lunch break. Just a couple more minutes of sitting in this horribly stuffy classroom.
‘Sort of. I wouldn’t like to kick you when you’re down, though. Right now, you’re very pitiful.’
