Cell Mates

06|| Judgement Day

06

Two notable things happened after the assembly. One, I was approached by Mrs. Clark, the biggest pain in my ass, next to Connor of course. She wanted to have a "word" with me about my future at Pembroke. By now news of my midnight activities had spread across school like wildfire, scorching every corner and clique, and inevitably reached Mrs. Clark. The huge blasphemous caricature on the side of the school might have clued her in too – a mild guess on my part. Needless to say she wasn't exactly over the moon and was requesting a meeting with my sister where we'd "decide together on the best course of action".

It went a little something like this:

"Ms. Williams, a word please." I hadn't even noticed her standing out in the hallway by her office as I passed.

"By all means," I said turning and smiling brightly. I was probably the last person she wanted to see after her precious school was defaced.

"My office. Now." A stern lashing out was to follow.

After a second in her office she began what I assumed was a gravely speech about my future, but I couldn't be sure because if asked now I was a little iffy on the details. The gist of it was that my sister and I were to come in at 10 o'clock tomorrow and she'd give me my final verdict.

Speaking of verdicts it lead me to the second event. I'd gotten my court date. I was to report at court at 6:30 sharp that afternoon for the judge to decide my fate under the law of the state of California. Seemed everyone was passing judgement on me. And at the head of the list was Mrs. Clark followed by my sister, the judge and undoubtedly Connor was just waiting his turn to bite my head off. Life was good. So far all I had to look forward to were deadlines and reprimands from all the authority figures in my life.

So when six o'clock came and my mood had worsened considerably in preparation for what the judge would lay out on me, I decided to bring Darren, a constant ray of sunshine, along to my trial.

"I'm going to court today, you guys wanna to come?" Darren was first to respond, his head shooting up, nodding enthusiastically. Trent and Jody both accepted albeit with a bit of prodding from Cleo and in a matter of minutes we were back in my car.

"This I have to see. The inside perspective of a criminal."

"You're a delinquent by association," I informed him seriously. "Stick with me kid and you'll be frequenting the inside of a jail cell more than your room. And we all know how much time you allocate for your "you time" in there." Wink.

He widened his eyes in mock horror and whispered, "Scandalous" with a goofy smile as he settled in for the ride.

Cleo was the only one to think of Mia, poor poor Mia, the sister to a horror like me. "How has your sister been through all of this?"

"Awful. Apparently she's too good to talk to me now so she's been ignoring me ever since I got arrested. Fun fact: she's also kicking me out of the house."

"WHAT?" Darren shouted rising off the back bench and pocking his head between the two front seats. He tilted his head towards me, practically dying to hear the answer. I rolled my eyes and shoved his forehead making him fall harshly onto Trent who frowned at me.

"That's what I said! She wants to move me into some crappy old hotel on the Sunset with some creeper named 'Uncle Jack'," I said using air quotes around his name to highlight how preposterous it was to apparently have someone so close be estranged to me my entire life.

Cleo's brows furrowed and she asked, "Who's Uncle Jack?"

"The fuck if I know. He's supposed to be a close family friend, but then how come I've never seen him? Where is he at my family reunions?" I was reaching the end of my rope with all the surprises and whirlwinds these past couple of days had thrown at me. One more curve ball and I'd crack for sure. "And "Uncle Jack" is the name you give the pervert next door, not a guy you want to move in with."