Sing Today Die Tomorrow

Chapter Seven

Ryan ate a tuna sandwich in the cafeteria glumly, staring at Shantel, but she didn't look his way.

"She said what?" said Pablo, munching a peanut butter and jelly sandwich like a chipmunk. "That girl's got brass."

"Chase is pissed at me," said Ryan, watching him eat lunch at a table with Luke and Troy like he swallowed bad medicine. He mixed the tomato sauce in his macaroni and ground beef on his plate tensely.

"He looks sick," said Sloan. "Did that entity really hurt him?"

"Yes," said Ryan.

"He needs to get rid of it," said Jamal. "He's in bad shape."

"Ooo, she just looked over here," said Pablo. "She wants you."

"Cut it out, Pablo," snapped Ryan. "Shantel's classy. I don't want her to think we're a bunch of jerks."

"Then ask her out already," said Jamal.

"Yes, make her yours, bro," said Pablo.

"I'm working on it," said Ryan.

"It's not that hard," said Sloan. "She sits behind you everyday."

"Don't wait too long," said Jamal. "You got competition."

Troy sat across from Shantel at her table, finishing the green beans on his plate. Chase looked on pettishly like he wanted to drag him away. Luke whispered something and Chase picked at his blueberry pie agitatedly.

Shantel talked to Troy stoically and he smiled, laughing a little.

Ryan passed by the cafeteria, trash bins and threw his trash out in the kitchen bin. Margaret washed a big pan in the sink sadly.

He sneaked to the side corridor and gaped.

Dolores held a piece of paper in one hand and a tissue in the other, dabbing her damp cheeks. Principal Pearson took the corner and disappeared.

Ryan walked to her shyly.

"Dolores, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Oh - nothing, Ryan. How about some garlic, bread sticks?"

She folded the paper in her pocket and filled a giant bag with soft, bread sticks in the kitchen and tied it.

"Put these in your locker," she said.

Ryan took the heavy bag. "Thanks. Why are you crying?"

"They don't need me around here anymore," said Dolores. "They're getting someone new."

"You're leaving?"

"Today's my last day," she said. "The vice principal went over the security videos and saw your dad take potato puffs outside this morning after he dropped you off. I can't give him anything, honey."

"It's not your fault," said Ryan.

"You better get that bread in your locker before someone sees it," she said.

Ryan hurried to his locker and hid the bread. Then he sat at his table.

"Where's Dolores?" asked Sloan, licking his lips.

"She got fired," said Ryan.

"For what?" asked Jamal.

"Giving my dad food without me there."

"Aw, no - bro," said Pablo. "No more crackers and stuff?"

"Over," said Ryan.

He blinked slowly. He saw what happened, but failed to change it and his ability startled him.