He Gave Me My Tattoo (ON HOLD UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE)

Chapter Four

I walk out of the car and leave Kaeli waiting in the car.

"What the hell, Mikey?" I whisper to him when I reach them. Mikey hid under his long blonde hair.  "Hi, Principal Keene. Would you like to tell me what Mikey did this time?" I asked the stern looking principal. Mr. Keene was a teacher when I went here. He hasn't really changed, now that I think  about it.

When I was in high school, Mr. Keene always hated me. I was sort of a trouble starter. Well, not exactly a "starter", but an "ender". I tended to use my fists to solve my problems. Which works really, really well until you're out of high school and have to put some big girl panties on and work stuff out with words.

"Why don't you two come into my office so we can sort this out?" Mr. Keene says. I was hesitant to agree, remembering that Kaeli was in the car. 

"Sir, I have a friend-" 

"Now, Ms. Everest." Mr. Keene says. I glance back at Kaeli, who's in the car and gave her a pleading look, and then followed Mr. Keene and Mikey into the school.

When we entered the school, and memories immediately began flowing back to me.

*** Freshman year***

"Hey Claire!" I hear from down the hallway. I turn away from Winston, my best friend since the seventh grade, to see Justin MacComber running down the hall towards me, with something in his hand. This was odd, considering I have never had a full conversation with Justin MacComber in my life. As Justin approached, a bad feeling went through my body.

"What?" I asked. He held up a ten dollar bill. 

"You dropped this," he said to me. A confused look went over my face.

"No I didn't," I said to him.

"Well I suppose you could keep it to feed those FILTHY KIDS YOUR PARENTS ARE TOO BUSY SMOKING CRACK AND DRINKING BOOZE TO TAKE CARE OF!" he yelled. The whole hallway stopped and stared at us.

Everyone snickered, including Winston. I looked up at Winston with tears in my eyes. He knew how hard everything has been lately. The custody battle and everything. He knew I was raising those kids. No one, not even my  best friend Kaeli, knew what was going on yet. He told. He told the whole school. How could my best friend do this to me? 

Rather than act like a lady, I got up with tears brimming in my eyes, and punched Winston Herculette right in his jaw. The whole hallway stopped, and stood in a shocked silence. 

"I hate you Winston. I hate you with all of my heart. Don't you EVER come near me again," I growled. 

"MS.EVEREST! MY OFFICE! NOW!" Mr, Keene yelled at me from outside the main office. I sighed and trudged towards his office.

***Present Day***

I walk into the front door of Mr. Keene's office. Everything looked the same. He still had every trophy that the school had won since 1994. Eve sat in one of the chairs on t he side of the office. 

"What'd YOU do!?" I asked her.

"Nothing, Claire. You have to pick me up, too."  Oh, yeah. Dammit. I took a seat in the worn, leather chairs right in front of Mr. Keene's desk. Eve stayed where she was, on the sidelines.

"Ms. Everest, I know you are now the legal gaurdian of all of your brother's and sisters, is this correct?" he asked me. 

"Yes, i'm legal gaurdian, but my mother, at this time, still has custody," I  said to him. I tried to sound  professional, but it felt like being in his office as a high schooler once again.

"Well, as a legal gaurdian, all I ask of you is for you to stop Mikey from fighting so much," Mr. Keene says to me. 

"Fighting? That's it? I have another kid to pick up in about ten minutes, and I'm here because of a damn fight? Can't you just suspend him and carry on?" I asked, a little upset. 

"No, Ms. Everest," Mr.Keene said, sighing. "This is Mikey's fourth fight this year, and you know our policy." Oh, shit. Mr. Keene really started buckling down on fights around the time I left this place. He established the rule right before senior year. After your third fight, you get expelled. 

"No, Mr.Keene, I'm sure there's a good reason! Can't you just listen to what he has to say?" I ask, glancing at Mikey, who was still hiding underneath his hair. "Tell him why you did it, Mikey!" he stayed underneath his hair. I swore under my breath.

"I'm sorry, Ms.Everest. Mikey will be asked to gather his things tomorrow." He rose from his desk, and offered his hand out for a shake. I just glared at it, until he returned it to his side. 

"Let's go, guys." I say coldly, never taking my eyes off Mr.Keene. Eve stood up, and so did Mikey. I turned briskly and walked out the door. It was a silent walk to the car, besides the looud music coming from Eve's headphones. 

As we reached the car, I turned to Mikey.

"Why'd you do it? Why the HELL would you go and get yourself expelled? You know how bad I wanted you to go to college! You need to get out of this place! How could you be stupid enough to go and fight AGAIN!? You know the rules, Michael! YOU ARE NOT DUMB. You knew you would be expelled! So what posessed you to go and fight again? Huh?"  I yelled at him. Kaeli sat still and quiet and continued to drive to Sam's school. We were late, again. 

" I WAS DEFENDING OUR FAMILY, OKAY!? Isn't that our "motto"!? Family first, right? Well that's what I did. Some kid said our family was no good trash! So I punched him in the face, and it got out of control. I can go to another school!" He yelled back. Well, I didn't expect that. 

"Mikey. Honey. I... I don't know if we can afford another school. That's a lot in fees." I reached out and touched his hand. " It's okay. We'll figure something out." 

the only problem was, I'm not sure if we can figure something out this time. 

Okay, guys! I updated! It sucks! But thats okay! I need at least 5 comments to continue this! I feel like I could do good things with it. but the problem was I haaaattttteee writing on my ipod, ya know? So I went to my grandmas and updated! Love you dearies. 

- Bri