Crooked Smiles (unedited)

Chapter 8

Kenny  dragged me down to the principals office with him. He swore to me that  he was going to do everything in his power to make the rest of my high  school experience breathable.

       

I feel some what  guilty for what happened to Frank and Tom. He promised me they would  pay and they did. He never breaks a promise. That's just Kenny.

       

Mr. Grover told  us to take a seat while narrowing his eyes at Kenny. I did but Kenny  strolled over to him and stood directly above him. I let out a long  string of air and buried my face in my palms. "Listen Grover" Kenny said  "if I ever hear about you talking to Lana, or any other student for  that matter,  inappropriately I swear to god I'll have you sued!" he  said in his dark voice. Surprisingly, Grover didn't snicker or throw  back a sarcastic comment. His face was straight and he seemed a bit  terrified. I guess Kenny really scared him. He must value his job a  little more than I thought. "Are we clear?" Kenny asked when Grover  didn't respond. "Cristal." he said with a snarky smirk looking me in my  eyes. I wanted to just shrink into nothing. I know Kenny only means well  but I can't say today is one of my best days.

       

"Good." Kenny  says and turns to smile at me "now" he says turning to Mr Grover "I  think you owe this one an apology." he smirks and I stutter out a "no  Its fine." Kenny looks at me then back at Mr Grover whose expression I  can't quite read. Kenny nods his head toward me and I shake me head  "It's fine really," I say "it was no big deal." I lie. Kenny looks at me  with a look of disapproval. "Grover, I think you want to apologize.  there's a lot wrong with this picture here. First off, you have been an  unfair principle for the past four years. And secondly, you've spoken to  a student in a very improper manner. And now, you don't want to  apologize." he pauses "don't make me anymore angry than I already am  sir. just a word of advice." Kenny says. The principle looks at me and  clears his throat "I apologize Lana." he says and I blush. I know I  should be happy right now but I'm embarrassed. "for?" Kenny coos and I  want to slap him. "This is ridiculous." Grover says and I agree one  hundred percent. Kenny chuckles and tells him to have it his way. I  almost apologized for him until the bastard had to open his mouth. "you  know what, do what ever you like. I'm not sorry and I wont take any of  it back. Hills you're expelled. I want the both of the the hell out of  my office!" Grover says and I almost drop my jaw. Instead of showing any  emotion at all I keep my face straight and walk away. Kenny stays  behind and I can hear him cussing Grover out from the other side of the  door. "You're gonna regret this!" he assures him and storms out.

       

I can't tell  whether I'm angry or happy. For years This place has been hell for me.  More like hell in a bigger hell. But I guess I just sorta got used to  it. It has also been my escape. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking  forward to graduating from here. I guess I'm just shocked. Kenny blames  himself for what happened and he keeps apologizing which is making me  even more aggravated. It's not really his fault. It was bound to happen  one way or another. He just happened to make it be sooner than I  expected. I don't hate him for it though. I don't really blame him at  all. I guess it could actually be a good thing for me.

       

I'm heading out  the door for the last time of my life when Adrian bumps into me and  suddenly I feel sad again. He was the only person who's been nice to me.  Him and that girl Noor that I hardly ever see. 

Adrian looks at me but  doesn't say a word. "Hey" I smile at him but  he doesn't smile back.  Instead he just answers with an almost unheard hi  which makes me  frown and feel really stupid. "Whats your deal?" I ask him just as he  was beginning to walk straight pass me. He stopped in his tracks and  chuckles. Something about him seems different. Darker perhaps. "What's  my deal?" he asks then repeats himself, only this time chuckling. "I  don't have a deal Lana. What's your deal?" he asks and I want to cry. I  can't believe I actually thought he could have been my friend. That he  actually meant well. "N-nothing." I stutter. "nothing at all.  I'm  leaving though. Won't be around anymore so I just wanted to say thank  you for the last time." I say and speed off. Kenny should be out any  second now. I don't even know where he disappeared off to. Adrian looks  as if he wants to say something but he keeps those words unspoken and  for that they will forever be a mystery.

Kenny storms out of the  building about twenty minutes later and he is furious. Something's got  him pissed and I'm not sure if I want to know what.

I walk over to him and  put a hand on his back. By now all of my belongings are in his car.  "Let's just get the hell outa here." he growls causing me to laugh at  his temper.

The ride back home was  an awkwardly silent one. Kenny blasted some of his favorite songs by  Five finger death punch to try to soften the tension a bit. It worked  all the way up till the moment I let my mind wander off. I wonder where  Jase is. And how my moms feeling. I wonder whats up with Adrian. Where  am I going to finish school? What am I going to do with my life? Do I  want to go to college? If so, where? What do I want to be? Am I always  gonna be a loser? What am I gonna do when Kenny goes back to LA? Will I  ever fall in love? I think about my father.

I don' t even realize  I'm crying until Kenny pulls the car over and turns the music down  asking me what's wrong. I sniffle and shake my head and he understands  that i don't want to talk about it. At least not right now. "Sssh it's  gonna be okay lemon. It's all gonna turn around." he promises me  wrapping his safe arms around me. These are the only promises I don't  believe from him. I don't see how my life will ever turn around. At the  end of the day my father is never coming back and Jase still did what he  did. At the end of the day my mother still hates me and I'll never  be good enough. Kenny can never understand that and that's okay. Instead  of arguing with him, I nod and chuckle wiping my tears. I lift my body  from its uncomfortable position and sit up straight in my seat and Kenny  dose the same. We both buckle up and Kenny takes off again. I turn up  the music and sing along and Kenny just smiles.