Brittle

Chapter 2

"Hey!" Liam shouted as he ran across the street to meet Jay, "What's the rush man? You in a hurry to fail class today?" He asked jokingly. Jay smiled and shook his head "Nah buddy, I'm just glad this year is finally almost over, now I can spend the summer cutting loose." As they walked toward the school Liam pulled out a cigarette and lit it. "Might as well get this out of the way before we go in." he said taking a drag.

Since they started hanging out Liam had really come out of his shell, maybe, a little too much. He was now smoking cigarettes and marijuana with his new buddy along with drinking every weekend. Jay elbowed Liam playfully as he finished his cigarette. "Look at that, Mr. too shy to talk to anyone is now king of the school and a rebel. Also happy birthday. The big one seven" It wasn't far from true, only a few short months ago Liam didn't even exist, now he was well known among the other students and teachers for ditching classes and even fighting. "Don't forget who the cool kid was three months ago." Liam retorted equally as sarcastic as his friend had been. "And thanks but I don't feel any older."

They entered their first period classroom and sat down. Soon after the tardy bell rang there was a knock at the classroom door. "Come in." The teacher announced. A small girl stepped into the room carrying a slip of paper. She was about Liams height but maybe only a hundred pounds if she was lucky. She had bright green eyes and long auburn hair. Liam knew before she entered what the girl was there for. "Liam, your slip is here." The teacher announced before the girl even reached her desk.

Every morning for the past two months she had shown up to their first period class carrying that same paper. In the alternative school, if you had gotten into trouble the day before for anything you would get one of these slips the next morning and be asked to report to the principals office with it. Every day for the past two months Liam had received that slip.

The teacher shook her head as Liam stood up slinging his backpack over his shoulder. He waved goodbye mockingly to Jay then headed out the door with the girl. As they walked down the hall she turned and looked at Liam. "Why?" The girl asked. Her voice was soft and made her seem so innocent. Liam smiled knowing the questions meaning full well. "Why what?" He answered deciding to see how much conversation she was really interested in. "Why do you have to go to the office every day? I mean before a couple months ago you never got in any trouble." Liam raised a brow, she wasn't wrong, until he started hanging out with Jay the principal was just another person who didn't know who he was. "It's not my fault Mr.. Reeves is a stuck up old man with a funny looking taupe." He said laughing slightly at his own humor and to his surprise the young girl laughed as well.

"My name is Emilia." she said smiling at him. "That's cool." He said sounding unimpressed. things certainly had changed in such a short time for him. Being shy was not so much an issue anymore and playing the cool, calm and collected type came easily enough for him so long as no one caught on that it was all an act. "Would you like to hang out after school?" She asked him as they reached the door of the principals office. "Sure if I'm still allowed on the property after this." He joked.

"Somehow I knew it was you." the principal sighed as Liam entered his office. "Somehow I knew you would be here." Liam shot back plopping down on the sofa. "Tell me Liam, how did you go from not knowing where my office was to having your own office in it?" Liam shrugged yawning a bit signaling his boredom "Well Mr.. R. I just thought you could use some company here." Mr.. Reeves pulled a folder from the filing cabinet next to him and dropped it on the desk in front of them. "This is your disciplinary folder Liam. Inside is a detailed list of when you got into trouble and the dates the infractions occurred."

Liam stared at the folder for a moment before nodding that he understood. "Do you know what this has in it? Mr.. Reeves asked sternly. "Sure Mr.. R, some worthless papers" Liam said rolling his eyes. Mr.. Reeves shook his head in disappointment. "Two months ago this folder did not even exist Liam and.." but before he could finish Liam had cut him off "Oh shut up already, I'm getting really sick of everyone telling me when things started changing with me. I know what's going on now and I knew what was going on then. Frankly two months ago I didn't exist and now I run this school so do me a favor and fuck off with the emotional concern shit."

Mr.. Reeves went from calm to completely shocked his eyes now as wide as they could go. "Liam! I have no choice here, you are officially being put on student probation. You will be suspended for one week and when you return I will give you a choice. Either sign the probation form saying you agree to the terms regarding your probation or be expelled." Liam stood up from the sofa and headed out the door. "Whatever, see you in a week." he said letting the door slam behind him.

"Man this blows." Liam said looking over at Jay who was on the couch across from him rolling a joint. Jay nodded but didn't speak yet as he licked the wrapping paper before putting it to his lips and lighting it. He took a deep hit and extended his arm to Liam suggesting he could have the joint now. "What does?" He asked holding in the smoke. "This damn suspension, we only have two weeks left of school, I don't know what the fuck Mr.. R thinks that probation is going to accomplish in one week" Liam spoke taking the weed. "And what if that shit carries over to next year? I can't be on probation next year, I have no patience for that place as it is."

Jay laughed as he nodded his head in agreement. "You're aint wrong man but what else you gonna do?" Liam didn't know but he was sure he could find something. "Maybe I'll drop out and start my own business." Jay rubbed his eyes the way older men do when they're stressed and thinking. "Come on man, You're my bud and I want you to be happy but you can't do that, hell, you don't even have a car let alone money to start a business." Liam thought about what he heard for a moment before responding. "Maybe you're right but I doubt if I can follow that probations terms and I don't even know what they are yet." Jay shrugged as he shoved the joint out in the ashtray. "fuck it man, just walk the line and when it's over go back to doing what you want." They might have been high but what Jay said made perfect sense to Liam. He would do exactly that.

Liam stepped into Mr.. Reeves office and took a seat on the large sofa he had grown use to being in. 'Alright Liam your suspension is over and as I said before you are now on student probation. Here are the terms." he said as he handed Liam three pages stapled together. As he flipped through the pages he laughed "This is a joke right?" "I'm afraid not, you see, it's the only thing I can think of to save you from the path you're on and perhaps being on this probation will help you realize that your friends are not as cool as you think they are." Mr.. Reeves said. Liam bit his tongue at the mention of Jay, he was Liams friend, his only friend. How could Mr.. Reeves even think about trying to blame him for anything?

"Fine, I'll sign it. How long does it last?" Mr.. Reeves pondered in his head for a moment. "You're a sophomore. So let's say three months starting at the beginning of next year." three months? Liam thought for a moment. It seemed pretty easy to him and suddenly he didn't see this as a punishment anymore but just another way for Mr.. Reeves to keep track of him. Liam signed the document then laid it on the desk. "I better get to class then Mr.. R, See you later."