✓ Free Falling ━━ Lucas Friar

𝐯𝐢𝐢𝐢. 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘩 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘭

──

A week later, it's still happening. Amanda's phone was filled with notifications from an anonymous student who didn't know when to stop. She was the first person in the classroom when she arrived to her school. She sighed as she sat down in her seat, and put her head in her arms, hoping to get some sleep before class started. She wasn't worried though, she lived with her teacher, she'll be caught up eventually. She was out like a light in a matter of minutes.

Riley felt guilty. It was her fault her cousin was going through something she had already endured a year earlier. She promised Amanda she wouldn't tell anyone what was happening, but it was slowly eating her up inside.

The group of friends walked into the class, all laughing and smiling except for Riley, who noticed her exhausted cousin right away, "guys," she called and motioned to the sleepy girl.

Lucas put his stuff on his desk and crouched down beside Amanda's desk, trying to wake her up, "Mandy," nothing, "hey, wake up."

The girl woke up with a start, her eyes meeting the Texan's. She immediately put a fake smile on her face and silenced her phone without him looking.

"You okay?"

She looked up to see all her friends looking at her concerned, "I'm fine. Just didn't get a lot of sleep last night," she reassured them.

Riley looked down, more guilty than ever. This is all my fault, she thought. She gave Maya a piece of her thoughts this morning about the blonde being a bully. She felt bad but she didn't want anything else to happen to Amanda on top of everything that was already happening to the girl.

──︒✿ཾ∘∗✽ᜒࠬ. ──

"In what ways do human beings resolve a conflict," Matthews asked his class.

"Bring in the mama," Zay suggested.

"They talk it out," Farkle countered.

"They go to war," Andrew said.

"Why can't they talk it out?"

"They go to war."

"Oh, okay, you and me against Farkle," Zay said to Andrew.

"They talk it out!"

"They go to war!"

"Let's get him," before the two boys could launch at Farkle, he brings out a toy ball launcher and uses it on the other two boys.

When he was done pelting them he added, "you should've talked it out."

"Many conflicts escalate and do not end well," Matthews continued, "the story of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr is a prime example. Anybody know what happened? Riley?"

"Please stop picking on me."

"What?"

"They had a duel," Farkle answered, "Burr killed Hamilton."

"In 1791, Burr captured a Senate seat," their teacher told them, "from Hamilton's father-in-law. Which launched their rivalry. Then Burr accused Hamilton of publicly insulting him."

A phone dinged. Amanda's phone. She checked it and sighed, another message.

"Amanda, no one should be texting you in class," her uncle scolded.

The girl nodded, "I agree," she caught her cousin staring at her, "Riley, stop looking at me like that."

"I'm not looking at you like anything, Amanda."