Faithfully

24

Rich was sitting at the kitchen island drinking his morning coffee. Braxton slumped down the stairs after getting ready for school. She put her bookbag up on the counter and Rich looked up at her. "What?" She asked as she walked over to the fridge to grab the orange juice. "Your teacher called yesterday. Mr. Phillips?" Rich replied.

"What about him?"

"He told me that you've missed a lot of his class, is there something going on?"

"No, I've just slept in late a few-"

"Maybe you shouldn't be going to the Wyrm on school nights then." Rich said cutting her off.

"Dad it has nothing to do with the Wyrm. The days I over slept I was up all night working on homework."

"How are your grades?"

"I don't know, fine last I checked."

"You should look into them today and review previous assignments. I don't think Sweet Pea would mind you blowing him off for just one day."

Braxton could tell that Rich was frustrated. She could tell that he thought she was putting her social life before school and he wasn't wrong. Braxton didn't know where her grades stood. She was getting her assignments done but that didn't mean it was quality work.

"Okay, I will." She told him.

"What the hell happened to your face?" Rich asked as he looked at the bruise and scratches on her cheek.

"I uhm- I fell."

Typically after school Braxton would head over to the Wrym and shoot a few rounds of pool with Sweet Pea, Fangs, Toni and the other Serpents. So knowing that she couldn't go that day put her in a terrible mood. She was standing at her locker when Fangs walked up to her and said, "Heard what happened with Boyer." "Ugh." She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Don't even start, Fogarty."

"What? I'm on your side here!"

"I'm just in a bad mood."

"Everything okay?"

"Phillips called my dad telling him I've missed a few classes and how he's on my ass about it, so no Wyrm for me tonight."

"Damn. See this is when it pays off to have parents who don't give a shit."

"Don't rub it in."

Down the hall Sweet Pea was making his way over to the two. People looked on as they saw the bruises and cuts that covered his face. "Hey." He said to them in a deep voice. "Good going dude. You got your girlfriend grounded." Fangs said with a sarcastic look across his face. "I what?" Sweet Pea asked turning to Braxton.

"Phillips told my dad I've been missing class so now he's on my ass about grades. I can't hang out tonight." She replied. "What's his obsession with you anyway?" Fangs joked with her.

"He's not obsessed with me?" She barked at him then shut her locker and walked away. With the recent spine chilling events, Mr. Phillips became a sensitive topic for Braxton. The two Serpents looked at each other with confused looks on their faces.

"What the hell is her problem?" Fangs asked. "I don't even know anymore man. When we're in his class she's tense, any other class she's fine. I've tried getting it out of her but she says she fine so I just leave it alone." Sweet Pea replied.

"Maybe she just thinks he's hot."

Sweet Pea shot him the death glare then turned and headed for the cafeteria.