Midnight Memories (ON HOLD )

Chapter 20- Feel It Still

Let them call me rebel. I feel no concern from it. - Thomas Paine

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Lyn (Alyna Ameer)

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"So you thought it would be a good idea to burn a hole in the school wall? I see," says Mrs. Barkridge, her lips tight with displeasure. Her boring, monotone voice drags each syllable, making me want to bang my head on the nearest wall. Ew, no, these walls are too dirty for my head.

"It was-" Aly begins, but that is as far as she can go.

"No, no," Mrs. Barkridge purses her lips even more, if that were possible. "No discipline in this class. You do not have any manners at all, and it is your right to uphold the utmost respect for everything, the utmost respect. We do not tolerate this type of behaviour at school."

"Yes but-"

"No talking when I am talking! You see this behaviour? This is your problem, this problem." Mrs. Barkridge shakes her head in indignation.

I am getting annoyed. Is she not going to let us at least explain ourselves? After all, it could well have been an accident. "It was a complete accident," I blurt out.

Mrs.Barkridge's eyes widen with horror. "You are talking over me? No respect, no respect. We do not tolerate this kind of behavior!"

"But you weren't even ta-" I begin, but Aly grabs my arm, digging her fingers into it.

"Yes Mrs. Barkridge, we are very sorry," she says.

"You should be," Mrs. Barkridge says, eyeing her with some suspicion. "You two sit down."

With that, she stalks back into her office with angry steps. Aly looks after her disappearing

figure and then slumps onto a chair, looking drained. I sit beside her and she whirls around to face me, the most menacing look in her eyes,

"What. Were. You. Thinking?" she whisper-screams, making sure to keep her voice down in case anyone heard us from the office. Afterall, these walls are made of cardboard.

I look at her breezily, dismissing everything. "Eh, whatever. Their fault they made cardboard walls. I was just doing my duty as a scientist to be naturally curious of my environment."

"By burning it down?" asks Aly.

"Okay, that's an exaggeration. Hole in the walls? It only looks ever so slightly burnt. But don't worry, it fits in with the terrible paint job," I flash her a million dollar smile.

"Exaggeration? It's a big, burnt circle on the wall!" Aly exclaims. "Are you out of your mind?"

"Look Aly," I say, turning towards her. "We can just say you tripped me and the chemicals splashed on the wall. It's that easy."

"Yeah it would be," Aly says. "Except Mrs. Barkridge didn't even bother to let us talk. How are we supposed to explain ourselves?"

"Oh Aly, you worry too much. Obviously she is going to let us talk. Even she can't be that stupid."

"You are underestimating her stupidity!"

I frown. "Hm, your right. Maybe she is. In that case, we'll just have to talk over he-"

Aly squeezes my arm again, her eyes wide and threatening me into silence. From the office door emerges Mrs. Barkridge with the biggest, thickest book I have seen in my entire life, and trust me, I have read some pretty gigantic novels, but this book tops it all. Mrs. Barkridge grabs a chair, sitting in front of us.