Teachers Pet

44: Is That It Then?

"What is she saying?" Jake's eyes widened as he listened to my mother on the other line. Of course, the first person she would tell about my incident would be Jake. My mother would involve people whether I wanted her to or not.

"Someone shoved you into a locker?" Jake hissed. I folded my arms as I glared at him. This was none of his concern.

"Hang up on her," I whispered. He made a face at me before clearing his throat.

"No, it's not a problem at all. I completely understand. I told you, Sarah, I'm here for the both of you. She'll be fine." Jake walked around me and made his way to an office behind the counter.

"Hey, don't ignore me. What is she saying?" Jake gave me another look before going into Principal Morris's office. I was ready to jump over this counter to hang that phone up myself. Before I could act on that thought, Mrs. Peters came back with a paper for me to sign. I took my sweet time signing my full name, hoping for Jake to come back out so I could interrogate him. When I slowly pushed the paper back to Mrs. Peters, Jake came out with a jacket in one hand and his phone in the other. His messenger bag was slung over his right shoulder, papers and folders peaking out. I narrowed my eyes on his jacket before glaring up at him. He ignored me as he walked around the counter. Mrs. Peters signed her name three times before putting the paper in a tray.

"Mrs. Peters, I'm going home for the day. A substitute will be coming in for me. She'll be here before third period for my next class." Unbelievable. Mrs. Peters looked at him concerned, unsure of what to say it seemed.

"Is everything alright?" She sounded so worried and motherly still. The judgment she had on her face earlier was gone. Jake looked at her with a small smile. It was warm but conflicted.

"Yes. Everything is fine. I just need to leave. I will see you in the morning." Mrs. Peters smiled at him before waving goodbye in his direction. He walked around me, forcing a smile. I looked away from him, knowing he was up to something. I waited until the door behind me closed before looking to Mrs. Peters.

"Thank you... " I mumbled to her. She reached across the counter and held out a hand. I put mines into hers and felt her squeeze gently. My eyes watered a bit as I let her hold me here. She had always been so kind to me. She had a mean side to her, I knew that. But Mrs. Peters was always so nice to me.

"Do you have money for the bus?" I shook my head.

"I think I need to walk right now. I need to... I need to walk." Mrs. Peters smiled, squeezing my hand once more before letting me move away.

"Walking is good. Take care of yourself, sweetie. Call if you need anything." I had her number saved somewhere on a piece of paper. It was most likely tucked away in a book, being used as a bookmark. I nodded anyway. I knew I could call her if I was in trouble or if I just wanted to talk. Mrs. Peters was the type of person I'd call just to see how her day is going.

"I will. Thank you." I felt the need to thank her again. She was doing me the biggest favor I could ever ask of her right now. I gave her the best smile I could manage before leaving the main office. I started to slowly walk down the hallway to the front entrance, but I started to feel like I couldn't breathe. The hallway felt longer than it normally felt. The lockers seemed closer than they usually were. I started to run to the main doors, needing the outside air more than anything right now.

"Harper, stop running!" I ignored security as I ran passed their office and bolted through the front doors. I ran to the end of the sidewalk and then across the street to a tree where I fell to my knees. I took deep breaths, trying to make myself calm down. It was cold outside and all I had was my flimsy sweater from seventh grade. I could see my breath as I took in deep breaths. Calm down. The ground was freezing, but it didn't bother me. My skin felt hot all over. I felt like I was getting a little better, but I just needed a little more time to just sit here. I looked around to make sure no one was watching me. The park was empty, the parking lot was empty, the streets were empty. I was alone. I was always alone.