“So, look who decided to show!”
I turned my head towards the doorway, seeing Alex enter the room, his black hair messy and curly from not being straightened. His eyes were rimmed with the same blue that mine were. We exchanged a long, knowing glance. We’d gotten absolutely no bit of sleep. 3 hours, at the most, and I was about ready to pass out…we both were.
Parker smirked as Alex sat down. “So,” He said, furrowing his brows smugly, “You’ve decided to grace us with your presence, have you, Mr. Gray?”
Alex narrowed his eyes, “Shut up, or I’ll shut you up, Cobain.” He growled, immediately reaching into his backpack, retrieving a pillow from the bottom of his bag and setting it on his desk. He sat down at his desk and laid his head down on the pillow, yawning.
“Wow.” Kale said, his eyes growing wide, and he laughed.
I grinned at him, and then rolled my eyes at Alex. Kale was better, and had recovered very quickly from his sickness, but I’d never felt sicker. My nose was stuffed, my throat hurt, and I had the chills, still, after being in bed for a couple of hours.
“So, when’d you get back?” Parker asked Alex, sitting back in his chair.
“Why don’t you ask your mother? She’ll know,” Alex said smugly, burying his head in the pillow.
“Burn,” Another kid shouted, who overheard our little talk.
Parker narrowed his eyes, embarrassed, and then turned back to Alex, “You know, we were really worried. Sam was out extra late looking for you.”
“I know that,” Alex muttered into his pillow.
Kale scowled at him, joining into the conversation, “And did you ever think to say ‘thank you’?”
Alex glowered at him, raising his tired head to stare at Kale, “Fine. Thank you, Sam, for searching for me, so I could be brought back to this lovely institution, filled with pricks like Ka—”
Ring!
Right then, the expression “Saved by the Bell,” proved to be totally accurate, when it rang that exact moment, shutting Alex up.
Alex shut his mouth then shot Kale a look that read “we’ll finish this later.”
“Alright class,” Mr. Ferguson said, entering the room, holding a stack of flyers. He began to pass them out to each of us, “First order of business, Family Day.”
I froze up.
Family Day?
He went on, “Now, since a large portion of you kids are new this year, I’ll explain. ‘Family Day’ is when your family and friendscome to campus and peruse around with you kids and friends. You can introduce them to your teachers, your friends, or just hang out. It’s up to you.” He said, giving me a flyer. “But remember, it is mandatory that your family shows up.”
My heart was in my throat as I stared at the flyer, reading it over and over again, still not able to believe it. December 16th. That was in ten days. This was absolutely, undeniably the worst thing ever to happen!
My hand shot up in the air, “M-Mr. Ferguson!” I said, nervously, my eyes bugging out of my head.
“Yes, Sam?” He asked, coming around to my desk.
“W-What if my parents can’t make it?”
“Well, then, we’ll have to have a conference with them at some point discussing why.” He said, frowning, “Why? Are your parents tied up that day?”
I felt my stomach doing back flips. A conference? That’d be even worse! What was I going to do?! “N-No,” I muttered, “They can come.”
Mr. Ferguson beamed, “Well, good! I look forward to meeting them,” He said, walking back to the front of the classroom.
Slowly, I turned my head back to meet Alex’s eyes. I didn’t need to look to know he had a shocked look on his face.
I looked back to the front of the classroom, not sure what to do. I sighed, burying my face in my hands. I couldn’t bring my parents here! They’d automatically see something was wrong when they saw no girls here! I was toast! I’d have to figure something out. I’d talk to Violet—she was the master at sleuthing.
I just hoped everything would work out.
Mr. Ferguson looked back at Alex, and cocked his eyebrow. “Hold on a minute, Gray? Is that a pillow?”
---
“I can’t believe he took my pillow,” Alex yawned, rubbing his eyes groggily.
I turned around to him, scowling, “I don’t think you’re getting the real problem here.” I snapped, narrowing my eyes, “I can’t bring my parents here!” I whispered.
Alex frowned, “Well, I don’t know.” He muttered. “Can we figure something out after I take a nap?”
I frowned, “You’re skipping class again?”
He scoffed, rolling his eyes, “I’ve got to get my beauty sleep.” He said, smirking.
“Well, that doesn’t seem to be working.” Kale said, emerging from the crowd behind us, smiling. He ignored the evil glare that Alex gave him, and grinned at me, “Hey, Sam.”
I grinned, “’Sup, Kale?”
“Nothing, really.” He muttered, “I’m excited to meet your family, though.” He grinned. I could see him blush, “Will your sister be there?”
I felt my face flush. Holy crap. I forgot; Kale had a crush on me. Me!
Okay, Stone, there are times for freaking out, and this isn’t one of them.
I regained my composure, and shrugged, looking as if were one of the last things in the world to cross my mind, “Oh, she might,” I said, “Maybe.”
Good cover, Sam. You sounded reallllll convincing.
I mentally slapped myself, grimacing at my own thoughts. Alex looked down at us, smirking, “Yeah,” He chuckled, “I look forward to meeting your family, too,” He said to me smugly.
I forced a smile, one that ended up looking deformed. “And I you, Alex,” I said, eventually smirking.
“Same,” Kale said, grinned, “I enjoy looking forward to meeting what clan of wolves raised you.”
Alex scowled, “And I look forward to seeing the chickens that hatched you.” He said, grinning, “They must be terribly hideous.”
Kale narrowed his eyes, “Just get to class, Gray.” He snapped, scowling.
Alex ran a hand through his bed head, “You’re not my mom.”
“But I am your mentor—”
“God dammit, fine!” He shouted, glowering at him. He glanced in my direction quickly, shooting me a look that said ‘we’ll speak later.’ I nodded at him as I saw him walk off groggily towards his next class.
“Stupid Gray.” Kale mumbled under his breath.
I looked back to him, frowning. “He isn’t that bad.” I said, shrugging.
Kale rolled his eyes, “Please don’t tell me he’s gotten to you, too.”
I pursed my lips, “Well…he hasn’t, necessarily—”
“Necessarily?” Kale chuckled.
I felt an embarrassed blush grace my cheeks, “Well, I’m just saying he’s not as bad as you think he is.”
“I know,” Kale said, meeting my gaze, “He’s a lot worse.”
I sighed. I honestly didn’t know what made Kale and Alex fight so much; it was so arbitrary, not to mention annoying. I sighed, running a hand through my hair, “Well, once you get to know him, he’s really not that bad.”
“And how well do you know him?” Kale asked, raising a brow, obviously suspicious if I’d broken that promise I made with him about not hanging out with Alex more then necessary.
I chewed on my lip, “Not to well,” I muttered, “Well enough, anyway.”
Kale’s face went a pale; subfusc, and he shrugged, “Whatever, I guess.” He sighed, rummaging through his book bag for his text book. “Well, I guess I’ll see you later, then.” He muttered, giving me a weak smile, other then his usual ebullient one.
I nodded, smiling sadly, “See you then,” I mumbled, turning on my heel and heading to class. I didn’t know for sure what it was that made him so distant, but I think I had a clue.
---
“School sucks,” Alex said, scowling at himself, “None of the teachers let you nap, and when you do, they scream in your ear.” He sighed, looking at me, grimacing, “I don’t know how you don’t skip.”
I grinned, “Because, I on the other hand, am not a total couch potato.”
Parker nodded, taking a sip from his soda, “Yeah,” He laughed, “Sam actually had goals, Mr. Lazy.” He scolded, punching Alex in the shoulder.
Alex rolled his eyes, frowning.
Aaron set his elbows on the table, “So,” He said, “Are your families coming to family night?”
“Mine are,” Drake, Parker, and Kale said in unison.
Aaron looked curiously at Alex and I, “Are your families coming?”
I felt my chest clench up. Think fast, Sam. You are smart. You are stealthy. You are quick on your feet. Ha ha! Who am I kidding? You’ll be expelled within a week.
I grimaced at my own thoughts, shaking it off immediately to answer Aaron, “I think.” I muttered quietly, hoping to move along the conversation to something else.
“And you, Gray?” Kale smirked, raising a brow.
Alex grimaced, “I don’t know,” He said, “They usually like to avoid pricks, like yourself. So they might ditch.” He shrugged nonchalantly.
I ignored their fighting for once, long enough to ponder what Alex’s family would be like. When I imagined them, I imagined a couple of leather clad, bike riders. Ones that so often neglected their children. I know it sounded silly, but I honestly couldn’t think of anywhere to pin point what his family would be like, so much so that the ‘leather-clad-family’ theory was I think, the closet to truth I could come up with. Which is, obviously, pretty sad.
“So,” Parker said, grinning at me, hoping to break up the fighting just as much as I wanted to, “Is your sister that Kale likes so much going to be there?”
I raised my eyebrows. How did he know that?
Parker wiggled his brows, as if he was reading Kale and my own thoughts, “I have my ways.” He grinned, “So, is she coming?”
I felt my stomach doing backflips. Now would have been a lovely time for my brain to work, but I couldn’t think of what to say?! How was I going to be in two places at once? Hell to that! How was I supposed to bring my parents here?! I needed to talk to Violet. ASAP. “U-Uh, I don’t know,” I muttered. Then a light bulb went off in my head, and I grinned, “Let me call her.” I suggested, pulling out my phone, Alex giving me a questionable look the whole time. Quickly, I dialed in Violet’s number, quickly wishing this whole impulsive move wouldn’t crash and burn. “I-I’ll be right back.” I muttered, getting out of my seat and dashing into the hallway.
Before I was out of sight, I overheard Aaron quickly saying, “He’s a weird little creature, isn’t he?”
I ignored Aaron, and everyone else around me and I found the most secluded place imaginable: a janitor’s closet. I threw the door open and ran inside, closing the door with a slam, and turning on the lights. I leaned against the wall and nervously waited for Violet to pick up.
Finally, on the third ring, I heard her voice, “Sammy!” She cried, almost deafening me, “What’s up?! Are you okay? What’s wrong?”
“Jesus,” I whispered into the phone, in fears that someone would hear us, “Could you be any louder, Vi?”
“Yes, I could. You’re just lucky I’m not.”
“I’ll be sure to thank you for that later, when I’m not freaking out.” I said apprehensively, biting my lower lip.
“Oh dear lord,” Violet said, sighing, “I should charge you for this, you know. Advice like this is usually a lot of money.”
I grimaced, “I know, I know, I know. You’re amazing. Would you please just help me out?!” I snapped.
“Yeesh,” Vi spat, “What crawled up your butt and died? I don’t even think you said hi to me, once!” She huffed.
“Hello,” I said, gritting my teeth.
“That’s better,” She said complacently. “Now tell Dr. Violet what’s ruffling you petticoats.”
I sighed. I should have expected this sort of behavior from Violet. I rolled my eyes, shaking it off, “Have you ever heard of a ‘family night?’
Violet’s confidence fell down fifty feet, “Oh crap. This doesn’t sound fun.”
“You have to help me!” I said, finally breaking down, “I’m supposed to bring in my parents, and siblings! And Kale knows I exist, so I have to be there too! As a girl!” I snapped, the reality crushing down on my like a hundred pounds.
“Alright, alright, cool your jets, Sammy, and lets work through this like normal people do.” She said coolly. “It’s not the end of the world.”
“It is if I get expelled!” I snapped at her, narrowing my eyes.
“But you won’t!” She cried confidently, “You’ve got me, after all!”
“Somehow that doesn’t reassure me.”
“Oh, you’re mean.”
“Just help me!” I snapped, hurriedly, “I have to be back at lunch soon! And they’re expecting for me to tell them whose coming!”
“Well…” Violet muttered, “You know, William is home from college for a couple weeks, right?” She said, a smile in her tone.
I scrunched my nose. William was my brother, who lived on campus at Tampa University. He was at home for a few weeks, as I knew, but I didn’t see how that’d help me. If anything, it meant another person that had to come to family night! “Yeah, that’s cool, but so what?”
I could sense Violet smiling a mile wide, “You just let ol’ Vi take care of it. You’re safe in my hands, Sammy. Don’t you worry.”
“Somehow, I’m still not reassured.”
“Don’t worry,” She said, boastingly, “You will be.” She paused, pondering over something I knew wasn’t good, “When is this little shindig, anyway?”
“December 16th.” I sighed, reminded of how soon it was.
“Dammit, Sam, you’re not giving me much of a time frame to work with, here.”
“It’s not my fault!”
“Alright, alright, don’t get snippy with me! I’m only trying to help!”
I sighed, trying to regain what cool I’d ever possessed, “Okay, okay, I’m sorry.” I muttered stubbornly, “But, do you have a plan?” I asked hopefully.
“Do I have a plan? Child, this is me we’re talking about.” She said condescendingly. “I think I know what I’m doing.”
I sighed at her own boastful talk, “Fine. Just, can you tell me your plan?”
“Nope!” She giggled, “It’s a secret!”
I gaped at her, “W-What? Vi, seriously! Tell me, this is important!”
“Oh, no!” She said, making a very obvious crackling sound, “We’re breaking up!” She cried.
“C’mon, Vi! Honestly, what grade are you in?!”
She giggled, “Whoops! I’ve gotta go, we’re breaking up! Okay, love you! Mom and dad send their love!”
Then the call ‘dropped.’
I sighed, hitting my head against the wall with rage. What was I going to do? I had absolutely no clue what she was planning, but I got the feeling it wouldn’t be pretty. Sighing, I unlocked the closet and stepped out, taking a deep breath of fresh air. But before I could go, I felt a hand on my arm.
“I believe you have something to tell me.” Alex said, smirking with pleasure.