ix. cigarette butts
Oakley sat in her room that same day, studying for her Calculus quiz, when her mother and father barged into the room.
"Samantha Steele!" Her mother yelled, pointing a finger at her.
Her mother never really liked her first name because it was "too rogue and not the name you would name a daughter of a socialite."
"What?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Living room, now," her father ordered.
"Why should I-" he cut her off.
"NOW!" her mother ordered, startling her off the bed.
Oakley was never scared of her parents, but then again, they never yelled at her like that.
Only at each other, she thought bitterly.
When she was comfortable on the settee, she looked at her parents.
"What's the fuss?" She asked, shrugging her shoulders.
"Why were there cigarette butts littered all over our patio?" Denise, her mother asked. "I was planning a very important dinner with the mayor's wife, and littered around were beer cans, red cups and random pills!"
Oh. She must've forgotten to clean the backyard from her party on Saturday when her parents were gone.
"Oops?" She responded warily.
Her father, Jason rolled his eyes. "If you were going to throw a party, can't you be slightly more conspicuous?"
Oakley gaped at him in shock. He was practically implying it was okay to have parties if she cleaned up and concealed it.
Denise gasped. "This is ridiculous! Are you approving her reckless behavior?"
Her dad shrugged. "Well, if you let the kid live a little once in a while, maybe she wouldn't feel so bad!"
"So you let her misbehave..." Oakley tuned out the conversation, realising that this was obviously not about her anymore.
About five minutes into the argument, Oakley rolled her eyes and left the room.
Even at ten o'clock, they had shifted their arguing to their bedroom, which was conveniently next to her own.
Oakley picked up her phone and called the only person who would help her out.
Her bunny slippers soundlessly made their way down the street, with her pillow in hand. She knew her father would know where she was, but never her mother.
Would Denise ever know what her daughter does?
Tapping in the window, she waiting patiently until the window opened.
"C'mon," Harvey said, helping her above the windowsill.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" Harvey asked, as he made himself comfortable on the couch in his room.
"No," she told him, turning over to the other side of the bed. "Good night, Harv."
He sighed, but switched the light off. "Good night, Oaks."
----
Lennon was early to class the next day, and not so surprisingly, Oakley was sitting in the seat next to hers.
"Morning," Oakley greeted as she took out her books.
Lennon murmured a response before taking her seat.
Noticing her less cheerful attitude, Oakley nudged her. "You okay?"
Lennon looked at her and forced a smile onto her face. "Yeah, I'm fine."
As the teacher walked in, Oakley casted her a sideways glance. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I said I'm fine!" She snapped in response, while catching the attention of the class.
Blushing, Lennon kept her gaze on the scratched up desk.
Oakley's eyebrows raised, and Lennon quickly apologised.
"You don't have to," she replied. "I was pushing it anyway."
Lennon nodded and was silent for the rest of class until a voice droned out of the PA: "Lennon Versailles, may you please report to the dean's office."
The teacher glanced up at her in shock before saying, "take the pass and go."
Oakley looked at Lennon, causing her to shrug. She looked as if she had no idea what was going on.
Oakley continued to look at the board, but there was no way she could concentrate. Why did they call her out the room?
When the bell rang, she jumped out of her seat and raced towards the principal's office with Lennon's things.
Before she went in, she heard yelling from the slightly ajar door.
"...wasn't there doesn't mean I did it!" Lennon's soft voice now rose to yell. "I was in the art studio!"
Oakley's hand froze on the knob.
"I'm sorry Lennon, but until we have proper evidence of what really happened last week at the pep rally, we have to suspend you," the voice of Dean Holloway traveled out the door.
"But if I'm suspended, I can't play at the basketball tourney next Friday," she challenged.
"Again, my sincerest apologies, but the team will have to try their best without you." She heard Lennon let out an angry huff.
"Whatever. How many days?" She asked while shuffling around, most likely standing up.
"Seven days until further notice," Holloway informed her.
"Seven days?!" Lennon's voice trembled, almost as if she was about to cry.
Oakley couldn't take it anymore. She turned on her heel and made a beeline towards the Cannibal's room.
"Guys!" She yelled, busting the door open.
Everyone was in there relaxing, when she opened the door.
Their heads snapped up at a panicked Oakley waving her hands.
"We have to help Lennon!" She told them. "Holloway thinks she screwed with the pep rally."
"Who the fuck's Lennon?" Free asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Harvey's pizza girl," Finn explained, slightly chuckling.
"Shut up, Finn," Harvey grumbled, shoving him off the box. "But you were saying about Lennon...?"
"Yeah, she was the one of the only people who wasn't at the pep rally, and everyone knows we don't go to school functions!" Oakley told them.
"Don't worry, I'll help fix it," Harvey said, rising from the box he previously sat in and made his way through the door. "Be back in ten."
They all exchanged glances before following him out the door, eager to know what he was up to.