“You can’t tell anyone about the game that we’re playing,” I warned Zach as I now pushed him out of my room. “You can’t tell anyone at all, not even your friends. And you definitely can’t tell my dad or your family at all.”
Zach rolled his eyes at me. “And why not? My mom absolutely adores you, my dad and sister love you, and Ethan… Well, I don’t think Ethan likes anything, really.”
“It’s not like we’re dating or anything,” I snapped, the thought of actually dating him making me sick to my stomach. “I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up. It’s not like any kind of serious relationship is in our future anyway.”
“Oh, how much you hurt me, Maxxy,” Zach smirked, placing a hand over his heart, feigning hurt. ‘”You don’t think we could ever get married?”
I shot him a flat look. “No. Not ever.”
I wouldn’t be surprised if one day his face got permanently stuck smirking. And then hopefully people would slap him because they thought he was being insensitive, which he usually was anyway…
“Well, everyone’s downstairs right now…” Zach grinned, taking a step toward me and it took all my willpower not to take a step away. I had to remember that we were playing a game… It wasn’t like he was my boyfriend or anything, and I definitely wasn’t his girlfriend. “How about we officially start this game now?”
I gulped, not knowing what I was supposed to say to that. I had been the one to suggest this game, but now that it was time to really start, I was getting cold feet.
“Maxynn,” a new voice suddenly said, and I nearly jumped before pushing Zach away and looking over to see my father. “I need to talk to you about something.”
I glanced over at Zach, who suddenly stood straight and proper, surprising me greatly. Did he act this way around all adults? He sure didn’t act like this in front of any of the teachers at our school…
He started off downstairs, and I couldn’t help but wonder why he was acting so strangely. Was it because of the game that we were now playing? That had to be it. Zach was the kind of guy that would tell everyone who he had been with and what he had done with them.
“What do you have to tell me, Dad?” I questioned, watching as Zach made his way down the stairs.
“I wanted to tell you that I have to leave the day after your mother’s funeral,” my father informed me solemnly.
“What do you mean?” I snapped, not believing what my father had just said to me. “What do you mean you’re going on a business trip after mom’s funeral?”
“It means exactly what it sounds,” my father said now. “I’m needed the day after your mother’s funeral, so I’m going to have to leave afterwards.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. He was actually going to leave me all alone at Zach’s house? Especially after I had suggested the game only the day before? He didn’t know about it, but… still!
“For how long?” I swallowed now, feeling like I was about to choke on absolutely nothing. “How long are you going to be gone for? We just moved into this place and you’re just leaving like that?”
I understood that it was for his job, but that didn’t mean I was happy about anything that he was saying. I was angry that he was leaving so soon after my mother’s funeral, and I was angry that he was leaving me alone in a place that I didn’t belong. He was just leaving me with Zach and his family like it was no big deal at all…
“It’s anywhere from a few weeks to a few months,” he informed me quietly, so quietly that I barely even heard him.
I thought I was going to faint. Not only had I lost my mother, but it was like I was losing my father as well! How could he just leave after everything that had happened? How could he just leave when I was as fragile as I was? It wasn’t fair!
I had just started something so challenging with Zach, while I was living in his house, and I wasn’t even going to have my dad with me. I knew that he was working, but that still didn’t change how utterly lonely I was going to feel without him.
~*~
I used to love school. There had been only one time that I had been dreading it, and that was my first day at Corvus. I was afraid that I wouldn’t make any friends, and that I would be all alone, but that soon changed after I befriended Kate and Todd. But ever since the fire, and especially since all the rumors had spread, I just never wanted to ever leave my bed again.
“We’ll be starting a project today,” Mr. Ranch informed us during our last period, and I heard everyone in the class groan. “It’s a partner project, and I will be picking your partners. So let’s see… Sean and Eric, you two are partners…”
And as he continued to read off his list, I got more and more anxious as I waited for my name to be called. Knowing my luck, I would have probably been partnered up with Zach. It would have been kind of easy to work on it, since we lived together and everything, but that still didn’t mean that I wanted him as my partner…
“Zach and Quinn,” Mr. Ranch finally said, and I couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief. I was a little ticked off though, because I knew Zach was going to full around with Quinn instead of get the project done. “And Maxynn and Aveline. You two are partners as well.”
She was probably the only other person that was worse than Zach, and that was sure saying something. She hated me with a passion, and I hated her just as much right back. She didn’t seem to be happy about this partnership either…
When Aveline and I moved and pushed our desks together, neither of us said anything at first. We merely glared at each other, which wasn’t much of a surprise for the two of us…
“I don’t work in class,” she finally told me, and all I could do was stare at her as if she was absolutely insane, and I was actually pretty sure that she was. “It’s boring and there’s no point in doing so. We should just get together Saturday and work on it.”
“I can’t work on Saturday,” I sighed, thinking that everything that was leaving her mouth was completely idiotic, like I always did. “I think we should just work on the project in class so we don’t have to spend any extra time together.”
“And why can’t we work on the project on Saturday?” Aveline asked, a glare on her face just like always. “It’s not like we’re going over to wherever you’re staying or my house. We’d go to the diner, which is definitely pushing it since people are going to see us together.”
“Saturday is my mother’s funeral,” I informed her, as if she even had the right to know.
Her glare was replaced with a sadistic smile, and I knew I didn’t want to hear what she was about to say. Nothing good ever came from Aveline Rake when she smiled like that. Actually, nothing good came from Aveline Rake at all.
“Oh, your mother, huh?” she asked, and I waited for the blow to come next. “The mother that you killed in that fire you set to your house?”
“I didn’t kill my mother and I didn’t set that fire,” I spat, ready to pull some hair if I had to. “And I wouldn’t be surprised if you were the one that started that rumor.”
She smiled sweetly at me. “Why, I would never do such a thing, Maxynn! I’m just speaking the truth. You killed your mother. You set your house on fire and let her burn.”
Without a second thought, my fist was suddenly flying right toward her face, and it connected with her nose. She let out a shout, falling back out of her seat and onto the ground.
“You bitch!” she screamed, getting everyone’s attention. “You might have broken my nose!”
“Good,” I sneered, wiping at the blood on my knuckles from her nose. “That was what I was aiming for.”
“Maxynn Chase!” I heard Mr. Ranch shout, and I froze completely. “Go to the principal’s office right now!”
I should have been expecting this. It wasn’t like I could just punch Aveline and get away with it. No matter how amazing that would have been, I knew that it just wasn’t possible.
I did as Mr. Ranch told me, turning toward the door so I could go to the principal’s office. I ignored Zach’s gaze, knowing that I just couldn’t deal with him right then, and I hoped that I didn’t have to look at him until we got back to his house.
“See? I told you she killed her mother!” I heard someone whisper to someone else, causing me to stop right in my tracks before I could leave the room. “With a temper like that, who knows what she could do?”
My hands balled into fists, and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I hadn’t helped my case just then, but punching Aveline in the face was something that I had wanted to do ever since I had entered Corvus.
“Maxynn,” Mr. Ranch snapped when I still hadn’t left the room yet. “Did you hear what I said?”
“In her defense, Mr. Ranch,” a new voice suddenly said, and I didn’t even turn toward Zach as he spoke, “she just went through a huge fire. Who knows what’s working and what’s not?”
I knew he was trying to make it sound like an insult, but I didn’t see it in that way. My hand unconsciously reached for my bandaged and covered arm, and Zach seemed to be the only one to notice that something wasn't right.
“Just because she went through a fire doesn’t mean that she can go around punching people,” Mr. Ranch now said, and I just wanted to go home, to my real home and not Zach’s. “Just because she survived a fire—”
“That she started!” Aveline shrieked, sounding sick and nasally as she continued to pinch her nose to get the bleeding to stop. “She was the one that started that fire! She’s a maniac! She punched me in the face for no reason! She needs to be locked up! She’s uncontrollable! She’s a murderer!”
I bit the inside of my lip, my grip on my burned arm tightening to much that it hurt, causing me to flinch because I hadn’t meant to do it. Zach was still looking at my arm, but I did nothing to acknowledge him.
“Aveline, I know you’re hurt,” Mr. Ranch now said, his eyebrows furrowing at her, “but that doesn’t mean you can just go spouting nonsense like that. They might have not been able to figure out how the fire started, but I’m sure that it was an accident.”
Aveline made a face as someone handed her a paper towel, which she now pressed against her nose. “Whatever. I’m going to the nurse’s office.”
And she did as she said she would, and I waited a few moments after she left before going to the principal, since they were both in the same direction and I didn’t want it to be like I was walking with her.
Was I a horrible person for hoping that I had actually broken her nose? She deserved it for everything she had done to me in the past…
When I stepped into the main office, the secretary’s eyebrows furrowed at me in confusion. I said nothing, because I honestly had no idea what I was supposed to say. Was I just supposed to blurt out how I had been sent to the principal for punching someone in the face?
“Uh…” I blinked, looking around to see if there was something or someone to save me. “I… uh…”
“Are you here to see Mr. Wilkinson?” the secretary now asked, referring to the principal. I nodded, probably looking like a complete idiot. The secretary pointed toward four chairs that lined outside Mr. Wilkinson’s office. “Take a seat and wait, please. Mr. Wilkinson is out dealing with another student at the moment.”
I nodded again, turning away from her and sitting in one of the four seats. I let out a sigh, barely able to believe that I was actually sitting in front of the principal’s office because I had gotten in trouble. I hadn’t even gotten in trouble at my school before Corvus either…
“I wasn’t expecting to see you here,” a new voice now said suddenly, and I looked up from my lap to see Johnny Walker smirking down at me. “You don’t seem like the kind of girl that would normally get into trouble.”
And I wasn’t. I hadn’t ever been sent to the principal’s office before, so I didn’t know what I was supposed to do or how I was supposed to act. It wasn’t like I went around punching students normally…
Johnny sat down beside me, and I felt my breath catch in my throat. This boy was Zach’s best friend, but I couldn’t help but feel attracted to him.
“I heard the rumors,” Johnny informed me, and if felt my stomach drop. “I just wanted to say that I don’t believe in any of them at all. I don't know why anyone would, really. I think that it’s absolutely stupid for anyone to think that you’d actually kill your mother. I mean... you don't seem like the type of person that would purposely hurt someone else, let alone kill someone.”
I swallowed, not able to form any words at all. This always happened when Johnny talked to me, and I just didn’t get it. I knew I liked him, but I didn’t know if I liked him enough to get me tongue-tied every single time he was round. This was definitely not like me at all.
“I loved my mother very much,” I started weakly, not sure of my own voice anymore. “You're right. I would never be able to do something so horrible to her. And having people think that I could is what hurts me. I could never do that to anyone, especially my mother.”
Johnny nodded, not saying a word as he continued to sit next to me. I looked him up and down, not blaming myself for having such a massive crush on him. He was charming, but in a nice way, not in the way that Zach was. He was charming in a sleazebag kind of way…
“So… what did you do to get here?” I asked, not knowing what else I was supposed to say.
Johnny smirked at me, winking before jumping up from his seat. “I didn’t get in trouble. I’m an office aide during this period.”
I stared up at him, my mouth open just a little as he winked at me one more time before turning around and walking off, leaving me there completely stunned. Johnny Walker was not the type of guy that would work in the office. He was more like the kind of guy that would get sent to the office like I had been…
When I saw Mr. Wilkinson come through the door of the front office, I could tell that something just wasn’t right. He didn’t look as cheery and happy as he usually did, and I knew that that wasn’t a good sign.
He pointed at me and then gestured to his office, walking inside of it without a word to me. I immediately felt worried, because I didn’t know how I was supposed to react in this kind of situation.
It was a rare occasion to ever see Mr. Wilkinson annoyed, so I was definitely surprised. Whoever he had been dealing with before me must have been someone really bad…
“You caught me at a bad time, Maxynn,” he sighed, and I was afraid of where this was going to go. “I just had to deal with another girl spouting out false accusations about Mr. Meyers. I don’t even know why I tried to believe her. Maybe it was because this one actually wanted to get out of the class, which was different from the rest of them. I can’t wait for even more rumors to start…”
I almost rolled my eyes. This wasn’t a big surprise at all. Every other week, a rumor went around school about the history teacher. All of them were always proven wrong, so I didn’t understand why anyone would ever believe what they heard about him anymore. I was pretty sure everyone just liked to hear gossip… especially when an attractive teacher was involved. Or a murder of someone's mother, apparently.
Mr. Wilkinson’s solemn face didn’t change as he said, “But you seem to be the topic of discussion lately, Maxynn.”
I didn’t want to be reminded of that. I already knew that everyone was talking about me, and I definitely didn’t want to hear that from the principal…
“I didn’t kill my mother,” I informed him almost stubbornly, crossing both my arms and my legs as I spoke. “I can’t believe people would actually think that I could do such a thing. She was my mother, and I loved her.”
Mr. Wilkinson nodded, turning toward his computer and clicking his mouse. He read over something before looking over at me.
“It seems like Mr. Ranch sent you up here because you punched Aveline Rake in the face,” he said, looking concerned and almost amused. My jaw almost dropped into my lap. “Why would you do something like that?”
“She was talking about my mom,” I shrugged, as if it was no big deal at all. “She just wouldn’t shut up about how I killed her, and I couldn’t take it anymore. I didn’t mean to punch her, it just… happened. I tried to ignore her, but then I hit her. I didn't even realize what I was doing right away.”
Mr. Wilkinson nodded again, lacing his fingers together as he leaned back in his chair. He sat there for a moment, and I assumed that he was thinking about my punishment for what I had done.
“Well, I’m not going to get you into any trouble,” he finally said, and I nearly fell out of the chair I was sitting in. “In all honesty, I think everyone would like to punch Aveline Rake in the face. You were just the only one with enough guts to do it. Also, you’ve just gone through something terribly tragic, so Aveline picking on you for it just makes it her fault. But don’t go thinking that you can just punch whoever you want now.”
He wagged his finger at me, and I couldn’t help but smile at him. I had punched Aveline Rake in the face as hard as I could, and I wasn’t even going to get into any trouble for it at all. I couldn't even believe that I had punched her! It was so unlike me to be violent, but I couldn't help but admit that punching that witch felt amazing...
Now if only I could have done that to Zach…
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Oh. My. Gosh. This chapter is so late. I'm so sorry! D:
The game will really start in the next chapter... I can't wait to start writing it. :D
Please COMMENT, VOTE, and FAN! Watty Awards 2012! :)