Once I get to school I rush straight to my locker. I’m lucky that my locker isn’t far from the entrance where we come in. I pull my backpack off and stuff the things I don’t need into the locker. Then take out the knife from my boot cautiously and try to hide it by putting books and pencil bags in front of it and close the door. I sigh as a bunch of weight felt like it is lifted off my shoulders. I don’t have to worry about anyone finding it.
I pick up my backpack when I hear someone call my name. I look around for the voice and find Blake waving in my direction. I sigh and adjust the strap on my shoulder, then walk over to him. “What’s up?” I ask yawning.
“What was that I saw you put in your locker?” He asks walking beside me. I stop in my tracks. He comes in front of me and looks me in the eye.
“Why do you want to know?” I ask crossing my arms.
“Is it a knife?” I should know by now I couldn’t sneak anything past Blake. His eyes missed almost nothing. Guess that’s something in common between us. My eyes are like hawks, almost nothing gets past me.
I bite my lip and look away from him then shrug, “Maybe?”
He sighs and starts walking again, I catch up with him. “Why would you bring it to school? What, do you think a Canadian would come attack you here, or was it for Drake?”
“I didn’t mean to bring it to school!” I snap. “I guess I didn’t empty my weapons out after training this morning. And, besides if I were to use it on Drake, I would’ve used it on the bus,” I joke, but Blake is not smiling. “What?”
“That outburst on the bus wasn’t necessary,” he says sternly to me.
“He started it! I just wanted to finish it.” I exclaim.
“You’re better than that, you know how to control your emotions. He doesn’t.” He explains. “Yes we all know how you can beat him up and probably brake one of his bones, but why does it matter?” Suddenly the school bell rang signaling you have one minute to get to class. Blake sighs and shakes his head, “Never mind, we’ll talk about it later.”
“You know we are the same age, you’re only a few months older than me. You can’t just boss me around and treat me like I’m your daughter.” We stop in front of the doorway of our class room. Before we go in I stand in the entrance facing Blake, blocking him from getting in. “I’m not your daughter, I’m your cousin.”
I don’t wait for a response as I walk into the classroom angry at Blake. I strap my backpack on the chair behind me and put my head on my desk, wishing to disappear from this moment. I don’t like getting into quarrels with my cousins because they are my family, but sometimes I can’t help it. Jason and Blake think they are always right, just because they’ve been Outcasts longer then I have. Only in this case, I hate to admit, but they are right. I need to keep my emotions under control. I just hate that I’m the youngest out of the three of us.
The bell rang again signaling if you are not in your classroom by now, you’re late. Blake and I have the same first class, Geometry.
“Good morning class,” Mrs. Gregory, our teacher, came in holding stack of papers. She’s in her middle ages and has short straight chestnut hair and chocolate brown eyes. She wears a black pin straight skirt down to her knees and a gray blouse with a white shall over top of it. Her heels were pointy black. “Sorry I’m late, had to talk about the drug search we are having later today.” I jerk my head up. I curse under my breath. My heart stops. A drug search is when police come in and search through our lockers for drugs or alcohol, or weapons.
“Excuse me, but why are we having a drug search today?” A boy named Ethen asks.
“Well it seems that we found a senior taking drugs in the boy’s bathroom. Teachers searched the locker and found more drugs. He is suspended for a week but the community has advised that the school be searched for more drugs.”
“So every locker will be checked?” I look over to my left to see Blake ask that question.
“Yes, every locker will be checked in,” she looks at her watch, “In approximately fifteen minutes.”
I let out a sigh. I put my arms on my desk to keep myself from falling forward, and to steady my heart. “Kimberley,” Mrs. Gregory starts, “would you like to go to the bathroom you look a little pale.” I hesitate for a minute then look at my teacher. She has a concerned look on her face. I swallow hard and nod. She makes a head gesture to the doorway telling me to go.
I slide out of my seat and steadily walk towards the door. I see, out of the corner of my eye Jason staring at me. I don’t turn and face him though. I keep walking to the door on the right side of the room.
Once I’m out I wait till I’m out of sight then bolt down the halls to my locker. It’s on the other side of the school. I push my feet faster till I come to it. My hands are so shaky I can barely tap my combination on the pad to open it. I’m breathing heavily praying to god I have enough time to hide it. I finally get my locker open. I claw through all my papers and books before I find the knife. I sigh relieved and stick it in my boot again.
I shut the locker and run back to the other side of the building back to my class. I stop at a drinking fountain and take a sip before going back in the room. I round the back of the classroom and find my seat in the middle.
Mrs. Gregory is already putting the lesson up on the board when the bell rings. Everyone stops what they’re doing and looks up at the speaker hologram in the room. Mr. Foremen, the assistant principle, is talking. “Attention, we are now going to start the drug search. Could all students go to their lockers? Could all teachers and staff members stand outside their classrooms please? Thank you.” The hologram and speaker shuts off and all of us rise to get to our lockers. My knife feels like it weighs a ton, it’s like a rock weighing me down.
I get to my locker and see Drake stand across from mine. He’s hated me ever since I came to this school. I stood up to him one day when he was bullying someone. He thinks he’s better than everyone just because his dad is the top executive for a company. I would pay anything to see him work a day, I think to myself. Anyway, when I stood up to him I was the one to get in trouble. He crosses his arms and grins at me with his eye brows narrowed. I want to return the look so badly, but what will that do. Like Jason said I need to control my emotions, mostly my anger.
I look away from him and stick my hands in the pockets of my jeans. I hear the police down the hallway and look around the kids standing by their lockers to get a good look at the cops. Two men, both have guns hooked to their belts. One is taller than the other. Each cop is on one side of the hall, looking in one of the lockers. Both cops have their uniforms on.
They tell the kid clean and the kid who stands by the locker goes back to their class. I take a deep breath and let it out. It’s going to be okay, it’s going to be okay, I keep telling myself. I look back at the cops again. They’re closer now. Ten lockers away. My breathing gets faster and my body starts to get hot.
Suddenly, without any notice, the taller man stops in front of me and looks down. “Open your locker, please,” I turn my back on him and do the com to my locker. I swallow hard as I did the last number on my lock. “There you go,” I say stepping aside.
“One question, miss,” he reaches down and my body freezes as he finds the knife in my boot. “What’s this doing in there?” I can’t speak, my throat is dry and I don’t know what to say. The other cop comes over and sees the scene as well. “Were you trying to hide this from us? What did you think this would accomplish?”
“I-I didn’t mean to- I swear-I,” I stutter. My body was frozen in fear.
“Miss I think you’ll have to come with us.” The police says taking me by the upper arm. I don’t pull away, because it would be worthless.
I turn my head and see Drake mouthing the word oohh! Putting his hand to his mouth.
I feel my whole body give in and I rip my arm away from the cop. I run to Drake and punch him in the face. His face whiplashes to one side. The cops rush over but when I pull back my arm I feel my elbow smack one of the cops in the face. I look once at the cop dazed then I turn back to Drake. He is holding his cheek in pain as I walk up to him. He clutches a fist and swings for my head but I duck just before it hits me and punch him in the gut.
He groans in agony and sinks to the ground. I feel stronger hands this time take my arms. It is Blake and Jason. I struggle to get free but they have their hands locked tight on me. I soon stop struggling because I know they won’t let go.
I curse under my breath again and Jason pulls on the arm he’s holding, signaling for me to shut up.
The cops finally come to their senses and walk over to us. “Thank you, boys, we shall take her from here.” The taller man says.
“I believe we should take her.” Jason says holding me tighter.
“Ow!” I say pulling my arm away from him. “I can handle myself, thank you very much Jason.”
“You know her,” the cops asks pointing from Jason to Blake.
“She’s our cousin,” Blake admits. I roll my eyes and pull my other arm away from him.
“In that case you should come with us too.” The taller cop looks down at me and I give him a look back. “To make sure she doesn’t do that again.” He looks at Jason, “does she listen to you?”
Jason looks down at me then back at the cop. “No, but I bet I can control her better then you can.”
Oh, yes you can ‘control me’, I think to myself. I bare my teeth in frustration as Jason tries to take my arm again but I move it as soon as I feel his hand.
“If you insist on coming, by all means.” The cop says. Jason nudges me. I look up at him with my nose scrunched up. He looks down at me with narrowed eyes. I know he wants what’s best for me, but, frankly, I don’t want to go to jail today.
“If this evens out officer, could I end up in jail?” He looks down at me again. I shrug and walk forward following the tall cop in front. “It’s a question.” Luckily this cop, who is walking behind the other cop is easier to talk to. He doesn’t scowl, or yell at me. He just turns around and sighs the word “No.”
“Good,” I whisper to myself. The taller cop walks down the hallways of the school until he comes to the school office.
“Great,” I mutter to myself as Blake and Jason close the doors behind us.