Today was my first day back to school. I did not want to go, remembering what Vic told me last night sent shivers up my spine. I didn't want him to beat me up or anything, I couldn't even defend myself. But if I could and was able to get away from Vic, I still had to deal with his little brother Mike.
I didn't have first period with Vic, that was kind of a plus. The thing I did fear, was that I would see him going to my second period. I sat in history waiting for the bell to ring, I needed to get to my second period quick. When the bell sounded I gathered my pre-packed backpack and went out the door.
I trailed down the stairs and went to my locker quickly. I had ten minutes but there was 5 of those minutes I wanted to avoid. I got my books out just in time, when I closed the locker Vic, Mike and their friends had just turned the corner. I speed walked over to the stairs and went down them.
"Hey Mr. Collins, sorry about the other day. I assumed you heard?" I sat down, he nodded and came over to me.
"What happen Kellin? That is soo unlike you." He pointed out.
"I know. I just tried to help that new kid, Justin. He was getting beat up pretty bad." I explained.
"Okay. Well next time, try telling an adult." He patted my shoulder.
"Okay." I agreed.
I knew that telling an adult would do nothing but add trouble. I've done it previously and it made things worser. That's why I hide in the shadows and remain an outcast to go unnoticed. He went over to his desk and took out his lesson plans.
"Do you think you could come over tonight? Since last time didn't go as planned." He asked as he wrote in his book.
"Sure. 6?" I forced a reassuring smile.
"Yes, Jessica won't stop talking about you. She even had her own little surprise for you." He admitted.
"Really? What is it?" I was excited and wanted to really know.
"Can't tell you. I promised." He held up his pinky finger indicating what type of promise.
"I can't wait." I smiled brightly. "Will you be here this afternoon?" I remembered I had detention.
"Yes. Why?" He looked up from his book and gave me a puzzling look.
"I have detention." I admitted sadly. "Do you think it'll be alright if I go home with you after school?" I didn't want Vic to catch me walking home.
"Sure, but I need permission from your mom or dad."
"Okay. I'll get it this afternoon at lunch." I took out my books as the bell began to ring.
Students started to walk in and I put my head on the desk to avoid any stares I might get. I heard the chair move next to me, I knew it was Justin. He didn't speak, I didn't want him to talk to me at all. After getting suspended and detention because of him, we had nothing to talk about. I kept my head down as the bell sounded, hopefully Vic was sitting down already.
"Kellin?" I lifted my head up to Mr. Collins. "Do you mind sitting up, please?" He asked nicely.
"Not at all, sorry." I sat up and laid back into my seat, watching him teach.
He was talking about the Pythagorean theorem. I knew most of this already, I loved math, it was one of favorite classes because I had Mr. Collins. I watched as he explained and answered questions others had.
"Hey." I turned to see Justin leaning over to me.
"Don't talk to me." I whispered.
"Look, I'm sorry I got you in trouble." He apologized.
"It doesn't matter. I just don't like talking to people. So leave me alone." I turned from him and went back to focusing on Mr. Collins.
He finished his lecture and explained the assignment for today.
"Okay, so today we will be taking a single slice of pizza and using the Pythagorean Theorem on it. You will use your ruler and measure the sides and record them on this worksheet." He held up the sheet to show us. "Now those who eat first and copy from others will receive no credit. So get with a partner and I'll hand out the pizza."
He went over to the back of the classroom and took one of the many pizza boxes that were stacked on the table. I watched him as he took some napkins and put them on the box. He soon caught me watching him and motioned for me to come to him.
"Yes sir?" I questioned.
"Kellin, I would like for you to go in the teacher's lounge and get the blue cooler that's stored in there." He gave me the key and started passing out the pizza.
I walked out the classroom, a burden lifted from my shoulders. I walked casually down the hall, swinging my arms and humming to myself. I turned the corner that led to the teacher's lounge and bumped into someone. But not just anyone, Vic. We fell to the ground and he stood up and looked over me.
"Well, well, well. Look who I found." He smiled deviously.
"Sorry." I pushed myself up and tried to go around him. He blocked my way, so I tried to pass him again, he continued to block my path.
"Where do you think you're going?" He asked, pushing me back.
"I-I-I have to go to the t-teacher's lounge." I stuttered.
"Oh really?" He pushed me again. I filled with fear as he walked towards me. With every step he took forward, I took one backwards.
"Sorry." I backed up against the lockers. "I'm sorry, please don't hit me." He smiled at my whimpering plea.
"You make me laugh." He stated with a smirk as he turned to walk away.
I quickly moved from the lockers and rushed to the lounge. I thought he was in class, didn't I see him in there? I quickly dismissed the thoughts and grabbed the cooler. It had wheels and a handle, I tilted it and rolled it. I didn't want to run into Vic again, so I looked around all the corners on my way back to class. I opened the door and was greeted by Mr. Collins.
"Your back, did you have some troubles?" He asked taking the cooler from me.
"No, sorry it took soo long." I quickly apologized and went to my seat.
I had a pizza sitting on my desk, I began to work on my assignment. Mr. Collins came and gave me a puzzling look as he laid a soda on my desk.
"Don't you have a partner?" He asked.
"No sir. Can you be mine?" I asked pleadingly.
"I can't. Uh, wait a minute." He stepped back to look at the class. "Mr. Detention. Come be partners with Kellin." He shouted.
I thanked him sarcastically and he gave me a warm smile. I looked back to see who my partner was and I'd rather have worked alone. He smiled at me and I turned nervously and began to bounce my leg. It was a nervous twitch I had. I'm getting nowhere with the whole 'avoiding Vic plan'.
"Hey loser. Get to work." He gave me his paper and took a bite of his pizza.
"I-I-I can't do it for you." I admitted.
"Excuse me? I told you to do it, so you do it." He commanded.
"I-I can't, I can't, I could get in t-trouble." I stuttered.
He laughed at my stuttering voice. "Why are you soo scared?" He laughed more as I looked away from him.
I shrugged and tried to focus on my work. I did his too, just so that I wouldn't piss him off more than he probably already was towards me. After I finished it all, we had a couple more minutes of class left. I saw the pizza on my desk, I wanted to eat it but I didn't want to eat in front of him. He saw me looking at the pizza and smirked at me.
"So are you going to eat your pizza or are you waiting for it to walk away?" He was such a jerk. I hated him.
I just shrugged and shifted in my seat so I was facing another direction. I looked at the clock as time wind down.
"Are you going to eat this pizza or not?" Vic asked.
I turned around and he looked somewhere between mad and hungry. I shook my head no and he took it and stuffed his face. I turned away from him and looked back to the clock. The bell sounded after a few seconds, I stood up and was pushed by Vic. I stood back up and saw him laughing at me.
"Thanks for the pizza." He yelled as he left the class.
Mr. Collins didn't see Vic push me so he gave me a hopeful smile as I left. I went to my next class, dodging Vic and his gang again. I wasn't as nervous in this class as I was in my others. This class seemed to go by quickly. The bell soon sounded again indicating it was lunch.
I went to the cafeteria and got a tray. I didn't sit at the tables in the lunch room, so I went out in campus. We were allowed to eat at central campus, which was the school yard closest to the football field. I sat in my usual place, underneath the biggest tree out here. I had carved my name into it last year, I was overly possessive of it.
I started to eat my sandwich and French fries, as I listened to music on my phone. I saw dark figures come over and block away the sun. I looked up to see Vic and Mike. They showed me their crooked smiles as I took out my headphones. I was full of fear at this point but I was tired of being harrassed.
"Please, can you just beat me up?" I asked nicely.
"What?" Mike gave a puzzled look at Vic.
"Beat me up. I know that's what you guys want to do. Can you just do it already? I'm tired of being harrassed. I just want to be by myself." I pleaded.
Their faces softened and they laughed. I looked at them as anger flashed over me. These assholes keep fucking with me. I stood up and took my tray and phone and walked away from them.
I put my tray away in the cafeteria and went to my locker to get my books for my next class. I saw Justin, he waved and I faked a smile as I walked away. Everything was his fault, I didn't get noticed until he showed up.
I went into my next class and remembered that I didn't call my mom. I asked the teacher could I go see Mr. Collins. She allowed me, and told me to hurry back. I ran up the stairs to his classroom, he didn't have any class this period.
"Hey Kellin." He greeted me warmly.
"Hey, I wanted to come in here and call my mom and let you listen and talk to her if you want." I told him.
"Fine by me."
I dialed my mom's number and it went to voicemail. I called again and her sweet angelic voice answered.
"Hello?" I put the phone on speaker.
"Mom, is it alright if I go home with Mr. Collins and have dinner at his house?"
"Sure honey, just be home by 9, and make sure your homework is done."
"It will be Karen." Mr. Collins interjected.
"Thanks. Well I have to get back to work. Bye love you."
"Love you too." I replied before the line went dead.
"Okay. Well just meet me here after detention then." He walked me to the door.
"Okay." I smiled.
"Oh wait, let me write you a pass." He went over to his desk and scribbled me a note.
"Thanks." I waved goodbye and left.
I wandered aimlessly, slowly through the halls. I didn't want to go back to class just yet. I took my time heading down the stairs, walking as if I was in slow motion. I went down the hallway that my class was on when I saw Vic.
I quickly panicked and tried to run to my classroom but he made it past the classroom before I got to it. He pushed me back away from it, causing me to stumble.
"Where are you going in such a hurry?" He pushed me again.
"To class." I replied.
"No stutter this time? Hmm." I realized I didn't stutter.
"No." I bluntly replied.
He pushed me again, I stumbled once more. He looked me up and down and bit his lip. I turned my head away from his glare and closed my eyes. I just wanted him to go away. I suddenly felt his presence back away. I opened my eyes and he had took a few steps back.
"Why don't you invite me to your house tonight for dinner again?" He asked.
"I-I can't, I'm n-not going to b-be home." I cursed myself.
"There's that stutter." He shook his head as if he was disappointed. "Why won't you be home? Or are you lying so I can't come?" He took a step closer.
"No really." I admitted. "I'm going over Mr. Collins' for dinner. I'm getting a ride with him this afternoon."
"Tomorrow. Invite me." He commanded me as he pushed me against the lockers.
"Okay. Okay. I'll tell my mom." He smiled.
"Mike's coming too." He said as he walked away.
I took a few deep breaths of relief and walked to the class. When I opened the door the class turned their attention to me.
"Here you go." I gave the teacher my note and went to my seat.
She started her lesson and I couldn't concentrate. My thoughts kept going to how Vic harassed me but then forced me to invite him to my house. I felt my heart beat with fear as the time got closer for my next class and then detention. I regretted meeting Justin, he didn't have to deal with Vic.
I was now, in my last class of the day and my nervous twitch came back. I was bouncing my leg up and down as I saw the clock's hands tick. I had less than 5 minutes before I was stuck in a room with Vic. I tried to focus on the teacher as he taught some lesson over vertebrates.
I just wanted to lay my head down and die, but come back to life when detention was over. I didn't want to go to it. The bell startled me as it sounded. I immediately went to Mr. Collins' room, he wasn't in there. I sighed and laid my bag by his desk and took out my notebook to carry with me. I left him a note saying it was mine before I left to go to hell.
When I got to the detention room, there was a lady named Mrs. Casalman. I've never had her so she must be one of the advanced class teachers. I'm smart just not advanced smart. I waved at her and took my seat. I laid my head down on my notebook and waited for this to be over.
"Welcome Mr. Fuentes. Sit down." The lady shouted angrily.
I heard the desk behind me move and I sat up. I turned to see him smiling at me, I began to get uncomfortable. I was about to get up and move when Mrs. Casalman stopped me.
"May I ask what you're doing?" She was strict, I could tell.
"Uh, I was going to move." I told her.
"No, you stay seated. You have an hour. You'll make it." I sat back down and she started to read a book.
"Why are you trying to leave me?" Vic whispered behind me.
"I don't trust you. Why don't you just beat me up already?" I was paranoid as it is.
"Then where's the fun? I like seeing you scared." I turned around in time to see him smile.
"Asshole." I whispered underneath my breath.
The whole detention he picked with me. He threw pieces of paper at me and flicked me in the back of my head. I tried to ignore it by laying my head down. It didn't work, so I took out my notebook and began to write. When I wrote it was mostly songs and sometimes I would write about investigations.
"What you writing?" I looked to see Vic hovering over my shoulder.
"Nothing." I closed my notebook and laid over it.
"Alright boys, you can go." I stood up quickly and rushed to Mr. Collins room.
"Hey, you ready to go?" He was packing his bag.
"Yeah." I smiled. I put my book in my backpack and pulled it over my shoulder.
We walked out the building and to his car. We were crossing the parking lot when a car came by. It stopped and Vic rolled down the window.
"Have a great day Mr. Collins. See you tomorrow Kellin." He smirked before rolling the window back up and driving away.
"Are you friends with him?" Mr. Collins asked eagerly.
"No." I quickly responded.
"Okay." Was all he said.
We got in the car and drove out the parking lot. The drive to his house was a long ways, considering he lived in the next town over. We sat quietly and I stared out the window as everything passed us by. I got a text and opened it, hoping it was mom.
'Excited for tomorrow. Can't wait.'
My heart dropped. How the hell did he get my number.