Good morning all. I hope you had a fabulous Christmas and are ready to begin the final approach to New Years. I am very ready to end this year. Somehow it seems like it lasted much more than 12 months. But we have just a few days left. So, lets see what we can make of them. Timers set and lets get going on the morning prompt.
Not sure where this is going but I think our protagonist is about to reach a breaking point.
Monday, December 29th: Do you want me to call him?
“Do you want me to call him?” She held the phone like a weapon. She sat at the desk studying us, eyebrows arched and showing slightly above her rounded glasses. Her eyes bored into mine. She shifted to Kevin and then the Mark. Mark shuffled his feet. “No Mrs. Lewis,” Mark said. The rest of us echoed the sentiment.
She placed the receiver back on it’s cradle.
“Then I will expect all three of you for detention afterschool, every day for the rest of the week.”
All of us murmured assent and were allowed to leave. We made it through the door in silence. The secretary stood up from her desk and closed it behind us, giving Mrs. Lewis privacy. I tried not to feel relief as we left the head office. I didn’t look at Mark or Kevin. For their part, they didn’t look at me either.
Once Mrs. Lewis was secured behind closed doors the receptionist gave us each passes back to class.
Once out of the office we all went our own ways. Luckily we didn’t have the same class schedules. I didn’t even want to look at the two of them right now.
I had been having a pleasant day. I was going along with my daily routine, when suddenly things went haywire. Kevin and Mark, my two step brothers came barreling down the hall and into me. They were on the run from one of their pranks. It was assumed that somehow I was in on it.
I still had no idea what it was they did.
I had only been at Dennison Academy for three weeks at this point, but already I learned protesting was pointless. It didn’t matter that I wasn’t involved. I was now considered a part of their family and thus in on whatever mischief they caused.
I was guilty by association.
It wouldn’t be so bad if I was actually on decent terms with either of them. When we were at school, they didn’t acknowledge my existence. After school I was told not to come near them or their friends and then for the most part, they ignored me.
I wasn’t planning on becoming involved with them. We had little in common and I was more than happy with the avoidance policy. I just didn’t like getting into trouble with the, For something I had nothing to do with.
I headed down the hall and back to my class. I was, in general a quiet person. I attended my old school with absolutely no problems. I doubted the principal and vice principal even thought my face familiar let alone knew my name. Here my name was known and despite not doing anything I was getting a reputation for trouble.
I hated it.
As I walked back to class I tried to decide if I would hate it less had I actually been in on the trouble to begin with. ‘I suppose if I caused the trouble I would mind getting caught for it less.’ I doubted I would be thrilled being caught in any scenario. It just seemed extra annoying not to have committed the crime, yet required to do the time.
Lately however everything seemed extra annoying. I got to class, handed in my slip of paper and slid into my seat in the back. I got a look from Dana that was more pitying than friendly. I smiled back, more because I knew she would let me copy her notes at lunch than because we were fast becoming friends.
‘At least she feels bad enough for me to let me copy notes.’
I tried to concentrate on the rest of the lesson to lessen the notes I would need to take over lunch. With luck I would still get to eat the sandwich I packed.
The rest of my day passed in a more normal fashion. I made it through classes, copied notes at lunch, learning my step brothers did something involving paintball guns to get in trouble this time. Luckily it was a water soluble paint and a quick rinse with the gardener’s hose on the still wet paint took it right off.
As class ended I gathered my books and headed to detention. With luck I would be able to finish my homework while in detention so I would have that out of the way when I was released.
In the classroom set aside for detention I sat down in the indicated chair and took out my notebook. The others facing detention arrived and I was thankful my step brothers sat on the other side of the room.
Ten til Midnight 