The After School Secret {ON HIATUS}

Chapter One

Chapter One

 

I shifted my dull brown hair around my face, creating a shield from the rest of my class. The clock ticked ever so slowly, taunting me with the incessant reminder of my time in this torturous place.

"Miss Belle, were you listening?"

Startled out of my thoughts, I looked up only to meet Mrs. Williams penetrating gaze.

"Y- Yes?" I attempted to state firmly, only to fail miserably with a shaky stutter.

"Then would you care to tell the class what I have been teaching for the past twenty-five minutes?"

"W- We were learning," I paused, looking around the room for hints but only being able to meet the snickers and glances of my fellow classmates, "Uh... The square root of Pi?"

At this, the entire classroom erupted in laughter as Mrs. Williams face turned red in anger.

"Nice try. Only one problem; this is English. Come see me after class."

I sighed and glanced down at the scratched wood of the school desk I sat at. Various carvings were etched here and there, "Senoir Class of 2008" among the other names. I wondered vaguely if the person who carved this even graduated, taking note of the misspelling of "senior".

After what seemed like hours, the bell finally rang. I snatched my books in a pile and headed out the door just as my name was called out.  

I turned in my spot to see Mrs. Williams waving a piece of paper that I recognized as a detention slip. I brought my gaze to the floor and walked towards her, snatching the paper from her hand and turning on my heel to leave.

Once outside and safe from further interruption, I glanced down at the yellow slip in my hand.  

'Detention; 3:00-4:30. Mrs. Williams classroom, overlooked by Mr. Hanley.'

A smile snuck it's way onto my face as I read the last part. Mr. Hanley was an eighty year old man who would fall asleep at the beginning of detention and not wake up until the janitor found him when he came to clean the room. I could probably play a trumpet in his ear and he still wouldn't wake up.

I shook the smile off my face and let my hair fall back in it's old place, protecting me from the outside world. I sat down on the grass outside the school, deciding to skip last period and take a nap.

 

When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was that people were leaving the school and heading out to their parked cars. I glanced at my watch, checking to make sure I wouldn't be late for detention. The time read 2:57, making me jump to my feet and sprint to the classroom, earning odd glances by students heading to the parking lot.

It only took me two minutes to get to the classroom, but by the time I got there Mr. Hanley was taking roll call. Skipping class isn't bad, but if you skip detention, there will be a price to pay.

I hung my head low to the ground and sat in a seat in the middle row, raising a weak hand when Mr. Hanley called out my name.  

Snickering came from behind me as I was pelted with crumpled paper balls and bits of erasers. My anger was rising, my control slipping, so I did what my therapist taught me and took a few deep breaths, counting from one through ten until I was calm. I ignored it and began working on my homework.

At around 3:45, Mr. Hanley was just dozing off as a kid slammed the door open and made his way in. I didn't bother to look up, I didn't want to see who would be the next person to bother me. I figured they went to sit somewhere and continued on my work.