Should've Stayed Away- Joseph Descamps

seven

The classroom was quiet, all the boys were sat in line outside of the principals office. Chemistry was extra boring without the back of Descamps to look at, instead I focused my attention the neatly organized test tubes by his empty seat. I wondered if they'd figured out yet that it was his magazine and for some reason the satisfaction I thought i'd feel was replaced by a tinge of worry.

I shrugged it off and focused on the teacher.

School ended, some of the boys had returned to class and were refusing to tell anything to the girls. Even Pichon wouldn't tell Annick what exactly had transpired in the office. Annick and I leaned together against the school wall, a cigarette between my lips as she spoke.

"Well Pichon told me that if no one was held accountable, we'd all get detention. Even the girls!" She shared, clearly agitated by the entire situation. I stopped mid smoke and looked her, eyes wide with worry. Detention meant that I wouldn't be able to work after school so I would only be able to do it on the weekends, meaning less money. Less money meant I wouldn't be able to afford tuition or help my parents with rent and bills. The hand not holding my cigarette began picking at my nails nervously. 

I swallowed down the nerves resting heavily in my throat before speaking, "Did they find anyone yet?" I asked. Annick shook her head and sighed in defeat. I looked away and back out at the bustling courtyard. I didn't want to tell on Descamps, I didn't like him at all but it felt wrong to purposefully get him in trouble like that. Although I knew he would do anything to make my life harder just for his own amusement. 

I had to face the fact that I had been trying to hide from myself, I had a thing for him. An annoying little soft spot that made it impossible for me to ever really hate him. He lost his eye and although his actions led to it, it wasn't fair that Jean Pierre got away with it. And he didn't just get off with a suspension, he was still the golden boy here. Meanwhile Descamps was half blinded for the rest of his life. I couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

But I had to suppress all of that for my own good. "It's not like he was looking out for anyone else when he brought that magazine. He was selfish and mean, he only ever cared about amusing himself" I thought in a desperate attempt to alleviate the guilt I was already feeling. I said goodbye to Annick and stomped out my cigarette, walking to the office feeling a lot like a lamb to the slaughter.

"You saw Descamps and Dupin with the magazine outside of the bathroom?" Bellanger asked me as he wrote down my report, looking up at me with those logical brown eyes. I gripped the side of the chair uneasily and nodded. He sighed and set down his pen nodding. "Thank you, the school and I will handle this tomorrow morning with the two of them". 

I walked home, my feet feeling heavier than usual. It's not like we were friends, we were actually far from it. The issue was I knew by doing this I was ruining any possibility of him ever liking me and the idea made my stomach queasy. "It's for the best"  I thought, and I repeated in my head like a mantra until I reached my apartment.

I opened the door and saw my parents sitting at the table, a grim look on their faces. My heart dropped and I shut the door slowly behind me. A single light was on above them, creating an ominous atmosphere that I was forced to walk into as I approached them.

"Lydia sit down, we need to talk to you" My father spoke firmly and I sat, the chair moving being the only other noise in the apartment. My eyebrows furrowed, my brothers were never this quiet. My eyes scanned the kitchen and narrowed in confusion as boxes filled my sight, all of our possessions backed away.

I opened my mouth to speak but my mother interrupted me, "The city is getting too expensive for us" she paused and inhaled deeply, "And your sister Chloe told us her neighbor moved so she can get us a deal on a nice house in the countryside".