Crystal clear

Chapter 2

I sit next to Alexander silently in Ms.Heart's office. The awkward tension in the room slowly seems to press in on me. The silence felt like it would pull me apart limb by limb.

"So...how's your morning been?" Alexander asks leaning back against the window. I don't think this could be anymore awkward.

"Good." I say nodding as I chew on the inside of my cheek as I so often do when I'm nervous.

"You sure?" He asks laughing slightly trying to ease the tension, "you look agitated." He smiles gently at me when I glare at him. "no disrespect of course."

"Why the hell would I take that as disrespectful?" I say moving slightly away from him. I eye him up and down questioning what he meant. What do you mean by that? That little voice in my head whispers

"What do you mean, what do I mean by that?" He shot back looking slightly perplexed.

"Well, people don't normally say no disrespect towards a peer." I shoot back. This guy gives me the creeps. I don't know why but he screams trouble to me.

He grins, "lets just say my parents taught me well."

"Why are you so strange?" I snap glaring. I feel my blood pressure rise. I don't know if he was trying to get a rise out of me or not, but regardless he's annoying as hell.

"What are you implying?" He asks, honestly dumbfounded.

"I'm not implying anything I just...Never mind, just shut up." I snap turning to my phone that is hidden just inside of my backpack. I reach inside and pull it out, it's sleek case is cool to the touch. I turn on my touch screen and unlock it. I flip through the pages on my phone and go into Twitter.

I hear a loud shot, a drill. They have these regularly now that a school down south has been attacked 3 times. Then another blank is shot. I hear shouts come out as two men run down the hallway. I laugh as I turn away from the window.

The door to Ms.Heart office opens quietly. "Don't worry Alexander, it's just a drill." Ms.Heart says sweetly.

I look over at Alexander and realize he's gone white. He was shaking from head to toe. His breath fast and shaky making him look like he was having an epileptic reaction, which I would only guess because I've been told he has epilepsy.

"Alexander." Ms.Heart says gently, "it's okay." He rocks back and forth like a child trying to sooth himself.

"I'm okay." He breaths, sounding like he is attempting to reassure himself rather then Ms.Heart.

I smile gently, realizing there is nothing I can do to help. No matter how irritating anyone is, I never liked seeing them in distress. I reach forward and grab the paper off of the glass table in front of me. The paper slides easily off of the surface of the table. The sound of the paper scratching the metal frame sent a pleasant chill down my spine.

"Kimberly, could you go to my filing cabinet and retrieve the purple file labeled: remedial?" Ms.Heart asks sweetly, a smile that barely extends to her cheeks plays on her lips. No matter how hard she tries, she can't help keep the panicked look from her eyes.

"Of course." I say quietly. I let the paper fall back on to the glass coffee table. I stand and walk across the marble tiled floor of her office over to the tall organized cabinet. I pull open the slender crystal engraved doors and run my hand over the spines of the folders until I find the purple folder labeled remedial. "Found it Ms.Heart." I say standing up. My sneakers squeak as I trot back over to her. I play my teachers pet card, pulling all the strings to act like the perfect girl I like to portray.

"Thank you Kimberly." Ms.Heart smiles, taking the paper folder from me. I watch her walk over to the leather chair behind her desk before I reseat myself. "How's school Kimberly? How are your grades?" I look over at the windows and notice all the blinds are pulled down...is this a real shooting? The lights were dimmed...

I scowl as I run my fingers over my phones screen trying to find my past journal entries about previous lockdowns and school shootings drills. Nothing. I think for a moment, getting back to what Ms.Heart asks. What are my grades? My last term marks suddenly flood to my mind. I could lie, but if she really cared she could just check the school records. This school had a flaw, where anyone could read any file they wanted, about anyone, or anything. I plaster a fake smile on my face, "My studies are going well. I feel like this is one of my best semesters yet."

"Really? All of your teachers have said that you seem to be struggling this term." Ms.Heart says accusingly.

Alexander casts me a look that says, your screwed. It makes me want to laugh but I hold it in. Maybe he isn't so bad after all. "Ms.Heart, if you already knew the answer why did you ask me?" I pick my backpack up off of the floor beside me. "You know what, never mind, I don't care." I turn my back and yank the door open, I turn back to face her and sneer, "I don't give a shit, about your stupid program." Rage suddenly takes over, and what I really think comes flooding out, "You have no respect for me or any other student you speak with. You ignore confidential agreements and personally, I don't give a damn about what you or anyone else thinks!" I shout turning around slamming the door.

I storm off, barely hearing Ms.Hearts voice calling me. I feel a hand on my shoulder, pulling at me.

"it is still a safety drill miss Aven. So I expect quiet." Ms.Heart says urgently, looking agitated. She says this to me as she pulls me back.

"Let me go!" I grunt trying to tear free.

"Miss Aven I will let you go when you have calmed down." She ignores my protests and pulls me back to her office with me doing my very best to not go back into that stuffy office.