Nothing But Trouble

44/half-days

chapter 44: half-days
blake ren

        I furrowed my brows, racing through the last couple of questions on the calculus midterm to double check my work. Was that negative supposed to be before that number?

        I reworked the problem and erased the negative, but then did a double take at one of the errors in the chicken scratch I just wrote out next to it. I did it over again, confirming that the negative was, in fact, necessary. I made it through the rest of the questions and was flipping the packet of papers over so the front page was on top like as though I'd just crossed a finish line of a race.

        I sunk back in my chair. Every thought in my brain died the second I finished the exam. I just stared at the paper for a moment, feeling utterly and mentally pooped.

        I was—officially—on winter break.

        Kill me.

        And this was when someone would pose the question: "But Blake, don't you want to be on break, you negligent degenerate you?"

        And to that I'd say: Rude. Like first of all, that was really rude. An accurate insult? Perhaps. But second of all, I didn't want to be on break. Being on break meant everyone around me was going to leave. It meant standing around at my stupid job, banging my head against the wall, while Easton and Riley frolicked with their extended families.

        Did they not see their stupid butts were my extended family?! And Riley didn't even celebrate Christmas; her parents just used the free days to drag her to whatever aunt or uncle or gruncle or grandpa they needed to go visit.

It was bullshit. But it was how it was every year.

The only difference was this time, there was a chance Lucas would be the one to fill the silence with me.

        Eventually, everyone was finishing up their exams and dropping their heads on their desk out of misery. It was a mutual feeling of suffering amongst the students during this time of year. But then exams would be over and the gates to this prison would open, revealing a shining beacon of light as a choir sung hymns. Such a joyous moment in time. Until it was realized that being released from this prison just equaled staying at home with your intolerable family.

But of course, Christmas and all that. It wasn't completely horrible. Just slightly.

"Alright, you can turn in your tests on your way out. Merry Christmas everybody. Enjoy the time off," Mrs. Stoneman announced once the bell rang. There was a chorus of 'Merry Christmases' thrown back at her as everyone rushed out of the classroom. I watched her work on her computer and sip from her coffee, not sensing that I was looking at her.

We never said anything about what happened with Dani Samuels. It was like we pretended it didn't happen at all. The story was Dani fell and Mrs. Stoneman found her with a broken nose. I hadn't been inside the school building at the time. I wasn't even involved.

"See you in two weeks, Mrs. Stoneman," I called out on my way towards the door.

"Merry Christmas, Blake." She wore a normal smile. Not even a hint of special treatment, absolutely nothing to give away that she had helped me so I wouldn't get expelled.

She could so get away with murder if she wanted to. It was almost scary and yet..weirdly hot? Good for her.

The second I got out of the classroom two hands clamped down on my shoulders, rattling me along with a high pitched squeal that filled my ears and had me jumping in fright.