Here in this Sorrow Chapter 12

Chapter 12

People stopped to stare as the gore-splattered trio walked down the hall. Andy walked behind them, turning occasionally to stare at the people who started to laugh. Christian’s face beamed and his chest puffed out as he walked. He’d grin maniacally at anyone who’s eyes lingered too long. Most of the cat-calls went unanswered by the three, erupting from well-hidden sources in groups far behind them.

"Bunch of freaks,” one boy muttered as they passed. Shannon slashed out at him with her long, black fingernails, missing him by less than an inch. He grumbled and walked away.

They stopped at Christian’s locker and he opened it. “I should probably bring a book,” he said. He knelt down and sifted through the assorted literature at the bottom of the locker. He pulled out a bent copy of Less Than Zero and held it up. “This book is great,” he said. “The guy talks about Fear constantly.” He unzipped his back-pack and stuffed the tome in. “I just hope they don’t catch me. Sometimes, Mrs. Gallagher doesn’t give books back.”

“Maybe Mr. Henry forgot to give it to you,” Clark said.

Christian smirked and looked up. “You think he would pass up a chance to put me in there?”

Shannon laughed. “Plus, we skipped those other two classes.” She playfully punched Andy in the shoulder. “You’re going to be the only one without detention today.”

“That’s fine with me,” he said. He continued to glance from side to side as people hurled insults at them. “Some of us don’t need it on their permanent record.”

Christian slammed his locker closed and they moved on. Above them, the warning bell rang. “We’d better hurry,” he sneered.

Two rooms down, Shannon stopped at a locker. “I should probably get a book too.” She spun the combination, opened it and pulled a small novel out of the top. She shoved it in her bag and slammed the locker hard.

“Hopefully, I haven’t done anything to get put in All-Day,” Clark said. “I don’t think I can handle that level of boredom. It’s going to be hard enough to deal with after-school.”

“I told you,” Christian said. “We’re not staying after.”

Clark chuckled. “I’ll wait near the room. If you two manage to escape, we’ll go. Otherwise, I’ll see you there after school.” He separated from the group and went into a classroom on the left.

Christian turned to Andy and shrugged. “You might as well wait for us with him.”

“So where do you want to find me after the three of you get out of detention tonight?” Andy asked, a wry smile on his face.

Christian sighed. “Library or computer room?”

“Library,” Andy said. He stopped in front of a door-way and said. “I’ll see you then.” He turned and entered the room.

They walked two doors down and Christian stopped. “I guess I’ll see you in a little bit,” he said with a smile.

Shannon nodded. “Have fun.”

Christian walked into class and she continued on. He took a seat in the back and pulled a notebook out of his backpack. He started scribbling lines and sketches as more people filed in around him. Occasionally, he would look up when someone whispered his name. He would meet their stare forcing them to look away.

When the second bell rang, the room fell silent.

“Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance,” requested John Parker’s cheery voice over the intercom.

All the students but Christian rose and began to recite along. A few people looked angrily over at him, but he refuse to look up. When the pledge was complete, the class took their seats. John’s plastic voice began to list club meetings, sports events and field trips. He congratulated a long list of sports achievers, a few of whom were present, and were greeted with claps on the back and yells of appreciation. “So, let’s everybody head out to the game tonight,” cried the boisterous voice. “Go Lions!” The intercom crackled and went silent.

‘Go Lions,’ Christian scribbled at the top of his page. He closed his notebook and shoved it in his back-pack, just as a short, middle-aged woman stood up from behind the desk at the front of the room.

“All right,” she said, raising her voice above the level of the din in the room. “Quiet down, please.” She leaned on a desk and waited for the eventual silence. “I hope everyone did the reading last night,” she said at last. “We’re going to have a quiz on it.” She mounted an over-head projector on the center desk in the front row. “Take out a sheet of paper,” she said as she adjusted the stream of light on the plastic screen over the chalk board.

Most of the class muttered, tearing paper from note-books. Christian slowly did the same, eyeing the door. He had a page half torn free when the knock came. He let out a relieved sigh and shoved the notebook back in his bag.

When she opened the door to the tall man with salt-and-pepper hair, he said, “Good morning, Mrs. Day, how are you today?”

She smiled sadly. “Oh, Mr. Wren, who do you have to steal away today?” she sighed.

He looked down the list of names on his clipboard, tapped it with his index finger and said, “Just Christian Duke.”

Mrs. Day looked back at Christian, and shook her head. “Why do you always do this? You’re going to miss the quiz now.”

Christian pursed his lips, slinging his back-pack over his shoulder. “I guess I’ll just have to make it up.” He went to the front of the room and exited with Mr. Wren, pulling the door closed behind them. “All-Day?” he asked as the started down the hall.

Mr. Wren nodded. “Three classes and another detention? You must have had a big day yesterday.”

“Well, you know,” Christian said. “Stuff to do.”

“I hope you got it done,” he said. “Too bad you’ll have to make up that quiz now.”

Christian shrugged. “She forgets.”

They went through a set of double doors and down a flight of stairs. At the bottom, they walked about ten feet to the right.

“There we go, Mr. Duke,” Mr. Wren said. “You’ve been delivered. Shall I see you again soon?”

“I sincerely doubt it,” Christian said and walked through the door marked ‘Conference Room.’ Three other students were already in, scattered about the room. Christian smiled at them as they looked up.

“Oh, Christian, what did you do now?” asked a young, brown-haired woman seated at the lab-table that ran along most of the front of the room.

He walked over to the desk and took the paper she pushed to him. “What, Miss Cataran, not even a good morning? I thought we knew each other better than this.” He smiled at her. “I cut a few classes and went to the mall.”

She looked down a list her brow furrowing as she nodded her head. “You cut detention last night too.” She looked him in the eyes. “I suppose I’m the only one who knows you left campus?”

He nodded.

“You’re lucky I like you, Chris, or else you’d be in here all of next week.” She shook her head. “What are we going to do with you?”

“You don’t have to worry,” he said, strolling to a desk three rows back. “After tomorrow, you won’t ever see me here again.”

She smiled. “You learned your lesson this time? Are you turning over a new leaf?”

“Something like that,” he answered, falling into the seat.

The door open and Shannon shuffled in. There were a few giggles at her restricted stride. She answered them with a flash of her middle finger.

“Shannon!” Mrs. Cataran said. “That’s hardly befitting to a young lady.”

Shannon smiled at her. “Sorry, Miss Cataran,” she said, signing the paper on the desk. “I’m going to sit next to Chris and talk all day, is that okay?”

Miss Cataran smiled and shook her head. “I don’t think so. You can take a seat across the room.” She pointed at a desk in the back corner. “Sorry to break up the party.”

Shannon shrugged at Christian and took her appointed seat.