SUCKER PUNCH 🛶 PACEY WITTER [book one]

CHAPTER THIRTY

...THAT IS THE QUESTION

...🛶...

THE rumours were still running rampant around the halls of Capeside the following day and as they settled into their seats in Mr. Peterson's class once again, all eyes were on Jack McPhee as their teacher turned his attention to the boy "Mr. McPhee."

"Yes?" he questioned wearily, his shoulders tense.

"Would you care to continue reading your now very public work of poetry?"

Whispers of surprise flooded the room and Heather and Pacey shared a look of disbelief as Jack stammered "Y-You can't be serious."

"I am." Mr. Peterson's tone was bland and unsympathetic "You left us high and dry. If you want a completed grade, then you have to complete reading the poem. It's that simple."

Jack's voice was small as he frowned at his teacher "Why are you doing this to me?"

"Because he can." Pacey scoffed before getting to his feet.

"Mr. Witter, I recommend you sit down." Mr. Peterson frowned.

"No."

His eyes blazed "I said, sit down!"

"You want somebody to read the poem, I'll read it." Pacey snatched Jack's assignment from the man's grasp "Today. Today was a day the world got smaller, darker... I grew more afraid. Not of what I am, but of what I could be."

"You will stop." Mr. Peterson stepped towards the boy "You will listen to me when I talk to you, young man!"

"Oh, like you listen to us?" Heather scoffed and all eyes turned to her "You bully your students, mock their pain and use it for your own sick, twisted pleasure."

Mr. Peterson shot her a look of contempt "We all know that you might relate to a plight such as Mr. McPhee's, but save your perversions for outside my classroom."

"Perversions?" As the class gasped in shock at the man words, Heather frowned before it hit her and she nodded slowly as she stood "Oh, you mean that I like to kiss girls and guys. You're disgusting."

"What's disgusting is forcing normal people to bear witness to your frivolous fancies." The teacher shot back "Didn't your parents send you to church? Don't you know where your destruction will lead you?"

Heather smiled sardonically as she stepped up beside Pacey "Yeah they did. So I guess I'll see you in hell."

Mr. Peterson's eyes blazed "Why you little—"