Teachers Pet

54: Pasta On Paper

        Cassie said nothing before she lunged, actually lunged at me. I somehow managed to roll away from her, but when I made to stand up she grabbed a fistful of my hair. I grunted as she pulled me to her. Another blur. I swung, but I wasn't entirely sure what part of her I was hitting. I just know my fist made contact with her body. And her fist made contact with my already busted lip. I knew my cut was reopened the second I tasted blood. The fight hadn't lasted long at all. I'm not even sure a solid minute went by before Cassie was ripped away from me.

       "Enough!" David. He had Cassie by her elbow as he yelled in her face. She stared up at him in shock and so did I. The amount of authority in his voice, in just that one word... It was scary. Cassie swallowed as he let go of her. "Who started it?" Though he asked the both of us I could see he already knew the answer. Cassie looked to the floor as she opened her mouth. Whether or not she was going to tell him the truth, I jumped to answer him first.

       "I did." Both their heads snapped in my direction. Cassie looked at me incredulously. If she thought I was doing her a favor, she was very mistaken. David looked confused. I shrugged. "I started it."

       "You?" David was waiting to see if I would change my mind. I was not. I just stood up straight and nodded. Cassie rubbed her jaw with narrowed eyes at me. Had I hit her in her face? I couldn't recall. Good. I hope it stung as my lip did. I hope she bruised in the face like I was bruised.

       "Yes, me," I responded. David sighed as he looked down at Cassie. She didn't have a single scratch on her. Her hair was a little out of place, but that was it. Before David could say anything to her, his walkie-talkie went off. Someone was asking where he was and if he was free for a moment. He rolled his eyes before he responded to them.

       "I'm in the hallway by the auditorium, I have two female students here with me. They were fighting and I'm handling it." I could hear the annoyance in his voice. It was all directed towards Cassie. I think she knew this too.

       "Do you need assistance?"

       "No, I'm good here." Whoever he was talking to didn't respond back. David turned his attention back to the both of us. I wanted to just go to the main office already and get this over with. Cassie looked like she wanted this to be over already too.

       "Can I go to the nurse now?" I asked impatiently. David sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. He looked from me to Cassie trying to decide something. I felt the stinging in my lip and it only made me more upset than I already was. I really wished I had done something to Cassie and I hated feeling that way. I hated wishing that she was bleeding like I was. This wasn't me. I wasn't this person.

       I waited for David to answer me. He just looked conflicted. I completely understood why. He needed to go with me because another student had picked a fight with me and he knew I did not start it. But he also needed to go to the office with Cassie to make sure she actually went and to tell the ladies in the office what happened. I almost just walked away when someone rounded the corner quickly. I scoffed.

       "What happened?" Jake. I knew almost every teacher carried a walkie-talkie, I just never really saw any of them use them. Of course he'd come running out. Why wouldn't he? David looked to Jake and exhaled stressfully. Again I jumped to answer first.

       "I started a fight with Cassie." Again, they looked at me. Cassie still hadn't said anything. I hope she doesn't. David shook his head at me slightly, enough for me to acknowledge it was meant for me. I shrugged one shoulder in his direction. Jake walked around Cassie, not even looking at her. He looked down at my lip and tensed his jaw. "I started it." I made sure to emphasize 'I' as I spoke to just him now. I could see he did not believe me either.