Self-Destruction • Luke Hemmings

Chapter 19

"Faith, I've had 5 teachers come to me talking about your disruptive behaviour. At first, I wanted to give you a chance, considering it was your first week. But you've this is your second week, and yesterday, your English teacher was complaining about you." Mr Brown sighs. I nod my head slightly, I knew this was bound to happen.

"If this continues I'm going to have to kick you off the music program." He continues, at this, my head picks up and I feel myself get angry.

"What? I've been here for 6 days! You can kick me off already?" I exclaim.

"I'm sorry Faith, your not getting kicked off yet, but if you carry, on...I'll have no other choice." He nods towards the door, sending me out. I stand with my fists clenched staring at him for a moment, before reluctantly leaving.

"And don't think I haven't noticed your lack of school uniform, either." He says as I leave the room. I kick the wall outside his office in anger, and then make my way to maths.

"I had to talk to Mr Brown, miss." I tell our teacher as soon as I walk in the classroom. I slump down in my seat while she flaps around with some papers, trying to find my book, the rest of the class are doing book work.

"Your last work was good, Faith, quite a few mistakes, though. I can get you a tutor for that though." She nods.

"I don't need a tutor." I mutter, clenching my hands under the table, this whole day just keeps getting worse.

"Oh...okay, erm, do you want to start doing the work then, please?" She practically begs. I roll my eyes and slowly start writing the first question, she's still standing next to me, watching what I'm writing and her presence is annoying me.

"Can you fuck off?" I mutter, and she rushes back to her seat. I sigh to myself, she's probably going to tell Mr Brown I'm being anti-social, and then I'll be kicked off the music program. I really need to control my anger.

"What's wrong?" Luke asks, as soon as our teacher leaves the area we sit in.

"Mr Brown said he might kick me off the music program." I sigh, rubbing my temples in frustration.

"He won't." Luke reassures, I sigh lout at his incompetence.

"And how do you know?" I ask, rudely. I bite my tongue slightly, I don't mean to be rude, I just can't help it.

"Your the best musician this school has." He grins. I roll my eyes, but can't help but blush with pride.

"Do you want to sit with me and Ash at lunch? You know, if you want to?" He says.

"No, not that I don't want to, I just sit with Michael and Calum, that's all." I reassure, his face falls, and his eyebrows knit together.

"I bet they've told you a bunch of stuff I've done." He laughs, but with no humour in his tone.

"Erm..." I say, I want to reassure him that they haven't said anything, but I really want to know if what they said is true.

"Can I take you out tonight?" He suddenly asks, and I blink at the sudden change of conversation.

"What do you mean?" I ask confused, he's taken me out before and he didn't need to ask then.

"Like...on a date?" He says with ease, while I unfortunately start blushing.

"Oh, erm, sure, I guess?" I reply, and he nods before continuing with the work we've been given. I attempt to do the work but get confused so instead I doodle in the margins.

"Do you not like math?" Luke asks, obviously noticing my hesitance to even start the work.

"I don't know anyone that likes math." I laugh nervously, hoping he doesn't hear the edge to my voice.

"I do." He says lightly, and I shuffle in my seat.

"Oh, yeah, erm, I just don't like it." I reluctantly tell him, he nods in understanding, and then continues to do his work, which I'm thankful for.

"Miss? I'm bored." I groan, and our teacher lifts her head quickly and bites her nails nervously while thinking of an answer.

"Have you finished your work?" She asks, and I scoff at the question.

"I haven't even started, I don't like math, why do we have to do it?" I ask seriously, and again, she thinks of an answer.

"You need to learn this stuff to complete all of your exams so you can get a good job." She answers confidently, but I shoot her down immediately.

"But Miss, have you ever used any of this stuff, apart from teaching it to other students?" I question further, and she hesitates.

"This is what will be on your exams so you need to learn it." She says shortly, raising her voice slightly, this is exactly what I want.

"So I've basically spent 17 years of my life learning all this, to never ever use it again?" I ask, and this is where she snaps.

"Outside! Now." She shouts, and I rise slowly.

"With pleasure." I grin, walking out of the lesson with ease. I can see her face burn in anger, and it makes me laugh.