And Then There Were Five

chapter two

michelle
monday, september 24, 3:04 p.m.

this is why i never write on paper. i roll my wrist as an attempt to ease the pain. i glance at addy, who catches my glimpse and returns it with a sympathetic smile. i share the same one as i turn back to the front.

i only have about three paragraphs on paper. i place the tip of my pencil back on the paper and sigh, placing my chin in my left palm. i glance at addy again, who writes the word 'draw' in the bottom left corner of her paper. i smirk at her.

i've been drawing since i was at least four years old. it started with little doodles and sketches all around my papers in class, which would earn some comments from people sitting around me. but one day i got bored and drew the view outside the window in class. ever since then, i've know i was talented. art has always been my way of expressing things. there are so many emotions and stories tucked away in a few brush strokes.

i told addy about my love for it a few months after we met in 6th grade. she thought i was crazy at first, but now she sees what i see. sometimes. but she still supports me and hypes up my drawings every times she sees them.

i flip to a new page and study mr. avery. i sketch a light outline of the position he was sitting in. i lightly sketch the desk laying over top of his figure, before i start to define the lines.

as i drag my pencil across the paper, i hear a rustling to my left. i glance over and see simon violently rooting through his bag. "where the hells my water bottle?" he mutters.

"no talking, mr. kelleher," mr. avery says without looking up. i roll my eyes, looking back at my paper.

"i know, but—my water bottle's missing. and i'm thirsty." i roll my eyes again.

simon kelleher, always trying to gain attention. as soon as he was diagnosed with his water-drinking condition, he can't get enough of it. he's been using that for years.

mr. avery points to the back counter. his fingers remind me of the ghost of the future from a christmas carol. "get yourself a drink. quietly."

simon rolls his eyes as he sighs, reluctantly standing and dragging his feet. as he passes me, i could've sworn i saw a mischievous little smirk on his lips. he grabs a cup from the stack on the counter and fills it with the tap water.

i look back at my paper and continue sketching, tuning out the mumbles and hushed whispers of simon and nate, until mr. avery finally snaps. "one more word out of either of you and it's detention tomorrow."

i shoot my head up as the sound of tires squealing and then the crash of two cars hitting each other, interrupting the three-person conversation. I hear a gasp from my right and glance addy's way, before looking over my shoulder to see cooper bracing himself like he's the one who was hit. i look past cooper to see nate rushing to stand and peer out the window. "who gets into a fender bender in the school parking lot?" he asks.

bronwyn glances to mr. avery, almost asking for permission to stand and follow nate. before either of them can move, i jump to my feet and am at nate's side in a second. mr. avery gets up and bronwyn soon follows. addy is next, then cooper and simon. soon, we're all standing at the window, like a couple of detention rats with their teacher.

two cars are smashed into each other. i pull my phone from my pocket and take a quick, 5-second snip-it of the vehicles as they rest for a moment.

"i'd better make sure no one was hurt." our prison guard says, adding something aimed at bronwyn to "keep us in check," whatever the hell that means.

the second the man leaves the room, i look into the windshield of the car facing our way and see the driver lean forward slightly, looking up at the window. as soon as he sees us, he motions at the other car and the two quickly drive away.