Addiction

Chapter 4 • A Chance

Gabriel's POV

A sharp pain coursed through my head. My mind was going crazy, leading me to become dizzy. I looked around, realizing I was alone in the hallway. Adding to the dizzy feeling, I was now confused.

'What happened? Where's Yasmin and Roza? Why am I not in class?' Questions filled my already messy and wild mind. But deep down, the questions were answering themselves. Looking closely, I realized what path my feet were taking me. Suddenly, my headache worsened as a small fragment of the situation came to light.

Yasmin, Roza, and I entered school, we talked as we walked to class. Roza departed to her class while Yasmin and I continued to ours. Before I got a chance to enter the classroom, I was informed that Mr. Hindwell, the principal, wanted to speak with me. And now, I'm here.

I must've spaced out during the entire thing. Something I did quite frequently. From what I remember, I didn't do anything wrong. Yet, I still had this feeling as if I did.

Clearly, I did, otherwise, Mr. Hindwell wouldn't need to speak with me. Am I being expelled? Is he giving me a warning? It's only the first day and things are already crumbling apart. Along with the paint on the hall's wall. I bit down on my nails to avoid biting my lips, as per Yasmin's wishes. My mind ran with negative thoughts.

'Maybe it's not as bad as you're thinking it is.' But who's to say? Mr. Hindwell wasn't very fond of me. Ever since day one, he had it out for me. Whenever I did something bad or even good, he'd give me the same response. 'You should be more like your sister.' Honestly, I don't blame him. Mr. Hindwell's office was soon in view. I dragged my torn mismatched shoes to the door.

'Positive thoughts. Positive thoughts.' And with that, I grabbed the door handle and turned. Pushing the door open before walking in.

~

Okay, this has exceeded the lines of awkward. The loud clicking imitating throughout the room isn't helping either. Not a single word has been uttered since I arrived. Which was over 15 minutes ago.

Words could not describe the tension in the air. When I entered the room, Mr. Hindwell didn't spare me a single glance, only pointing to the chair in front of him.
Whatever's displayed on his computer held his entire attention. Clicking and typing furiously. Now and then his eyebrows would raise and his jaw dropped. Halting his actions. Then he'll scoff and start typing once more. I could only bounce my leg in anticipation. I didn't want to risk opening my mouth and annoying him.

"It's nice to see that you're finally here Mr. Miller. Thought you were late which means you were late to class therefore I will not be giving you an excuse tardy slip." I looked at my lap as I nodded. Not willing to put up a fight with his unfair declaration. The typing stopped so I only assumed he was no longer looking at his computer.

"Do you know why you're here Mr. Miller?" I gulped. I felt his eyes on me as he spoke. Actually, I felt dozens of eyes on me. Each breath I took in came out unsteady. Despite that fact, I tried to speak anyway.

"N-no, but I assume it's som-something bad?" The tension in the room rested heavily on my shoulders. Becoming more unbearable by the second. The silence that followed my answer made it harder to bear. Slowly, I glanced up. Meeting Mr. Hindwell's eyes that were scanning my face; the parts of my face that were visible. The tension that was painful to me seemed to be ineffective towards him. He had a grin on his face as he watched me tremble with anxiety. His eyes then stopped at where one would assume my eyes were. Not like he could see them through my glasses and thick bangs.

"Surprisingly, no. The opposite actually." Wait, what? What did he mean by 'the opposite'? He never called me in for something good. Not good for me. His eyes returned to the computer screen.

"Over the summer, you applied for a couple of scholarships, yes?" I nodded.

"Yes, along with my friends." It wasn't my plan to apply. Yasmin suggested we should all apply for some scholarships so that we—preferably me—could get out of this hellhole.

"Well, you got accepted into a prestigious school located a city over. They sent a letter to your address but never got a response back." What? I don't remember getting a letter. I do tend to forget some things but I wouldn't have forgotten this. What happened to it?

"After that, they sent an email to you, but you declined their offer." Now I definitely didn't do that. I was waiting for a letter or an email, just anything. But nothing came so I stopped waiting. I was used to the rejection; it was a price that came with living. Hearing that I was, in fact, accepted into an esteemed academy sent a wave of emotions through me; accompanying them were questions.

"Apparently, after looking through your application and doing their research, they really want you to rethink your answer." A smile spread across my face, for the first time in this room. "Though I did offer Everlory as a replacement. Seeing how she has a brighter future, but sadly they're not taking any new applicants." He started typing on his keyboard again.

"They're offering a dorm room, free lunch, and transportation to get you and your stuff there." A dorm? I'll get my own dorm! An actual room. I couldn't hide the shock and excitement on my face. Self-consciously bouncing in my seat.

"This is a great opportunity. If a student of our school graduates from that academy, our school could get the recognition it needs. Possibly becoming popular. Then it'll get the funding and donations that can bring our school out of its grave." Zoning out of the conversation I started thinking about the future.

I could be living alone, in a dorm. A fresh start, something I've yearned for. It all sounded like a dream. Almost like a dream. My smile fell to a frown.

"What about Roza and Yasmin? Will they be coming too?" My dreams weren't complete without them. I couldn't leave them behind. Mr. Hindwell leaned back in his chair with a sigh.

"Now Gabriel, you can't just throw this away for a childish friendship. They may be your friends now but in the future, they'll just forget about you." A lump appeared in my throat. Just the thought had me filled with guilt and dread. "That's just how life goes Gabriel. You live and you forget. But think of everyone. The school could be repaired, the kids could get a better education, and the teachers could get paid better. Are you really going to put 2 friends over a bunch of innocent kids?"

His words hit me hard. Gosh, it seemed so selfish. But at the same time, how selfish would it be if I betray the 2 people who always defended me in the war called life?

'You know the right answer, Gabriel.' I released the lump in my throat with a deep breath.

"I'll have to think about it." That felt like the right answer. Mr. Hindwell pinched the bridge of his nose with another sigh.

"Alright, Mr. Miller. It's currently Monday, you have until Friday to decide. You may go to class. I stood from the chair, heading towards the door. Before I could leave the office, Mr. Hindwell spoke again.

"Don't be so selfish Gabriel. This is a chance you don't deserve."

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-ℕ𝕆ℝ𝕋ℍ