Figuring Out Foster

Chapter 26

UNEDITED

I clipped my shoulder against the doorframe on the way out of Ms. Romero's classroom, but I didn't acknowledge the pain that ran down my arm. The force of hitting the wall had knocked my bag off my shoulder. I wondered what Foster what was doing right now. Is he rejoicing with his mom?

"Wait, Maggie!" Jess's voice carried from within the classroom, and the sound of a desk screeching against the tiled floor let me know she was following me.

Another hint that she'd followed me was when Ms. Romero cried out to her as well.

Unfazed, I adjusted my tote bag so that it hung off my other shoulder. I heard her footsteps as she quickly caught up to me. I never slowed down as I made my way towards the school's parking lot.

"Maggie, stop," Jess managed to wrap her hand around my wrist and pulled me back. The sudden jerk caused my bag to fall to the floor and it spilled all its contents into the empty hallway.

Bending, I scrambled to pick up all my important things, like my wallet and keys, and opted chasing down the pencils that rolled away. Jess crouched and helped to shove everything into my bag.

"Jess, I have to see him before he's gone," I sighed shaken.

"I know," Jess said, a grabbed my bag off the floor and then held out a hand for me to take, "...but you will never make it father than the parking lot with the narc out there."

Silently, I let her pull me to my feet and she handed my bag back to me. I hadn't thought about the fact that I could've been stopped by a teacher while I ran from the classroom. I wasn't the type of person to skip school in the first place.

Jess fell deep in thought, and seconds later she smiled. "Good thing we have a person on the inside, "she spoke as if she were a detective in the middle of breakthrough.

I gave her a confused look as she took off in the direction of the school's office. I took a longing glance back at the front gates of the school, before I followed her.

I tried to reason with her logic as I fell into next to her and kept up with her speedy pace.

"Do you think we should be going to the office? Ms. Romero probably already let them know what we'd done," I stated once we turned down a hallway and finally the office came into view.

"That doesn't matter," Jess didn't even hesitate as she waltzed straight to the office door.

She had reached out to grasp the handle when suddenly it was shoved wide open. Jess leaned back out of shock, as the door almost smack her. However, I froze as I saw the person that had just walked out with a sour look on his face.

But once his gaze took me in, his expression lightened, "Yo, Maggie?" Vincent looked confused to see me and I gave sigh of irritation.

"I'm not in the mood Vincent," I said and I really wasn't. Jess shot me a scared look, like she was scared for me, glancing back and forth between us.

"I'm off my suspension now," he stated as he blocked the door way to the office building. His hands nonchalantly tucked into the front pockets of his jeans.

"I can't believe you only got three days," I grumbled.

"I'm pretty sure its standard."

"I suppose," I sighed, "Look, I have to go Vincent-"

"I heard Foster's dropped out of school," Vincent suddenly spoke which cut through the quick sendoff I tried to deliver.

"Did everyone know but me!?"