Love vs War

Chapter 11 : Standing on buisness

Disclaimer there are some graphic scenes in this chapter containing prominent forms of  violence and some R rated content viewer disgression is advised. recommended for audiences 18 and up -sha414

Dess POV
As I walk down the hallway, it feels like I'm in a movie. Everyone keeps staring at me, and I hear whispers and chuckles. But I couldn't care less about what they have to say. Yes, I hooked up with Morton multiple times, and I have no regrets. I've even skipped two days of school just to be with him, and I'm not sorry about it. After 18 years of living by the rules, Morton has shown me that rules are meant to be broken, and I love it.

I finally arrive at my 6th-period class and enter late. Ms. O, the teacher, pauses her teaching and looks at me, followed by the entire class. "Dess, welcome back. It's been a while," Ms. O says.

"Girl, it's only been two days," I roll my eyes as I take my seat.

She looks shocked. "Oh, okay. We'll talk after class," she says, and resumes teaching.

Just then, the door opens, and Jino walks in. "Hey, Ms. O, sorry for my absence," Jino says.

"Hey, Jino, no worries. It looks like today's a class reunion," she says sarcastically. I shamelessly can't help but stare at Jino, but he pays me no mind and takes his seat. Ever since I got back from the hospital, I haven't spoken to him much. He's the reason I got injured, and I'll never forgive him for that. I don't care what people say about him seeking revenge for me; I know it was just a ploy to make me feel guilty and get with him. I can recognize manipulation when I see it, and I won't fall for it. He's evil, a wolf in sheep's clothing, and I don't understand why no one else sees it.

"Tomorrow, we will start presentations for your group research projects," Ms. O announces. I raise my hand, and she calls on me. "Yes, Dess?"

"What research project are you talking about?" I ask.

"For the midterm, instead of giving out an exam, I decided that you guys should do a research project involving any form of qualitative study. So you have to pick a topic and conduct sampling and data collection to come up with a solution. You can do it alone since you haven't been here, or you can partner up," she explains.

"Okay," I respond.

"Oh, wait. Jino is back, so you can just partner with him. Perfect, everyone is in a group of two," she adds.

"Ms. O, can I do it alone?" Jino asks.

"No, it must be done with a partner. It'll be easier for us to get through the presentations quicker and avoid extra class time," she replies.

"Ugh," Jino and I groan in unison.

Once the class is over, I pack my things, ready to leave. Jino rushes out the door, but Ms. O calls him back. He follows her orders and returns to her desk. "Dess, stop rushing. I need to talk to both of you," she says. We approach her desk, ready to listen to her lecture.

"I am very disappointed in both of you. Jino, you haven't been to class in over two weeks, and Dess, missing class for two days is not like you. You both have come too far in your high school journeys to drop the ball now, especially with only a month left. Please behave yourselves. I don't want to see you both missing class anymore. If you're going through anything, remember that I'm here for you, and you can come talk to me. But this is not the way to handle it. Have I made myself clear?" she asks.

"Yeah," we both respond in unison.

"I want you both to start working on this immediately. I'm not giving you any additional time. The assignment must be submitted by tomorrow, in time for the class presentation. I'll write both of you a pass so you can utilize the library and get to work," she instructs. We stand in silence as she writes the pass.