FREAKS || Jerome Valeska¹

05 || A Liar

"Can somebody answer question number nine?"

Monday morning had come fast and painfully. Edward had spoken with the principal before classes started, and they had a serious conversation about what the doctor had told us. I did have a concussion, and I felt awful. He suspended Amelia for ten days. My brother had fought for her to be expelled, but I was fine with how it was. I didn't want to talk to lawyers anymore, I didn't want to deal with the justice system. It wanted to be left alone. I'm exhausted.

The entire class stopped when I appeared at the entrance of the AP History classroom. Small, devious smiles formed on some of their faces; my body shook with anxiety. There was a deafening silence that caused heart palpitations and fast breathing. I felt like I was about to have some sort of panic attack, but it was a prolonged wait.

"Reese."

My eyes broke away from the crowd and connected with Ms. Nguyen's. A sympathetic smile was sent in my direction as if she sensed my apprehension, which somewhat eased me. She was one of the kindest people (if not the only one) here in Gotham High, and I enjoyed listening to her talk about Social Studies because she is really passionate about it. She always talked about her experiences and her life; she was only in her 30s, of Vietnamese descent, had just had a baby with her high school sweetheart, had a dog named Milo, and enjoyed going on hikes. Overall, from the outside, her life looked perfect.

"It's so nice to have you back." She motioned toward the room, "Please, take a seat."

"Yeah, thanks," I mumbled quietly and walked toward my desk, avoiding eye contact with everyone.

Ms. Nguyen approached me again, this time with one of her worksheets, filled with questions about today's chapter. She placed a hand over my shoulder and leaned closer to me to speak quietly, "If you need anything, just let me know, okay?"

I didn't say anything and just took the paper from her, nodding.

She squeezed my shoulder and walked to the front of the class, continuing her lesson. I opened my book to the chapter and practically worked on the worksheet myself. This was typically one of my favorite classes because it was really interesting, but I didn't have the interest nor inner strength to participate in class or listen to it. I just wanted the ground to pull me down.

The world felt like it was spinning slowly. An hour and 30 minutes felt an eight, and I was counting the seconds before the dismissal bell would ring so I could get the day over with. When it finally did, the mass of students began pouring out into the hallways, hurrying to get to their second period.

I placed my binder inside my backpack, along with all my school supplies.

"Reese." Ms. Nguyen's voice called out, and she held out a hand, "Please stay for a second."

My eyes widened slightly at the demand, knowing well what she wanted to discuss, but I didn't decline out of respect. I zipped my backpack shut and walked toward her desk, hiking the bag over my shoulder. We stood there awkwardly as the room emptied itself. Once it did, she decided to speak.

"I just wanted to ask how you were doing." I could see her inspecting me carefully, inspecting the bruising on my face, trying to read my expressions. It was uncomfortable, so I tried to make it difficult for her. "You were missing the rest of the week, and I got really worried about you."

A small smile formed on my face at her kindness, "I went to the hospital on Wednesday because I had a concussion."

"Oh, that's horrible." She gasped in disbelief.

"I was released on Thursday and decided to stay home to get some rest."

She nodded, "Yeah, yeah, I understand." She clicked her tongue, fixing her desk, "I know what happened must've been very hard for you, and I just want you to know I am open to being as flexible as you need."