Between The Lines

Chapter 51:'Sorry... S-sir'

Rebecca's POV (1st Person):

Sitting in Mr. Montgomery's class, I felt a storm brewing inside me. Why did he have to be such a shitface? Just because he came to my house, basically scolded me in front of my parents, and then made me feel like a fool, doesn't mean he gets to act all high and mighty. I glared at him as he scribbled motes on the board, his back turned to us. He was so annoying, and it was becoming increasingly hard to be mad at him. But oh, I was mad.

"Rebecca, are you paying attention?" Mr. Montgomery's sharp tone cut through my thoughts.

I blinked, realizing I had been staring blankly at my notebook. "Uh, yeah. Sorry."

"Sorry what?" he pressed, his eyes narrowing as he turned to face me.

I clenched my jaw, feeling my cheeks heat up. "Sorry, Sir."

"Better. Try to keep up," he said, his voice dripping with condescension.

Ugh. He was so infuriating. What was his problem anyway? Was he just trying to make my life miserable?

As the class dragged on, I could feel my friends' eyes on me. Charlotte and Oliver exchanged worried glances, clearly sensing the tension. Charlotte mouthed, "You okay?" from across the room. I nodded slightly, trying to reassure her, but I knew she wasn't buying it.

Finally, the bell rang, signaling the end of class. I gathered my things quickly, desperate to escape Mr. Montgomery's oppressive presence.

"Rebecca, a word," he called out just as I was about to step out of the room.

Great. What now? I trudged to his desk, my frustration mounting with each step.

"Yes, Mr. Montgomery?" I asked, struggling to keep my tone polite.

He leaned back in his chair, studying me with those piercing eyes. "I expect you to be more focused in class. If you have issues outside of school, they need to be dealt with on your own time."

I bit back a retort, nodding curtly. "Understood."

"Good. You can go," he said dismissively.

I walked out, seething. What did he even mean by that? My issues? He was the one causing half of them!

Charlotte and Oliver were waiting for me outside. "What was that about?" Oliver asked, concern etched on his face.

"Just Mr. Montgomery being a jerk," I muttered.

Charlotte put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just need to cool off," I replied, trying to shake off the frustration.

As we made our way to the gym for PE, I found myself dreading another encounter with Mr. Montgomery. Thankfully, the gym teacher announced that swimming practice was canceled due to maintenance issues. A small relief.

"At least we get a break from swimming," Charlotte said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah," I sighed, "but now I have to figure out what to do with my time."

Just as we were leaving the gym, I spotted Jack leaning against the lockers, a familiar smirk on his face. Great. Just what I needed.

"Hey, Becca," he called out, using the nickname that always made my skin crawl.

"Jack," I replied tersely, not in the mood for his games.

He sauntered over, ignoring my obvious annoyance. "You look like you could use some cheering up."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm fine, thanks."

"Come on, let's talk," he insisted, grabbing my arm gently and steering me away from my friends.