Hailsmith Academy

Chapter 12: Janitor's closet

I was seriously starting to hate math class.

If it wasn't lacrosse that was going to kill me, calculus definitely would. Just when I think I'm starting to get the hang of it, they throw trigonometry into an integral and I'm screwed. It's the bane of my existence.

I couldn't get out of there fast enough, making my way to the courtyard for lunch. I was the last one to arrive this time, since our stupid math teacher loved to extend class into our lunch break.

"Hey Lukey, where you been?"

"Math." I grumbled, slamming my plate down on the table in frustration. Jackie sat opposite me, the tension visible in her eyebrows.

"You okay?" She asked, studying me intently. I looked at her in confusion. "Yeah, I'm alright. Just math stress."

"Oh, okay good."

She gave me a smile before looking down at her food and starting to eat. Huh. What was that all about?

We finished eating and I made my way over to English. Normally, it's the one subject I like doing, but stupid Evans was starting to drain the fun out of it. He'd pick an argument with me every single time, over the tiniest of things in the chapter. I wanted to smash his head right into the table.

Harvey started to analyse the scene we just read, asking for everyone to contribute to the discussion like he always does. Of course, the minute I opened my mouth and said something, Evans jumped up to argue.

"That doesn't even make sense-"

"NO! You two are not starting this again." Harvey spoke suddenly, making everyone turn towards him in shock. "I cannot hear this anymore. Luke, Jeremiah, please go to the staffroom and get the corrected test papers on my desk."

"But-"

"No arguments!"

Muttering a thousand swear words under my breath, I walked out of the classroom before Evans could even move. He caught up to me a few seconds later, both of us walking down the empty corridor in silence.

We entered the staffroom, finding the huge stack of papers on Harvey's desk. Jesus Christ, did we really write that much?

I took half the pile and walked out, leaving it to Evans to take the other half. He did so, walking behind me in silence once again.

Around midway back, my clumsy self somehow managed to accidentally slip up and spill all the papers onto the floor. Cursing myself, I ran after them to pick it up as they spread off in different directions.

I half expected Evans to just walk off and leave me there, but he bent down and started to help me pick them up. He shifted the stack he was already carrying to one hand with ease, going around, picking up the rest.

A few of them had even managed to fly into the open janitor's closet. I ran over, praying none of the papers has gotten soaked in cleaning solution or something.

I had just started to pick them up, when I heard Evans walk up behind me, slamming the door shut after him.

"What the hell are you-"

He put the papers down on a bucket, glaring at me with his arms folded. "Why do you hate me?"

I looked at him in confusion. "What?"

"I'm not letting you leave this closet until you answer me. What did I do that was so terrible?"

"This is ridiculous. Harvey's going to be wondering where we are. I'm leaving."

I pushed past him and went to open the door, only to find that it was locked.

"Are you shitting me? This thing locks from the outside?!"