The Sage and Shield

Chapter 5 (Done)

Mikey and Faith joined their classmates upstairs for English with Ms. Almore and Ms. Spring.

"You want to make more girl friends?"

"Yeah, mom and dad were really happy to hear I made a friend. Thought I'd make a few more."

"Oh," showing a bit of discomfort.

"You don't want me too?"

"It's not that. There's only like four people at best I think you can trust. Everyone else is a follower that gets shocked when they don't learn anything. That's why I stopped going."

Faith pouted. "Don't you think you should give some of them a chance?"

"I did. For three years, and some of them are gonna get worse. The nice ones are enabler at worst or keep their head down to not get in any trouble at best. And I don't blame them."

She had a very good reason to understand, but her gut was reminding her people aren't born good or evil. She could've been like the same people who hurt her. "I'll give them a chance anyway," walking ahead of him.

"Was I too harsh?"

Ms. Almore gave them their assignment, picking someone else to work with for their assignment.

He elected to work with her, but a small section of doubt resulted in her losing out to Sanae's butt smacking his hand out of the way, and sliding into the seat.

"So Faith right? You seem pretty smart. Love the hair, care to work with me?"

"How about you work with Kathy or Malachi?"

His eyes hesitated. The black girl with a usual annoyed face, wearing cargo green with blue clothes and three poms on each side of her head, and Faith was too starstruck to see his face trying to warn her as Kathy pulled him in.

"What, you don't want to work with me, circus boy."

He sucked his teeth at the long haired flowing plus sized Eurasian girl with video game characters on her laptop.

Awkward memories of last year flowed into his head. "That's not it at all."

They were supposed to be reading about what they think the national effects of disasters would be, but every second he turned back, Yurei would be the one actually talking while Sanae's responses were the most riveting thing in the world.

"Yeah, um sure like I agree, like that makes sense."

"Lazy piece of -

"Who are you calling lazy?"

Kat gave him the face of death. He gulped.
"Sorry, not you. Besides, you're still reading."

"Yeah, we learned this at the end of last year. That was to ease us into next year."

"That's so smart. Why didn't you tell me that earlier?"

"Cuz you're smart enough to realize that," turning away from her.

"So why aren't you looking at me?"

She forgot huh.

Mikey ended up overhearing Faith basically doing the blunt of the work while he hid his pain to work with Kathy. On the line for lunch later, Sanae went in front of Kat as the teacher told them to line up by height. Another classmate, Rebina, tripped onto Kassandra, falling on Alana, who fell on Sanae, who pushed them forward.

"That wasn't me," as Faith watched them curse at each other so loud Mikey told them to shut up before they got in trouble.

"Who cares what that fat oaf of a teacher thinks?"

"Ladies and gentlemen," yelled Ms. Onset, "what is going on out here!? Who has the nerve to say that about me? Be honest."

No one answered.

"Fine. Since we all want to talk rudely one minute and be silent the next, we can practice being quiet in the hallways sitting in this classroom for lunch instead of being outside on a warm sunny day."

Mikey watched their class decay into teeth sucking and Jake begging for someone to confess.

Faith's hand trembled, but she pointed at the culprit.

"You sold me out?"

Sanae pushed Faith so hard the girl stumbled to the floor. "Serves you right!"

Mikey's anger burst into a kick making Sanae trip over Faith's body. "Leave her alone!"

Jake and most of the guys started hyping up a fight when Sanae picked herself up to try and knee him in the chest, but he blocked it his with his own knee and spun her into the wall.

"Say sorry to Faith!"

"I'll kill you circus boy!"

Kat, Alana, and Rebina had to hold her back as Ms. Onest and Mr. Leonardo arrived.

"Puckett, take your class downstairs, you two, come with me!"

Downstairs, the two of them sat in their office with their respective lunches, when a light skinned black woman with a wide body, a pants suit and fancy clothes approached them.

"Young man, why are you pushing a girl?"

"Ask the one who pushed the girl, that's why I kicked her instead. Evil has no gender!"

Sanae sucked her teeth. "Are you calling me evil?"

"You let her do all the work for you in class and hit her over an accident, do the math."

"He called her a fat oaf!"

"What, you liar! Anyone with good hearing knows that came from her mouth. Sanae's just mad, her mouth is just as big, at least Ms. Onest can actually read a page without help!"

"That's enough, you two!"

"She can tell me who did it. Faith, is it?"

Faith's mouth trembled. Mikey didn't get why, but he got up to see Sanae smiling at her.

"Friends have each other's back, right Faith? You wouldn't want to be lonely again because of what he," quickly lowering her voice, "did. Right?"

Mikey's heart sank. The same tactic she used to frame him for what happened with the second graders last year during the indoor party was being repeated. He lowered his head, defeated.

"It was her."

"What!?"

Mikey was allowed to leave after a statement and tried speaking to Faith when the day ended, with tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry. We can't friends anymore."

His own tears started falling.