The Reason Why

Chapter 5

~~~2 months later~~~

"Okay, if a plus b equals forty-seven, b plus c equals negative eleven, and a plus c equals negative 18, what is the value of a, b, and c?" Their math teacher, Mr. Labadnoy, asked.

There was silence. "Okay, then..." He muttered.

He proceeded to write the equation on the board. It read:

a+b=47
b+c=-11
a+c=-18

More silence. "This is basic math, you should know that," he commented.

"Basic math," the girl beside John snorted. The other was muttering to herself, writing frantically on a piece of paper. After a second, she raised her hand.

"Yes, miss...?" Mr. Labadnoy pointed to the girl.

"Miss Black, sir. Teresa Black. And the value of a is twenty, b is 27, and c is negative thirty-eight," she recited. She sat down.

"Very good, Miss Jefferson," the teacher said. "Next problem..."

This carried on for the rest of the subject, their teacher giving 'basic math' problems and Teresa answering all, both of them being oblivious to the students tuning out of the discussion and doing their own thing.

"Okay, so if the val-" Mr. Labadnoy was cut off as the bell began to ring.

"Okay, class dismi-" He was once again cut as the class ran out of the room before he could even finish what he was saying.

Everyone rushed to the canteen, John with them while Lucy trailing after him. It was like this for the past two months. John had made no friends. He doubted Lucy counted as a friend, anyway. He missed his old school, despite Jim. He missed his favorite teachers and heck, he even missed the teachers he hated. But if he had to choose between this school and his old school, he still chose the school he was in right now. Anything that didn't involve Jim.

He sat down on his lunch table. Lucy did the same.

"Did you understand anything that Mr. Labadnoy taught us?" She asked him.

"Nope," he replied. He was so sick of everything right now. Lucy, teachers, Lucy, math, Lucy, lessons he didn't understand, and Lucy.

"I do," she said proudly.

I doubt it, John thought.

Suddenly, a boy about twice his size strode towards him.

"You're the new kid, huh? The one who transferred from Olympus High?" The boy sneered at him. "Figures. Most punks that come from there are losers, and they don't last once they come here."

John balled his fists. "Take that back."

"Why, are you going to come home and cry to your mommy? Or are you just gonna-"

John swung a punch at his face. The boy staggered back, holding his mouth. The other people in the cafeteria were staring at him, shocked.

"Bet you didn't expect that, didn't you?" John said.

"You wanna fight?" The boy challenged. "I'll show you a fight."

The boy charged towards him.

"Stop!" Lucy cried. The boy swung towards her.

"Lucy, you know what? I'm sick of you getting in my way and always annoying me. Can you leave me alone for once, to do my own thing, fight my own fights?" John fumed, infuriated.

Lucy opened her mouth to say something. Just then, a teacher walked in.

"What are you two doing? Stop it!" The teacher yelled. She stepped in between them.

"Principal's office. Now," she demanded.

The principal did nothing but talk. After, he decided to give detention to the both of them at the end of the day.

He lead them into a classroom. It had trash scattered everywhere, bits and pieces of dirt in every corner of the room.

"Both of you, clean up this whole room. I'll let both of you go after." The principal said.

He stood in the corner of the room as John and the boy started picking up the pieces of trash. While the principal wasn't looking, the boys stole glares at each other. After awhile, the principal decided to leave.

"I have more pressing matters to attend to them watch both of you clean the room. Don't leave until you're done or I'll make sure you'll have to do this all over again," he walked out of the room.

After a few moments of silence and cleaning, John stopped all of us a sudden and spoke up.

"You clean," was what John said.

The boy snorted. "Excuse me?"

"I said, you clean," John repeated.

"Why the hell should I? In fact, you were the one who got us both in this situation, why don't you clean?" The boy retorted. He put down the broom he was holding.

"Well, you started it," John he pointed out.

"Well, when people don't do what I want, they get punished," the boy said. "You want that, punk?"

"Oh, I'll show you real punishment," John growled. He moved towards the boy.

John could see him take an involuntary step back in the boy's eyes.

"What, are you scared?" John taunted.

"Of course I'm not!" The boy denied, but as he said this, he turned to look at the door, afraid that a teacher could come in any moment.

"Let's finish this stupid thing that got us in this detention," John said.

"Fine, then," the boy said, but he sounded unsure. He opened his mouth to say something, but he broke off as he saw John dash towards him. The boy narrowly missed John's fist hurling towards his face.

"Is that all you can do?" John sneered. John charged once again towards him and this time did not miss as he aimed at the boy's face. John punched him again and again. Heck, he didn't even know the boy's name, but for some reason, he felt pleasure and delight as every hit he smashed on his face.

This is Jim, John thought. This person is just like Jim and deserves what hems getting from me right now.

"John!" A voice yelled from the door. But John didn't listen. He was enjoying the pain of the boy and didn't stop.

"JOHN!" The voice screamed again. John turned around to look at the source of the voice.

Staring at him in shock were his parents.