Stop It Now

Chapter Two

When I got to school, naturally I was ignored. I dragged my huge schoolbag with the wheels and the pink, green, blue, yellow and gray stars on top, set it next to my desk, and sat down.

I turned around to look at my classmates. Not a single one looked at me. Sighing, I stood up, handed my "Homeroom Book" to my homeroom teacher, Miss. Peach, and went over to a girl I liked to think of as my friend.

"Hey, Sophie, how you doing?"

She raised her head and glared at me. "Can't you see I'm busy?" She snapped.

I tried a good-nature grin. "Hey, calm down, dude! Just wanted to say what's up!"

She rolled her eyes. "Go away!" She barked. "No on wants to talk to you."

See? That's what I mean. No one ever wants to talk to me.

"Camilla Grace!" Miss. Peach shouted. "What are you doing? Annoying others again?"

I sighed inwardly. "No ma'am," I managed. "Just trying to say hi to Sophie Cornwell."

"Leave Sophie Cornwell alone," Miss. Peach said. Sophie looked at me with an arrogant smile.

"Jesus, Jesus, okay!" I mumbled and went back to my seat.

Miss. Peach frowned at me. "Oh, Camilla Grace," she said. "How can you act like that when you know full on it was you annoying Miss. Cornwell, and that this is your and your fault entirely?"

I ignored her, and saw, out of the corner of my eye, Miss. Peach sharing a mutual exasperated look with the certain Sophie Cornwell. Was I that annoying?

I was just trying to say hi, and look where that got me.

My other homeroom teacher, Mr. Charlie Douglass, stepped into the classroom and smiled at Miss. Peach. "How are you, Catherine?"

She smiled back but looked at me quickly and then hurried to Mr. Douglass to whisper something in his ear. When she leaned back, he looked at me and shouted, "Hey there, Camilla Grace Jenkins!" He was a nice guy, and unless he was so boiling mad that his intestines were going to flip out searing red hot, even when he scolded people Mr. Douglass had a friendliness about him. "Been annoying others again, I hear?"

This time, however, I wasn't into his "oh - you - see - I'm - so - accustomed - to - you - that - your - great - annoyance - won't - even - bother - me" niceness. For crying out loud, I hadn't even done anything! This time I was starting to get annoyed. "I didn't do anything, sir," I said.

Kindly, Mr. Douglass cocked an eyebrow. "Oh really, Miss. Jenkins? Well, why does Miss. Peach say otherwise?" Miss. Peach looked at me with tired eyes and sighed.

"I don't know," I said, trying out one of my easy grins, to see if it would work.

"No, no, no!" Miss. Peach exclaimed suddenly, jumping. "Don't start that trick with me again, Camilla Grace!" She looked mad. "Feigning innocence, when you were really annoying that poor Sophie Cornwell!"

"But I-"

"Enough!" Miss. Peach shouted, and turned to Mr. Douglass. "Charlie, please!" She pleaded. "You help me. I just simply can't take that child anymore!"

Mr. Douglass looked sadly at me. "Go to your class, Camilla."

I didn't need to be told twice. I gathered my books and went away. See what I mean? Why did teachers hate me so much? Why did everybody hate me so much? What did I ever do to Sophie Cornwell? It was English Lit next, so I hurried into the classroom. English Lit was taught by a bitter old man, Mr. Kingfisher. How he got the last name Kingfisher, no one knew, and all of the students called him Mr. Fish. Once, I had said that, laughing out loud, and had received everybody's glare. They had all turned to me and rolled their eyes until my laughter trailed away.