"Does the term 'insubordination' mean anything to you?"
I tucked stray hair behind my ear. Daren stood in the doorway with his arms crossed. He had a signature smirk on his face. The one that said he found me amusing. Daren was hardly ever serious about things; he was just happy to be alive. Or at least that was how he presented himself to the world. Sometimes, I felt more mature than him, but he had the uncanny ability to change personalities during training. So I guess, in better words, Daren could take things seriously if he felt he needed to. Judging by how he was enjoying himself, my situation wasn't very important to him.
After leaving Mr. Peterson's office, I skipped the cafeteria and visited my locker. Still hungry, but needing something to punch, I traveled to the gym. Juniors looked at me when I first walked in. I scowled at them and proceeded through to a room with weights and mats patting the floor and walls. Taking a swig of water and putting my jacket on a chair, I started with footwork. That was complex enough to distract me. By the time Daren found me, I had progressed to facing an invisible opponent.
I straightened and shook out my hands before wiping them on my pants. Keeping my eyes focused in front of me, I provided the explanation Daren didn't need to ask for.
"He told me to be more like Ben."
Daren picked my jacket off the back of the chair and dropped it on the floor. Taking the open seat, he put his hands behind his head, Daren had a big smile now.
"You can deal with that without throwing a tantrum," he stated. Some could perceive him as being cold or mocking. It could really clash with his easygoing, warm aura. I thought about my source of anger and refined the previous explanation.
"I got in trouble," I corrected. Daren shrugged as if I asked what was for dinner. To me, getting in trouble was an offense, no matter how small, against the pact.
"Yeah, I can't overlook talking back to a teacher. It's the first negative thing on your record. You put up a good defense, but Ms. Menstal has the Code of Conduct on her side and she could suspend you."
Sitting down on the padded floor, I finished my water silently. Daren continued thinking aloud.
"However, I get to decide what's right. Though I side with you because I'm not fond of that lady, I can't let you get away with it."
"Daren," I interrupted. Taking an apple from my lunch, I said, "Ms. Menstal is mental. Suspension from her would be a blessing."
He narrowed his eyes. "Suspension would mean loneliness. You know you'd hate it."
I swallowed a bite and hid my smile. Sad, but true. I have no friends. After awhile though, I'd have found something productive to do than wallow in loneliness.
"I'll introduce your punishment at training, " Daren said, jumping to his feet. He made undefinable noises as he stretched. I checked my watch and took even bigger bites of the apple, stuffing my face, while packing up. I had a kit of stuff in my messenger bag. Mostly, the kit was filled with things I needed when hanging around with Daren. During training, I sweat like crazy. It bugs me; some kind of family gene. So, I had a towel to wipe my face with and maybe look presentable again. Well, if you think about it, no one really cared.
Once I dabbed all the sweat away, replenished my deodorant, filled my water bottle, straightened my clothes, put on my jacket, slung my bag over my shoulder, and thrown out the apple core and lunch bag, I was ready for the dash to next period. Daren had left, bored at watching me fix my hair. He had wanted to leave, but I wasn't satisfied until a few tries after he'd left. The juniors and whatever grade level were inside the locker rooms, changing.