Chapter 5
"In my office, both of you, NOW!" screamed the teacher.
A bunch of boys chuckled quietly as we walked out to his office and Brody slipped something in my bag and mouthed, 'call me'.
"What the hell was going on in there Adam?" the man screamed as we sat down in a very small office at an even smaller desk. "I'm Coach Bailey," he directed at me.
"I'm Laurel Brookes," I replied quietly.
"What, Miss Brookes, were you doing on the locker room floor with Adam in front of the entire gym class? Not to mention the fact that he is my star quarterback. You do realise your little shenanigans could get him off the team." Bastard, all he cares about is his precious little quarterback. Did I mention Adam Taylor is a quarterback now? I mean I would have never guessed that in 9th Grade, no one would have guessed that in 9th Grade. "Well?!?" Oh right, back to reality.
I turned red. "We," I said emphasising the 'we', "were not doing anything on the floor!" I continued. "I was in the closet, and I fell out," I murmured quietly.
"What were you doing in the closet?" he asked growing impatient.
"Well," I started. 'Well' is such a great word to stall for time with. "I was in the closet, because, um, I dropped my pen."
"How does that explain you being in the closet?" Adam asked incredulously.
"Adam be quiet, you'll have your turn to talk soon son," Coach Bailey replied finally showing a bit of fairness. I peeked over at Adam and was glad to see that he was a little peeved that his favourite coach was not kissing his sweet little- stop it Laurel! God, I need to get a hold of myself. I think I need therapy.
"I'm getting there," I said through clenched teeth at Adam, although really I was grateful that that slowed things down a bit and stopped me thinking about you know what.
"Anyways," and then this great idea came to me. Oh God, I'm not going to be expelled! I'm not going to have to be a prostitute. I could not deal with Chlamydia or any STD's for that matter, "so as I was saying, I dropped my pen in the corridor outside the locker rooms and as I bent down to pick it up this rat came out from nowhere and just picked up my pen and scurried off.
"Now I was shocked, I hadn't heard rumours of rats in the school but evidently they were there. And this wasn't any pen, this was my grandmother's pen. When she first came to this country from England that pen and the clothes on her back were all she had with her. That pen had been given to me on my grandmothers dying bed and it has helped me on every test from then on. So naturally I ran after the rat; completely unaware of my surroundings; and found myself in a closet.
"I eventually gave up, wiped my tears and was about to open the door to the closet when someone opened it from the other side and I fell out on top of Adam."
"Is that all Miss Brookes?" Coach Bailey asked as if he almost believed me. People into sports really are that dim-witted, my mom was right; I should totally not go for a career in sports, not that I had the choice anyway I suck at it.
I nodded and then both Adam and Coach Bailey burst into laughter. My mouth fell open as I pretended I was shocked they didn't believe me. "Well I never!" I remarked.
Adam wiped a tear from his eye as they continued laughing. Coach Bailey stopped eventually and straightened up. "Now Miss Brookes, sorry about that, why don't you start with the truth?"
"What? You didn't believe that?" Maybe people in sports aren't that stupid.
"Coach isn't stupid Lor," Adam replied. Oh my God, he used to call me that before he hated me! Back in Park Hill! Not that I care of course.
