The Price of Blood

Chapter 14

I sit in US American Government.  Jake and I have been together for 4 weeks, and they have literally been the best few weeks of my life, full of fun, intimacy, excitement, everything I thought I hated which I actually now seem to love.  However, daydreaming is not going to help me write my essay.  In class, Mr Grieg is picking his nose, to the shock and absolute amusement of some girls sitting in the front row.  These girls, according to Jake, were originally their friends, until one of them ratted Kelly out to a teacher after there had been an accidental fire in one of the science labs.  The damage was very small, however Leighton Carey was determined to let everyone know who had done it.  This had resulted in Kelly punching Leighton in the nose and getting suspended for unnecessary violence towards other personnel.  Luckily, I only have one lesson with Leighton and her bitchy friends Alexis and Toni, but even one is a little too much.  They smoke in lessons, and constantly are on their phones.  The one time a teacher tried to stand up to them, Leighton made her cry.  Now, everyone just leaves them to be themselves, even if it means subjecting others to passive smoking. 

I chew my pen in annoyance and stare down at the page.  Words don't seem to be making sense to me.  I read through the title of the essay again, to make sure I understand. 

Although New England and the Chesapeake region were both settled largely by people of English origin, by 1700 the regions had evolved into two distinct societies. Why did this difference in development occur?- 30 marks

I keep chewing my pen.  I've only written two paragraphs, and I really need to write more.  But, its nearly the end of the period, there is really no point.  I instead get out my Language Arts homework and start to do some of that.  Learning about future tense Romanian is pretty dull, but at least I don't have to write an essay on the Chesapeake region, which, though interesting, is really not going to make my life any better. At all. Mr Grieg suddenly look more awake and clears his throat.                           "Those essays are due next week," he says, "No excuses.  I've given you more time than you would have in the exam.  Now, please pack your things away and leave.  My next class is here."                              Well, I won't be able to because I'm in Montana, I think.  I walk over to him, avoiding Leighton attempting me to trip up when I walk past her.  I tap Mr Grieg on the shoulder.                                                    "Sir," I say, and he turns round, "I'm in Montana next week so I won't be able to hand in the essay."       "That's absolutely fine," Mr Grieg says, kindly smiling, "For you, it can be in in three weeks."                        "But sir," Leighton has come over to talk to Mr Grieg, "I missed an essay to go to Mallorca and yet you demanded me to give it in the day after I got back.  That's unfair, you little twat!"                                       "Sorry Leighton," Mr Grieg says, flinching at her bad language, "But this has all been fixed. Unlike your holiday, which was booked the day before and you never told the school."                                                          "You retard!" she shouts, and blows her cigarette in his face, before walking out with Alexis and Tori, smirking.  They whisper together outside, and keep looking at me.  I gulp and ask to be excused.

"They actually said that to him?" Jake asks when I see him later on, "To his face, they are more stupid than I bargained them to be.  Leighton goes to Mallorca all the time, she goes to her step-dad who grows cannabis. She gets it free, it's legal to use cannabis there, just not sell it."                                                 "But that's just stupid!" I say, "So she smokes weed and tobacco.  She is gonna die soon you know. What an idiot.  She makes me so cross!"                                                                                                                              Jake kisses me, probably to shut me up.  I kiss him back, just the same as we usually do.  Nate wolf-whistles.  I stick my middle finger up at him and just keep kissing him.  We are in our own world.             "Earth to Jake.  Earth to Lauren," Kevin says.  He has a slightly pained expression on his face, but manages to force it into a smile, "Check this out.  It was in the school paper this morning."                         I hadn't subscribed to the monthly newsletter, however it is Ellie's pride and joy.  She is always trying to encourage people to write articles.   Jake wrote one yesterday about the Economics trip to Iowa, which was stupid and lame, but he had to because he was the only one that wasn't drunk by the end of it.  Jake grabs the newspaper and then laughs out loud.  The newspaper article is written by Harriet and it is entitled "Trust".