TEACHER'S PET

FOUR

Arlo leaned against the wall beside me, his arms crossed over his chest. My mouth felt dry, my palms sweaty, the idea of being questioned by cops made my heart race. I flexed my fingers my stress growing each time a teacher left the main office and another one went in.

It hadn't just been the teachers that were in the gym that had been called. All of us was lined up outside of the office waiting for our turn to face our makers. I felt like I was one of the students waiting for judgment on some crime the class as a whole committed.

Ten more until my turn.

Seven more faced judgment.

Five more until D-Day.

I started to pick at my nails. Digging into the nail bed at the side the nervous tick went unnoticed until Arlo grabbed my hand. I looked up at him my green eyes locking with his brown ones. He loosen his grip bring my hand up to his face. I watched as he examined my hand. I had been stopped before I drew any blood.

I had still worried the skin around my hand enough where I was sure a few more picks and it would draw blood. My mother would yell at me if she was here. She would tell me that biting my nails or picking at my skin was un-gentleman like.

"Stop it," Arlo voice was tight. I exhaled closing my eyes. "Listen to me Preston," Arlo's lips were against my ear as he whispered. "You have to be calm. Cops are filthy little vultures. They don't care about the truth they care about closing cases. They'll pin everything on some innocent if they think they can get away with it. Don't make yourself an easy target. I won't allow you too." I nodded my head.

I didn't want to be someone scapegoat. I didn't want to go down for crimes that I didn't comment. I had nothing to do with the boy in the gym. I never met him a day in my life. Why would I kill someone I never met before.

"If they ask too many questions just tell them you want your lawyer. Call your father if you have to. You need to be better than they are. All of this puking shit stops now." I nod again agreeing with him. What would happen if I puked in front of the cops? I didn't want to find out. "You know what you need to do, don't you?"

"Be better than me," my voice was just as low as his was. "I didn't do anything wrong." I looked to Arlo and he laughed putting his hand on top of my head.

"If you did that we would have been wading through vomit to get to the body." I knocked his hand away glaring for a moment. Maybe he had a point but it annoyed me how he treated me as if I was still some middle school kid and he already started high school.

"Arlo . . . did you know him? The boy?" I asked my voice still low as the door opened again. Mr. Gokgur walked out before Mrs. Bowen walked into the office. I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment concentrating on my breathing.

Each time someone came and went my stomach squeezed. My time would be up soon. I would have to go inside of the office and face whatever cops was on the other side of the door. What would they ask me? What could I possibly tell them that the others hasn't already?

"Liam Senna, scholarship student. I never taught him but I heard his grades had slipped last year. He had to go to summer courses just to re-qualify for the scholarship. He was supposed to be on academic probation for the first semester." It sounded like he was having a hard go already and then someone killed him.

Had someone contacted his parents already? Was that the school's job of the cop? Would Mr. Grace be calling home telling some poor mother or father they would never see their son again. He was a scholarship student. That meant he wasn't a part of the world of North West. He wasn't from some high status family. He wouldn't get the same . . . respect that one of the other student would have received.