Good Luck With That *ON HOLD*

Chapter 12: Lies

"I told you so," I mutter to Hayden, as we sit side by side in Mr Reed's office. He rolls his eyes at me, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Mr Reed pulls out his chair with force and sits, grabbing a pen between two fingers. I watch as his knuckles begin to whiten from the pressure he's placing on his grip. 

"So who's going to speak first?" Mr Reed spits, squeezing the pen so tightly between his fingers I think it may snap. My eyes flicker over to Hayden who stares nonchalantly at Mr Reed. 

"Time's a wasting sir," Hayden sighs, a hint of a mischievous glint in his tropical eyes. "Homeroom ends in approximately four minutes." 

"This is not the time Mr Miller and school's been cancelled for the day since the trouble with all the fire brigade officers here." Mr Reed grimaces; a frown that makes his whole face seem so much older, adding wrinkles here and there. Hayden's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. 

"School's been cancelled?" I remark, voicing my thoughts out loud. 

"Yes Ms. Woods," Mr Reed says between gritted teeth, "no thanks to you two." A sinking feeling grows in the pit of my stomach as I watch Mr Reed's bitter expression and set jaw line. This isn't looking good for Hayden and I. Not at all. 

"And?" Hayden asks, shifting back into his calm demeanour. His fingers tap lightly against the arm rest of the chair, the only sound in the room other than the constant ticking of the clock on the wall above Mr Reed's head. Each second it ticks on seems like I've missed a whole other world outside, with the constant racket and chorus of voices. 

"And what Mr Miller?" Mr Reed snaps, absolutely fuming. I have to stifle a laugh as I picture steam blowing out from his ears just like in the Harry Potter books I used to read when I was younger. I feel my cheeks flare with heat when I realise I still do read them. 

"And what do you want us to do about it? You're the one who set the alarm off before getting any real proof. Plus, there was smoke- some asthmatic kids could've had an asthma attack. We were concerned," Hayden retorts with an exaggerated roll of his eyes. I try slyly nudging Hayden's foot underneath the desk but he just gives me an annoyed "what do you want" look. My eyes flit back over to Mr Reed. The veins at the side of his throat and temples are bulging; his face a deepening beetroot red. 

"Hayden I-" I begin but am cut off straight away by a kick to my knee from a seemingly irritated Hayden. I wince, letting out a low hiss and rub my hand soothingly over my knee. Jeez man, what is his problem? 

"You are walking an extremely fine line Mr Miller," his firm tone silences whatever any of us had left to say. "I suggest you pick up your act Mr Miller, you too Ms Woods. This one of the rare occasions you've been in my office for any uncalled for reasons."

"And Mr Miller you've been back but yet a week and have already caused enough chaos to get yourself suspended! Were you taught nothing in military school?" At the mention of 'military school' Hayden's features harden and I notice the tight set of tension in his shoulders. Mr Reed continues, oblivious to Hayden's reaction, "This is why I've come to the decision that both of you will be completing community service up until we go to camp. If you can keep your record clean until then and complete the community service then I'll consider letting you go to camp." A grim, yet satisfied smile appears across Mr Reed's lips. My stomach sinks when I realise the next two weeks are going to be hard to avoid Hayden when I'm going to be doing community service with him!

"But Sir-" I start, trying to wiggle my way out of this. 

"No buts Ms Woods!" Mr Reed snaps, slamming his hands on his desk as he gets up. The sound reverberates around the room, echoing in my ears. "Besides, I'm not finished talking with you two, in particular you Mr Miller. We have not yet come to the conclusion for why, dressed as a janitor, you tried to sneak into my office and why Ms Woods you were out of class in the first place."