Always

Chapter 3

"No. There is no fucking way I'm doing that", I answered.

We were in the hallway outside my classroom, arguing back and forth. I'm pretty sure the whole school was hearing us.

"Listen, Lex-Ms. White", the principal continued, "This is your only shot at staying at this school. Either you help Mr. Backlewell coach his team," he said calmly, pointing tonthe coach that was proudly standing besides him, looking down on me.

"Or what?" I challenged.

"You get the hell out of my damn school!" he shouted, "Your behavior has been inacceptable for the past year, you've been skipping weeks of school, and you disrespect every member of my staff!"

"What the hell? I have been nothing but nice to them. I've known them for most of my life. They're basically my family. You know what the difference between you and me is?", I asked.

He narrowed his eyes, "Yeah. I'm the principal and you're a student. Now you're gonna do what I-"

"No. I'm not. Oh, and the difference is they were members of my circle, they're members of your staff. You treat them like slaves, you don't even know all their names, I do. They were my family."

Tears started to blur my vision. Calm down Lexie. "Don't talk to me about treating them like shit", I shouted.

The principal nodded at Mr. Backlewell to leave us alone. His body relaxed as he let go of the mean caracter he was faking. "I need you to do this Lexie, I've fought so hard so you could stay here".

He sighed and grabbed both my shoulders. "The board is behind you, and frankly it's catching up. If I tell them you coach our team, that you're fitting in, they'll leave you alone. I promise."

The tears were falling down my cheeks by now. I tried not to sob as I looked away. Still. I wouldn't believe all this.

I removed his hands from my shoulders. "Yeah. Right. What do you want me to do too? Be in the talent show?" I mocked him.

His eyes went wide."Well.."

"Oh god. No", I shook my head, "No way."

"Come on, you and I both know you can sing Lex!", he proposed.

"You never even heard me! And It's not Lex you grasshole!", I shouted back.

He looked back at me, his eyes disappointed. "Your mother would've wanted you to do this."

"It's not because you were married to someone for a couple of years that you know everything about them." I said. "Heck, I was her daughter and I didn't know she planned on killing half the town."

Suddenly the floor seemed so interesting. I mean did you see those tiles. Just beautiful.

"Lexi-"

"White. Ms.White.", I whispered.

He sighed. " Fine. Ms. White, look at me", he lifted my chin up. "Where did you get those ideas? She never planned to kill a single person. She was too good for this."

She was. At least I thought she was. The mom I knew, the Elise I knew, would've wanted the best for me. She would've wanted me to do something else than grieve, she would've wanted me to join soccer teams, and clubs, and the talent show.

The mom I knew would've wanted the best for me. Always.

I cut David, the principal, from whatever he was saying. "Okay."

"What?"

I sighed, closed my eyes tears fell down. "I'll do it."

Shock was written all across his face. "W-What?"