My Valentine

Four

Nightingale Phillips

"I'm so disappointed in you Gayle," dad murmured and I heard Rhinestone snicker, "Melissa, I told you that boy was a bad influence on her!"

Dad had been at it ever since the school called both my parents to inform them that I'd been suspended. If Mr. Valentine hadn't blabbed, none of this would've happened.

"It wasn't Ghanz's fault daddy!" I gripped the cool gray leather material the couch was made of in order to calm myself down. I was already in trouble and pissing my parents off even more would have been a death sentence.

I could feel the tension in the living room as both my parents paced. This was the second time that I'd gotten suspended and to them, being suspend twice meant that I was a rebel.

Rhinestone sat in the couch opposite mine and placed her feet on the dark wooden coffee table but removed them as soon as she caught mom's glare.

"It's only three days," I muttered and my father scoffed.

"Well, we'll be hearing the truth about what happened because we've invited Mr. Valentine over for dinner," my mom said.

"Then we'll decide on what your punishment should be," daddy added.

I scratched my scalp nervously. Mr. Valentine hadn't been to dinner in months and based on the two...incidents I'd encountered with him since the week had begun, I really didn't want to see him tonight.
I'd almost kissed a grown man. Heck, I'd almost kissed my teacher! I had no idea what was going through his head at the time, but the embarrassing fact that he ordered me to get out of his class made it seem as if it was my fault for...whatever had happened. My heart was still racing when I thought about the heated look he gave me when I asked him if he'd never broken the rules before.

"-and if you think you're going to sit around for the next three days and do nothing, young lady, you've got another guess coming," daddy's stern voice broke me out of my train of thought.

I'd expect nothing less from them anyway. The first time I'd gotten suspended, daddy forced me to work at my uncle Leslie's car wash during those two days. I remembered coming home and feeing as if my arms were about to fall off after a day at that place. No, I couldn't do that shit again. I'd beg daddy not to let me work there if I had to.

"As long as it's not Uncle Leslie's place, I'm totally cool with..." , I trailed off when both my parents looked at me grimly. Tough crowd.

-

I'd changed into a pair of my shorts and a tattered yellow T-shirt that belonged to my brother, River, when my S5 vibrated. Pulling my hair into a messy bun, I frowned. After all that had happened today, I really didn't want to have to deal with social media. Fortunately, it was only Tamara sending me a text message. My facial features relaxed. Maybe this was about Sheldon.

Tammy <3: I can't believe u got suspended again.

Or not. I stared at my phone for a split second, wondering if I should just ignore it. Then again, If I ignored Tammy, she'd just call our land line.

®Gayle: I don't wanna talk about it =_=.

Tammy <3: You better girl, cuz the word on the street is that Mr. Valentine caught you and Ghanz in the janitor's closet having ***. Ofc, the girl who started that rumor is now washing my apple juice out of her hair...but that's not the point.