Phoenix Knight [A Bad Boy Story] - Editing

Chapter Twenty-Two

Today’s words of the chapter: ‘Umbriferous’. Definition: (Adjective) casting or making shade. ‘Misoneism’. Definition: (Noun) hatred or dislike of what is new or represents change.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Twenty-Two

As I walked away from Phoenix’s car, I could sense that he was still distracted. Even when I glanced back at him momentarily, I noticed that he was staring around the school anxiously. But I still resisted the urge to ask because if he wanted to tell me, he would.

The students that had paused to watch Phoenix flip now stared at me in wonder. My school wasn’t exactly the kind to gossip obviously but I could still sense that every eye was on me. How could I blame them? Phoenix Knight had shown actual affection.

Although, I also noted that just as soon as they had noticed me, they had all stopped. From the sound of their whispers, it was clear that I wasn’t the topic of their discussion. After all, I couldn’t hear my name or Phoenix’s. I released a relieved breath of air and dug my hands deeper into my front pockets.

Luckily for me, when I reached the main doors to the school building, Jordan was leaning against the banister and – according to the hug that I received shortly after approaching her – waiting for me. “Sadie! I swear to God, don’t ever leave us like that again!” she shouted into my hair. A smile formed of my somehow swollen lips. I seemed to be smiling a whole lot more these days. “Last I heard about you, Phoenix was carrying you away from some paedophile.” She pulled back and stared at me expectantly.

I was slightly taken aback. Jordan never hugged – well, not willingly. “Don’t worry,” I responded brightly. “You’re leaving in two days and I haven’t even bothered to call.” My face was the perfect image of remorse.

“Shut up, Sadie!” she responded happily and smacked my arm with enough force to make me lose my breath. I played off the throbbing with a weak smile. “Did you hear about the Headmaster?” I gazed at her in confusion. I hadn’t been in school or on any social networks for about three days so of course I hadn’t heard. She took my confused look as a prompt to continue.

However, we first had to enter the school building because we were blocking the way for other students. I glanced at Phoenix fleetingly one more time and saw that – judging by his ridged stature – he was not much calmer than before.

“Alright,” Jordan begun, “so, I was just sitting in Biology yesterday, bored off my arse, when police sirens boomed from the parking lot. Like the model student I am, I sprinted to the door and opened it to find a couple of officers with hand cuffs stomping down the hallway.” She paused. “Do you want to hear what happens next?”

We were leaning against a group of lockers that belonged to bunch of year sevens that were too scared to ask us to move. Zora had just walked through the door and spotted us with our hands in our jacket pockets. Despite her usually shy behaviour, she dashed to my side and locked me in a hug. I didn’t even hear what she had to say because I really wanted to know where Jordan was going with her recount of yesterday’s big scandal.

“Did you hear about the Headmaster?” Zora asked excitedly. She was bouncing around so much that her pigtails looked like they had a life of their own.

“Jordan was just telling me,” I mumbled, turning to stare back at her.

“Yes, I was,” Jordan grumbled, “before you interrupted me just when I got to the best part.” I paused to let her continue. “Alright, so the police people take a turn into the headmaster’s office and I can now hear them pounding on the door. They start saying things about having rights and shit but then I hear the door slam open and one of the cops swears. And then the headmaster runs into the hall and he’s holding a cricket bat and wearing only his white button down and some tight white underwear.