Pattern

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

// Avery //

"We have given you many chances, Avery, and you were on your last."

The nurse, known as Ms. Baker, was still here. I wanted to send her hand signals explaining that she needed to return to her office right now, because there was a very angry quarterback who had been left alone with the girl who had smacked him across the face. I didn't, because I couldn't, so I focused on the principal, who was less annoying than the vice principal. She was kinder, and looked at me almost sadly.

"I protest, Ms. Evans, that I did nothing wrong." I sounded really posh. My mom would be proud - actually she wouldn't, considering she was originally from India. She'd be happiest if I just spoke fluent in English. The principal looked at me. "Please explain what happened."

"I was walking around the yard, and some people in my class were eating nearby, and one of them, called Howard, came over. He accused me of killing Hanna and kidnapping the other girl."

Ms. Evan's look got more sympathetic. I continued.

"And I said I didn't, and he hit me. A lot. He didn't stop."

She pursed her lips. "Did you hit him back?"

"Only when he hit Prudence."

"Prudence?" She looked confused. "Is that the girl who got involved?"

"Yeah, she's a junior. She tried to stop Howard."

"She was the only person to interfere.. Is she your friend?"

I paused. "Yeah, I guess you could call her that. We've, uh, known each other a while."

"So, he hit Prudence, the girl who tried to stop him, and then you hit him.. and then?" She looked at me expectantly.

"She was on the ground, so I ran over to help her."

"That's nice." 

"Uh, I guess."

"And then you went to the Nurse's office?" 

"Yes."

Ms. Evans nodded. "Well, your face seems to support what you're saying, though I'll have to check it out. I suppose you'll be let off though.. Send Prudence - was that her name? - up to me now."

I got up, nodding. "Thanks, Ms."

She smiled. "Just be grateful you're off the hook with this one."

---

I had thought, two weeks ago, Howard The New Guy was terrified of me. Clearly, he wasn't any more. He couldn't have had a personal grudge against me, though, I hadn't done him any wrong. The only one who could actually hate me with reason was Gareth - and he did. Since I'd started, whenever he saw me, he continued with his annoying insults, but it satisfied me that he was too scared to actually pick a fight like he should. But, he could have easily asked Howard to.

I opened the door to the nurse's office, wondering if I was going to find Prudence and Howard brawling on the floor, but instead, Prudence was sitting back on her chair, and Howard was leaning against the freezer. The brunette girl looked up at me and she looked ridiculously relieved. I noticed her hands were shaking - a thing that happened when she got nervous - or scared.

"You've to go to the principal's office," I said, eyeing Howard, wondering what had happened in the short space of time that I'd been gone. She got up.

"I'll walk with you," I said quickly, leaving with her and trying to match her speed down the hallways. "What happened?" 

She turned to me, and shrugged. "Nothing."

"What to you mean by nothing?"

"I mean nothing." Prudence sighed. "He just swore and stuff.. Nothing worth mentioning."

I didn't press her, she looked pissed. She'd every right to be, but Prudence looked exasperated and scared and annoyed at the same time. There was a lot to be told in her eyes, and she couldn't shut out her emotions if she tried.

She went to the Principal's office, and I waited outside, wondering what she'd be asked. I waited for a few minutes.

And then Howard appeared again, except this time, he was in a group, a group made up of Jason Crawford, Ashton Wright, Annie Brown, Kayla somethingorother, and lo and behold, Gareth Owens. They looked at me, and laughed, making bad jokes about the state of my face. I felt like ripping off the plasters there and then, showing them I was used to getting hurt, and it barely bothered me anymore. 

But then Prudence walked out, quietly, and saw the group. She looked surprised - possibly because Howard the Dick had friends. They laughed louder, and she glared, grabbed my arm, and walked away, pulling me along after her. When we were out of sight, she looked at me.

"You think they put him up to it?"

I shrugged. "Maybe. Gareth Owens is there."

She looked confused. "That guy you put in hospital?"

"The very one. I had a good reason to put him in hospital though."

"You always do."

"You know, you're the only person to actually believe me when I say these things." I smirked. "Either you're really gullible or smarter than everyone else."

"Probably gullible."

She smiled, finally. "Probably." Her expression turned serious again. "I better go to class, and so should you. Good luck dealing with people."

"You'll need it more than I do," I muttered, and she nodded grimly in agreement. "It'll be scandalous. Oh well, people might actually think  there's more to me now."

 "Being ignored is better than being hated," I replied, but she looked me straight in the eye.

"The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about at all." And then Prudence walked away, and I wondered why she had suddenly quoted what sounded like something out of Mean Girls.

--

I took off the plasters in the bathroom, peering into the mirror. I had a black eye, my lip was still bleeding a little, and the left side of my face was a massive array of cuts. My nose had stopped bleeding - by some miracle, it wasn't broken. I walked into History halfway through class, and I could feel the stares. I ignored them, and sat down.

When the bell rang, Howard came up to me. I could feel his friends watching. All I wanted to do was leave and go to my next class, but noooo. People had to screw it up. "So, why didn't you fight me properly?"

I wasn't going to be a doormat again. It didn't suit me.

"Because I knew I'd destroy you. I'm not going to fight you properly, dude, I'm not going to fight people this year." I felt like those words were a huge mistake, and I was right. His eyes narrowed. 

" I could beat you to a fucking pulp. I bet you're just scared."

I laughed out loud. "I'm terrified of you. No, really. Your baby blue eyes give me nightmares."

"I'll make you fight me," He spat. "I swear, I'll get you so angry, and then I'll destroy you, along with your whole pathetic fucking life."

"Good luck with that~!" 

I walked away, leaving him seething.