The Bro Code

Rule Number 2: A Bro Never Cries

The next morning I pulled into East High's giant parking lot tired, hungry, and irritable.

I hadn't slept all night because my brain just wouldn't turn off, and there were way too many things on my mind, ranging from Eliza to Carter to my stupid Biology presentation to my dad to soccer and even to the possible extinction of bananas and how devastating that would be to pancake breakfasts everywhere.

 It was not a good night.

 So I cranked up the volume in my old, black Mustang and listened to the latest top 40 rappers. I was already ten minutes late for first period since I'd been moving so slowly that morning.

 Talk about a great way to start a Friday.

 A lot of kids had already checked out for the day and were milling around the back of the school, smoking and gossiping and all that good stuff, but there wasn't anyone I particularly wanted to talk to. Even when Madison Hayes, joy of joys, walked out of the building. 

 If someone were to say I was "in a relationship" it would be with Madison. We're not actually official but we have more PDA than any other couple in the school. I'm not sure what she thinks 'we' are, but it doesn't matter anyway.

Madison immediately spotted me and began to walk over, her hips swaying big time under her skirt. I sighed and got out of the vehicle. Getting a detention slip would have been better than being with Madison just then. I really just wanted to be alone.

 "Hey, Nick." She came up to me with her hands behind her back. "It's good to see you."

 I barely looked at her and instead just kept walking towards the door of the school.

 "Are you ignoring me or something?" She came up next to me, and I could tell she was concerned. Madison hates it when people don't pay attention to her.

 "Trying to."

 "Okay, rude. Talk to you later, Maguire." Then she let me walk by her.

 I paused, debating over whether or not I should go back and apologize, but then I decided against it. She wouldn't understand anyway. 

 I stepped into the empty, school hallway. Everyone was already in class so it was just me and..."Nick Maguire!" Mr. Hoover, the hall monitor called out. 

 I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment to try and make him disappear, but when I opened them he was still right in front of me with a familiar, yellow slip in his hands.

 "You're late." The man handed me the paper. "That's the third time this month."

 "Gosh, you're so smart." I rolled my eyes sarcastically. "I can see why they made you the hall monitor."

 "Excuse me?" Mr. Hoover frowned at me through his glasses. "I'll give you one chance to correct that attitude, Maguire. Now let's try that again." 

 "Sorry," I said to him. "I meant to say you're so smart, Sir." I really shouldn't have been mouthing off to him, A- because he's the guy who hands out detentions and B- because he's one of the few teachers in this school who's taller than me, and he could probably take me in a fight. Heck, that guy could take on freaking Godzilla, but I didn't really regret it. 

 "And here you go." He handed me another slip. "I'll see you after school. Now get to class." 

 "I look forward to it," I muttered as I walked away. That was my second detention this week. Coach Sullivan, my soccer coach, was not going to be happy. 

 I finally made it to my first-period class, physical education. Luckily, the first fifteen minutes of P.E is the time it takes to change, so I didn't miss much of class. I only came out of the locker rooms two minutes after everyone else.