Invictus

Chapter 7: Pills

Detention was everything I figured it would be. Juarez made me grade papers and then tried to make conversation about the game from last Saturday. I think she got the idea I wasn't interested in talking after a few minutes of short, annoyed responses.

I didn't care if the wrinkly skinned latina woman hated me. I needed the time to think and having her yap on and on wasn't helping.

Who was that chick from the cafeteria? I'd never seen her before in my life and I had been at Antioch since my freshman year.

What did she want? No, I didn't want to know the answer. Her vague responses and probing questions only hinted at something dark. The way she kicked that kid and walked away, it was cold. There wasn't a hint of remorse on her when she pummelled him. Almost like she had done it before. Maybe she'd done worse.

After an hour and a half, Juarez gave me my phone back. She tried to play nice about the whole detention thing but I was over that day, and life in general. I didn't even say bye to her as I left.

I made for the crosswalk outside of school while I checked my phone. There was a message from Donnie time stamped from around lunch. There was also a web link to a YouTube video below the message.

Dude... Look at these views. - Donnie

My fingers slowly moved towards the link. The moment I clicked it, up came the same shaky cell video that the fedora kid and his hooded friend tried to show me in the hall, except this time there were over 1.5 million views on it.

I swore loudly to myself and then texted him back.

How long has it been up for? - Zeek

Few days. All the kids at school have seen it. Kya said that everyone at Wendell Phillips's has to. - Donnie

I swallowed hard and started to feel tears come to my eyes but I held them back.

Where you at btw? - Donnie

Forgot to tell you, got detention after school. Juarez took my phone so I couldn't get back at you to let you know. Can't make Chicago tonight. - Zeek

A car horn blared at me as I stood in the crosswalk and finished sending the message to Donnie. When I turned I saw the driver, a young woman shaking her fists at me from inside a beat-up minivan. She then pointed to the light, which I realized was green.

She had the right of way but I unapologetically kept walking. My unwillingness to admit any kind of fault must have bothered her because she proceeded to roll down her window and shout a racial slur in my general direction. I was too zoned out though after Donnie's text to be upset at her. I would have loved to make her eat those words she had hurled at me, but I decided against it.

More for me then. - Donnie

Have fun. - Zeek

I told him as I stepped onto the sidewalk.

Oh, I will. - Donnie

He texted a winking emoji at the end of his message.

I took the long walk back to the apartment. Tia's car was in the driveway.

Didn't she say she was gonna be home late?

I wasn't bothered by her early arrival but as I moved closer to the apartment I realized that her early return home probably meant something was wrong.

I stood outside the door to the apartment for a few seconds before opening it, took a deep breath and then walked inside.

Tia stood there waiting with the orange pill bottle I emptied last Saturday.