Close To You

Chapter 3

"Nice of you to join us," Mrs. Kay said as Sean walked through the door to his English class. A doctor's appointment that morning had made him late for school, and his teacher had jumped on him the minute that he came through the door. Sighing, he pulled the doctor's excuse from a pocket in his torn jeans and handed it to her. After barely even glancing at it, her overly-made up eyes turned to him, narrowed. "You expect me to believe this is someone else's writing?" Taken aback, he only nodded. "Well, don't expect me to, Sean, because it's obviously not."

"What are you talking about? Of course it is!"

"I don't believe you."

"That's a surprise," He muttered as he took his seat in the front row in the middle aisle, the special seat the teacher had assigned to him. She came up and stood directly in front of his desk.

"What was that?"

"I said that doesn't come as a surprise to me that you don't believe me. You never have, so what makes me think you will now?"

Her already small eyes narrowed even more. "You have a mouth on you, boy."

Angry, Sean stood up. "That's only because you people made me like this!" He shouted back, fire in his eyes. The other students began whispering behind him until Mrs. Kay scolded them and told them to be quiet.

"How is that, Mr. Waltman?"

"Just the way all of you act, you especially. If you weren't so busy trying to please the preps and your bosses, I might be able to learn something."

"And that is supposed to mean what?"

"All you do is try to please them!" He shouted, pointing at the large group of football players that sat in the corner. "You never try to help the people like me that don't belong to some important group. Instead, you just try to cut us down, make us think we're nothing. I'm sick of this bullshit, lady!"

Mrs. Kay smacked his face. "How Dare you talk to me like that?" To her surprise, Sean smiled.

"You're mad, not because what I'm doing, but what I'm saying because you know it's true. You know that you play favorites with 'your chosen' so you're trying to keep the truth from me. Why don't you send a letter to my mother telling her the real reason why I won't try? Why don't you tell her what you all say to me when you think no one else is listening? Why don't you tell her how you treat everyone else?"

"That is enough, young man!"

"What, you afraid I'll run and tell someone about how you all act?"

"I have nothing to fear, because you won't You don't have the guts." Sean got directly in her face, his voice low, cold, and to those around him, almost chilling.

"You're right, I wouldn't tell. But I do have the guts. I just don't think you're worth mentioning to anyone. Life's tough get over it."

"Get out."

"So you also play the double standard game, huh?"

"I said get OUT!"

"I hope you're proud of yourself for teaching your chosen few and leaving the rest to fend for themselves, you and all of your little friend teachers." He grabbed the cross necklace around her neck, holding it to her eyes for her to see. "And it's something this hasn't been burnt into your chest yet, either."

"May God have mercy on your soul, heathen."

"Remember something, ma'am," He added bitterly, "judge not lest ye be judged yourself." And with that, he walked out the door, not even bothering to take his books with him. Ever the persistent one, Mrs. Kay followed close behind. "Go to the office." Sean never even turned to look at her. "I mean it, young man!" No answer. "NOW!" He wheeled around to face her.

"What the hell should you care what I do?!"

"You want me to be honest? Fine. I don't. I don't care WHAT happens to you, but it's my job to see that you don't walk through that door. Now go to the office!" Sean only stared at her for what may have been minutes or hours, and finally turned back around, this time heading towards the office. Personally, he wouldn't have cared if she lost her job or not, but he knew if he left she would have called the police on him, and that was the last thing he needed right now. Upon arriving in the office, he realized one of his worst nightmare had indeed come true. As he sat down in a chair, he heard an all-too-familiar voice from within the sub-office.

"Hello son, we heard we needed to have a talk with you."