Trophy Child (On Hold)

Chapter 7

Following the incident with Josh, we'd both been suspended for the rest of that day and the next, in addition to lunch detention for the rest of the week.

The principal was a big sports guy, and Josh was an important member of the team. All of that meant that he decided to let us off kind of easy, to not interfere too much with Josh's schedule for the upcoming game.

On my first day back, I was running late. Incredibly late, actually.

With how much everyone at school was pissing me off, I wouldn't have cared, but my first period class had both Eric and Phil. Which meant that I needed to be there. 

With that in mind, I forced myself out of bed, threw on the first outfit I could find, and hastily finger combed my hair.  It was while I hopped around my bedroom, trying to simultaneously shove things into the messenger bag slung over my shoulder and put on my left shoe, that I finally processed what day it was. 

It was Wednesday. 

On a normal week, that would mean band practice. It would mean spending time with my friends. 

Only I realized that I wasn't sure if I had any of those anymore. 

"Casey?" Mom yelled from downstairs. "Are you still here?"

Just my luck. She was only ever around when I didn't want her to be.

"Yeah, I'm leaving right now!" I called back, as I stumbled out of my bedroom and down the staircase, nearly missing a step on the way.

I knew what was coming. A lecture about being late, and about how it would impact my grades. I braced myself, but she just gestured to my case, which was leaning against the wall by the front door.

"Don't forget your guitar, and be home by six, or you're not going anymore."

I stared after her for a while, perplexed, before my mind actually registered what she'd meant. I was ungrounded.

It definitely didn't fix anything between us, and I hoped that she knew that. Still, the familiar weight of my guitar was a small comfort as I hurried out the door and down the front steps.

When I made it to first period, it was half over, but I'd take half over nothing. Everyone looked up from their work to stare at me as I walked in. Everyone but Eric, who was very careful to look everywhere else. 

"Mr. Jones. Kind of you to finally join us," Ms. Smith said and a few of my classmates stifled their laughter. "Please take your seat."

I nodded and muttered out an apology, before making my way over to the table I shared with Phil. When I sat down, he moved his chair away from me.

"Hey." 

"Leave me alone, Casey," he snapped, his grip on his pencil tightening. 

"Look, dude, you can't still be mad at me," I reasoned. "It was a freak thing, and we all kind of screwed up together." 

"I'm serious, Casey. Stop talking."

"Phil."

"You don't get it, do you?"

"Get what?" 

He didn't answer me, so I asked again. 

The pencil he was holding split in two, and he raised his hand. Ms. Smith called on him, but she looked taken aback by his question. 

"Can I switch seats?" he asked. 

Everyone but Eric laughed.

I stared at Phil, completely and utterly stunned. When the shock wore off, I was sure that the rage in me could burn the whole school to the ground.