The next day went by so fast that once the day was over everyone thought it was still noon. I just wished the day was over for me, but no I'm stuck cleaning the cafeteria. It's going to be the longest thirty minutes of my entire life. I'm stuck with three dweebs I don't know, and another kid who's extremely sweet but has a stalker crush on me. At first, I was planning on ditching but I just had to run into the highest power.
"Ms. Parker, I trust you are planning on making it on time. You have exactly four minutes to get to the cafeteria." Principal Miller was walking off with a briefcase in hand. Great, he wasn't even going to stay there until everyone is gone, and he just caught me while I was trying to sneak out.
"Yes Sir," I nodded my head, but he shook his head. "I'm just heading over to my locker so that I could put away my bag." I came up with a quick excuse so that I could just sneak past him, but right when I was just about to leave his put up his hand signaling me to stop.
"You do not have a bag." He clarified checking me up and down as I silently cursed him for noticing. "Come with me," Rolling my eyes I followed him as he led me to the cafeteria. "Now don't try to sneak off because Ms. Beverly is going to watching your every move until precisely thirty minutes from now," he double checked his watch and nodded his head.
Brittany and Roy were already working on mopping up the floor while Noah was cleaning off the tables. Katherine was sitting down staring at the wall. Groaning, I picked up a rag and began washing the tables. "So why didn't you do the hours when it was due?" Roy asked Brittany. It was probably going to be a special cause excuse; 'Oh I had to help the homeless', or 'I was reading to the blind orphans'.
"It's personal," she cleared her throat awkwardly trying to slide by. We decided not to push it because the preppy girl is never closed up when it comes to her e emotions. At least, I was the one to now want her to explode with her emotions at the moment. I'm not a therapist. "What about you? Just decided to ditch the idea?"
"No," He scoffed. "Wasabi doesn't like work. Now my old man is forcing me." He stuck out his tongue. "Although, I'm allergic to volunteer work dad says I'm being forced to so it's not volunteer work." He tried mimicking his father. "What about you Hayley, why didn't you do the hours on time?"
I looked at them as if they were absolutely insane. All four of them, waited for my answer. "When the hours were due, I was dead."
"That's right," Katherine stood up smirking. "You are the dead girl. Your daddy's rich like mine, and by the way I'm not working this crap. My dad will get me out of this, and I think that your dad could do the same."
Tempted, my mouth opened for me to speak but Brittany beat me to it. "Don't listen to her, Hayley. She just wants you to get in trouble with your dad so it would make your brother look bad. Green is a good color on you, Katherine no wonder why you wear it so much." My eyes widened. Katherine is jealous of my brother? I'm confused.
"Don't worry," Katherine chuckled. "You don't have to be so insecure anymore. I already had him, remember? He's all yours!" Brittany grasped on to the mop tighter like she was about to bring it up and knock her out. Was I missing something? Were they fighting over Ferris?
"What are you guys talking about?" I finally asked them but they just glared at each other for the longest time and looked away. They ignored each other, and I was left dumbfounded.
Noah walked up to me, "Brittany is your brother's best friend. Five years ago she tried to help him get over your death. She was the only one to make him smile, and she had a crush on him. Your brother was oblivious, and he fell hard for Katherine. Two years later, she broke his heart. Brittany was there to pick up the pieces as cliché as it sounds. That brought them both together, and ever since they've been happily together." My brother has a girlfriend? When he was twelve he had a girlfriend! Oh my gosh I've missed so much.
Washing the tables one by one, I kept skimming everyone's expression. Katherine was sitting in the corner texting on her new phone. She's a rich emo, who would have thought? Brittany kept evil eyeing her while she was now waxing the floor. Roy was beginning to stare at Katherine but in the longing kind of way. Noah and I were the only ones actually working hard. "Ten more minutes," Noah said in anticipation.
Brittany finally looked at her phone to see the time, and nodded her head. "Hayley, your brother told me that I'm taking you home." My eyebrows rose as she showed me a text. I nodded my head remembering our conversation from the night before.
Ms. Beverly came by to check up on us. "Okay, the cafeteria is clean enough. You may all leave, but be back tomorrow. Principal Miller said if you finish early tomorrow than you may all work at the Library." She nodded her head, and walked off. Katherine was the first out the door, and I rolled my eyes. She was going to be obnoxious to work with. Roy was mostly quiet but he obviously liked Katherine so I'll have to deal with him for awhile. Noah left soon after, and he was the best one out of the group. I have to warm up to Brittany considering the fact she's dating my brother.
We got into her white pickup truck, and she started off. "So you're dating my brother?" She smiled glancing at me and nodding. "How long has it been? Why did you settle for him?"
She genuinely laughed. "It will be three years in six weeks. I didn't settle for him, I actually like him. You'd be surprised how many people like your brother. People would say that he is actually popular." She chuckled.
"You do know by dating him you are roped into our complications," I smiled, and she returned it. "Technically, I am older than him." She nodded her head.
"Yes, by heart you are, but physically you are actually younger than you. You have to at least let that go." She turned right onto our street. "All I am saying is that though you remember him as the dorky kid everyone now knows him as the sweet, sensitive, and popular kid.
Finally, she parked the car letting me get out. "Hey," I smiled. "Thanks for the ride home, and thank you for looking after my brother." She nodded her head. I slammed the door as I walked towards my home. Dad was gone, and I could tell because the car was out. "Ferris, are you here?" Quickly he ran out of the room.
"Okay, Dad will be home in forty five minutes. You don't know how lucky you are. I wasn't able to tell him about Brittany because he's angry about yesterday. He thinks I was lying, even though I was. I'll try again tomorrow, but you have to be careful. If you can try and get out of the thing tomorrow, okay?" He said quickly that I could barely comprehend.
"Dad will be here in forty five minutes. I got it!" That's the only sentence that I got out of his whole speech. He threw his hands to his face in anger and frustration.
"Hayley, this is serious. Dad will kill me, and not revive me like he so called revived to you." I chuckled rolling my eyes.
"Relax, it will all be fine."
