Crush on my English Teacher's Daughter

Chapter 22

I sat still in the maths class as I watched Mr. George hand out the work sheets. We were having a pop quiz today and I was really hoping I passed because I studied really hard for it. I stayed up last night with Emmanuel on Skype studying.

When I took a look at the questions, my heart inflated. It's was the exact same thing my friends and I revised this morning! I heard Jerry snicker and Brooke turned in her seat to smile at me. She had gotten rid of the blue in her hair. With gusto, I dived into the questions, finishing half way through the period. I went over my work, corrected any mistakes and allowed my mind to wander.

I thought about what Brooke and Debbie said on Saturday and smiled. I was happy and kinda worried. What was going on with Calvin for him to be hitting Mia so badly? And couldn't she stand up to him? Was she so...soft? Or that stupid? When she turned to look at me again, I stared at my worksheet. Some people just weren't worth fighting for. 

I sighed and rubbed a hand over my face.

"Are you okay?" A soft voice behind me asked.

Beatrice?

"Yeah, I'm  fine." I said. She smiled and went back to her work. Beatrice was asking how I was? Debbie helped me on Saturday. What is this world coming to!

I stuffed my books in my locker after class. "Hey." A soft voice said.  I tried my best to look nonchalant as I closed the door and leaned against. "What do you want?" I asked, my voice neutral. I studied her face. She had curled her hair into tight curls to conceal the bruises on her cheek. She flinched at the tone of my voice.

"Jeremy I.  .  . I want to talk to you at lunch. " She said quietly. I thawed. Just as I was about to answer, Beatrice showed up.

"Are you busy, Jeremy? I was hoping you could help me with something. " She said, smiling. I smiled back then  turned to Mia. "I'm sorry. I'm occupied. Maybe later okay? I'll stop at your house today, after school. " I promised.

She nodded and walked off. Beatrice leaned against the locker, grinning at me. "Sit with me at lunch?" She asked. I cocked an eyebrow.

Someone let me know if there's anything apocalypse coming or anything okay? Because Beatrice's sudden interest in me was as scary as the thought of a spider on my back.

"No thanks. Jerry already saved a seat for me. " I said.  She nodded, smiling.  "I'll be waiting for you in class after lunch." She said. "Sure."

I found my friends at their usual table
In the corner at lunch, far from the seniors.

"Monsieur told on us to the principal." Brooke said, squirting ketchup into her fries. "Why? What did we do?" Emmanuel asked. She shrugged. "Remember when he supposedly have us an assignment and we didn't do if?" She asked.

We nodded.

"Yeah. He reported us. So well, we're on cafeteria duty." She said.

"By we you mean..."

"The entire class. So no English after lunch. " Jerry said. I sighed. I didn't want to sit through English anyway.

"So Beatrice wanted me to sit with her  at lunch today. " I said after a while. "Mmmhmmm. So why didn't you?" Brooke asked. I shrugged. "Jerry already saved a seat for me plus it would be really awkward to sit at that table." I jerked my head in Beatrice's  direction. The guys sighed. "What do they talk about anyway?" Jerry asked Brooke.

She shrugged again. "Heck if  I know."

"I saw you talking to Mia."

"She has new bruises."

"I wonder if Miss Emelia is aware."

"Well, I don't care." I said.

The guys stared at me like I had grown two heads. "You're giving up? Just like that?" Emmanuel asked. "I wasn't persuing her in the first place. Besides, she isn't worth fighting for. " I said. Jerry sighed. "She's looking so miserable. " He said.

I rolled my eyes. "If it helps in anyway, she said she wanted to talk."

"What'dyou say?" Brooke asked.

"I said I'd meet her after school. "

They nodded and we ate in silence.

"This is so thoughtful. For a second I actually thought I'd get sloppy Joe on my jeans. " Chantelle said, grabbing and apron.

Brooke scoffed as she pinned her hair back in a bun thingy.
"You'd probably change into another  pair." Brooke said when she was done. "Which reminds me, Chanty get your stuff out of my car." She said.

Chantelle laughed and her cap fell off her head and into the sink full of dirty and greasy dishes. Jerry snickered.

"Oh no. I can't use this again. It's ruined." She wailed.

She had this bright idea of stuffing her black sorta golden hair into a Yankees cap and Jerry told her it was loose. She obviously didn't listen and now that it had fallen into the sink, Jerry totally had rights to rag on her.

"Jerry warned you." Brooke reminded her, scrapping left over meals from plates and dumping them in the trash.

Chantelle glared at Jerry and her held his hands up. "It wasn't my fault your cap fell off. That was all you." He grinned. She huffed and turned to her twin. "Brooke do you have a spare band?" She asked. Brooke nodded and handed her one.

"I still can't believe we have to sit through French after this." The new voice that entered surprised us and we all went quiet.

"Well aren't you quite the sight today." Chantelle mused. I could imagine Mia blushing but I didn't turn to find out. Instead, I turned the tap on and started washing the plates.

"I fell down the stairs at home." She mumbled.

"Oh sure, sure. After Calvin beat you up like the way Roman Reigns fights with passion, he gave you a little push, down the stairs. Interesting. " Emmanuel said.

"And then you keep running back to him." Jeremy mused.

"You are so ridiculous. " Brooke added.

Mia sighed. "I know. That's why I came to apologise. Jeremy, I'm sorry. I didn't know anything until Calvin said you..." She trailed off.

"Until Calvin said I what?" I asked, turning to face her.

She swallowed. "He said you liked me."