Accepted To Kill

Chapter 12

"Matty do me a favor and stop pacing like that. What's your problem lately?" Melvin snaps annoyed as I walk back and forth. I barely hear him. What was the girl doing with my father? Who was she? My mind is spinning as my legs carry me back and forth. A hand stops me in my tracks and snaps me back into the present.

"What's your problem?" Melvin asks again, this time his eyes fierce.  I look at him and take a deep breath, trying my hardest to not show my annoyance, but he sees right through me. 

"I am just sick of school," I lie, hoping its convincing. He stares at me for a moment before shrugging and sitting back down into his chair where he was seated before in a cloud of smoke. That's another thing that bothers me. The smoke. I can't enter a room without being surrounded by a smoke cloud. My hands are wedged into my pockets fiddling with a cigarette I was handed earlier. I feel helpless having no control over anything. I'm trapped in this gang, some crazy b**** is running around with my father, and my lungs are on fire! I feel for the latch on a windowsill and open it, breathing in the damp semi polluted air. A cloud of smoke engulfs me and escapes out the window. I turn towards Melvin who's now purposely aiming at me. "Come on man close the window we don't need no kids climbing in here."

I ignore him and leave the room quickly, suddenly remembering the bracelet the girl had handed to me. There had been something written on it! Feeling stupid, I start running back towards the school. It had to still be there, they only emptied the trash like once a month in the hallways. 

When I get to the school it's already been locked up for the night, but I know their security is minimal. They can't afford anything in this town, especially not security. I hoist myself up onto the fence and jump over. Probably the only security they have is a fence, I think to myself. I try the main door and it's locked. I'm forced to go around to the back, which to no surprise there's an open window that was forgotten. I squeeze in and silently bring myself to the floor. 

Where was I when she gave me the bracelet? I retrace my steps for at least a half hour before I can remember. The trashcan is completely full and I start digging around in it. Cans tumble out amongst other crap that I pretend not to see. 

Finally I see a white strip. That's gotta be it,  I think to myself hopefully. I pull it out but it's just a strip of notebook paper. "Damn it," I yell kicking the trash across the hall floor. It makes a loud clamor that makes me conscious of trespassing on private property. I leave angrily, planning on confronting the girl the next day at school.