The Town of Ruins

Chapter Three

As we stepped into Great-Grandpa Jeremy's office, we were greeted with a new smell. It was a wonderful smell that reminded me of the Christmas trees that we would get every year. Mom always said that that is what a forest smells like. "Ah, there are some trouble makers, I see." My great-grandpa said, "Well, what have they done?" My mother pushed Chrissy and I up to the desk that was in the office, and I looked around. The room was as big as our classroom. It had walls that were endlessly painted with murals. They all flowed together, like it was one big picture. The wall close to the ground was green and was painted like grass, there were animals all over, and trees that went up to almost the ceiling. The sky portion of the mural was dark blue, with stars here and there. Some of them looked like they would make a figure, if you drew a line to connect them. As if he read my mind, my great-grandpa said, "They're my favorite constellations. There's the Gemini, Big and Little Dippers, and Orion. Although they aren't that close to each other in real life, I like to see them from time to time." I looked around again. Constellations, I've heard that word before. What does it mean? I thought. I made a mental note to ask Millie later. My mother's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Chrissy here, tried to trip Cassie and said some very mean things during lunch today. After which, she walked into my classroom and kissed a boy without his knowledge or approval." She said. "Is this true? Did she try to hurt you Cassie?" My great-grandpa asked.

"Yes, I was walking with Simon from the food counter to the table that my friends and I were sitting at, when she stuck her foot out. I would have fallen down if Simon hadn't caught me."

"Chrissy, you realize that this is a big deal. We live in a small community and we have to stick together. If we are mean to each other it can only mean bad things for all of us. We can't hurt each other. We are a pack, and a pack doesn't hurt its own."

"Okay. I understand. Just give me my punishment or whatever." Chrissy said.

"Your punishment for the attempt to hurt Cassie is to apologize to her and to learn to control your temper. I don't know why this happened, and I don't care. I don't want it happening again." Said great-grandpa. "Your punishment for kissing, is to apologize to Simon and clean all three of the classrooms everyday, for a month."

"A month?" Chrissy screamed. "What about Cassie and Carter, huh? They kissed too. Or are you just going to let them get away with it because she's your granddaughter or whatever?"

"I did not see a kiss. If I had, the consequences would be the same for the both of you. This is not favoritism. This is you, doing something you shouldn't have, and getting in trouble for it." My mother told her with a stern voice and a stern look to match.

After mother said that, Chrissy stormed out of the office, and into the hallway. My mother told me to find her and to make sure that we both got back to class while she talked to my great-grandpa. I left the room and shut the door softly, then looked around. I saw Chrissy, but she was going the opposite way we came from. I ran to catch up with her, but she turned a corner. When I got there, I saw her trying to get into a room with a door that needed a key card. "Chrissy, that's not the way out. The door to the hallway is over here." I said to her. "Whatever. You're just trying to get me into more trouble. Don't you get that I hate you enough as it is? You're a stupid, worthless, show off that makes out with every guy she sees. You're nothing, and no one really likes you. They're all just your friend because your grandpa is the leader." She screamed at me. "Chrissy, I don't believe you think any of that is true. I'm not trying to get you in trouble, I'm trying to get you out of it. Now will you please come this way." I said softly, with tears in my eyes.

As we walked through the hallways, and got into the elevator, all that broke the silence was Chrissy's heavy, angry, breathing. "Why don't you at least try to calm down a bit, you'll need every bit of your sanity that you can muster when we get into the classroom. Millie isn't going to be happy and she won't let you live this down." I said to her. All she did was sigh loudly, apparently ignoring my advice. We stepped out of the elevator and into the hallway that held the classrooms. Two doors were open, one was shut. We could hear yelling coming from the young grades' classroom. "If you all don't calm down and stop talking at this very second, I will send every last one of you to The Offices." We heard Mr. Roberts yell at his students. We walked past the room he was in and walked into our own. Everyone was quiet, and I assumed that Mr. Roberts had already gotten onto them. When we walked in, I let Chrissy go in first after giving her a sympathetic smile. She walked in, then I did, she sat down, then I sat down. I saw Millie turn around, she looked like she wanted to hit Chrissy. I gave her a look that said, Don't, or you'll get in more trouble. Calm down. She faced the front of the room, and continued working on her homework. My guess was that she was working on Algebra, since she still wasn't finished. I turned to look at Chrissy with a patient look. She saw me looking, stood up, and said, "Simon, I'm sorry I kissed you. Cassie, I'm sorry I tried to hurt you." Then rolled her eyes and sat back down. "It's okay Chrissy, I forgive you. You were just upset and didn't know how to handle it." I replied to her. She rolled her eyes again.