A Dance with the Devil

Chapter 9

“You divide then just add.” I explained patiently as Jaq and the others watched me scribbling on the board. They made me skip lunch to help them do their homework for Math. I couldn’t say no. I was earning some trust anyway. “Synthetic division is easy, see? Then just add the variables and exponents after you’re done with these. Simple. Did everyone get it?” I glanced around the five persons in the room. Jaq and Nic were one of them. Also the two boys I caught smoking last week.

They all nodded and started scribbling down their notes to copy the answers from the board.

“You make it easier,” Jaq commented. “You’re better than our teacher. He’s ways are too complicated.”

I shrugged. I couldn’t agree more. Our math teacher liked to solve math problems in his own complicated ways. “Even so, try not to fell asleep in his class. He deserved some respect. He’s not that bad. He’s just---”

“Too much of a math genius.” Luke finished for me. He was the dreadlocks boy from before.

“And too old.” Nic added, yawning. “Seriously, he looked over 70!”

“I wonder why he’s still here? He’s older than my grandfather.” Jaq mocked a curious expression.

The lads cracked up and I shook my head with their remarks. These guys wouldn’t spare any difficult teacher. They sure had a lot to say. I heard my stomach rumbled again. I sighed as I glanced at my wristwatch. We still had fifteen minutes ‘till lunch break was over but I doubt if I could still be able to make it considering the long lines in the cafeteria.

“Hey, Raven.” Nic called. I looked up at him just as he tossed me something.

“What’s this?” I held up what he tossed me, raising an eyebrow.

He rolled his eyes at me. “A cracker. Your stomach’s been loud eough for us to be guilty of making you hungry.”

I smirked. “A Cracker, huh? I won’t be picky for now but you guys have to treat me lunch next time.”

“Sure, sure. We’ll see you later.” Jaq replied for Nic and they all started out of the classroom.

My eyes furrowed at them. “Hey, class will start in fifteen—“

“Restroom, Miss D.H.” Luke waved as he strode out of the doorway.

“We’re getting some soda at the vendo. Be right back.” Nic waved at me together with Jaq and in a second, I was left alone in the room.

I heaved a sigh as I prodded to my seat. Maybe dealing with them won’t be as bad as I thought it’d be.

Nic and Jaq seemed handy. The rest of the class abide the rules I gave them except for some really naughty ones who would still bully teachers now and then. Some still ditch classes but I was giving them the right behavior treatment; making them stay right after class to clean the classroom . Some detention slips if the one at fault was being stubborn. Well, tehnically DH’s weren’t allowed to give detentions but they have to exempt the special class on that. With that, I was allowed to give detention slips. They’re just slips anyway. Sort of detention recommendations for teachers. A teacher should agree and sign the slip first before it could be a permanent detention. Detention slips always worked with the class. They hated it so I got to wrap my little fingers around them easily.

A few weeks more and I’d be getting them all controlled. Then the first step of my plan would be all done. A smirk played on my lips as I thought of how things were working on my side lately.

After 15 minutes, the rest of the class arrived. I immediately looked for Zeke and Clyde who were missing the classes since this morning but there was no sign of them. I started to think that they were really ditching. They couldn’t be absent at the same. Those two didn’t seem to fit with the idea of coincidence. They’re probably together somewhere…