Forced

chapter 4

I'm not wearing a hoodie today. I'm wearing a red and black striped shirt on top of a grey one with long sleeves. On the bus, I sit next

To Brooklyn.

"What happened yesterday?" Brooklyn asks, trying to look me in the face. I keep looking out of the window. I shrug. "Come on, Ryker. Just tell me if you got in trouble." I press my lips together and look at her. "I can't wear hoodies to school anymore." I say in a hushed voice. She nods. Her amber eyes look almost golden in the sunlight. She turns her attention to the back of the seat in front of us.

We ride on in silence until I turn to Brooklyn. She was looking at me. "Do you know of anyone named Coby Hendrick?" I say almost inaudibly. She thinks for a second then replies hesitantly, "I've heard of him. He gets in trouble a lot. You should leave him alone." I smile.

Today I opened my locker on the 11th try. I'm getting better, but I'm still a little bit late to first period. I walk in and Mrs. Howell says, "ah, Ryker, glad to see you! There have been a few changes to the seating chart." I look at her. "Your seat is right there. She points to a seat in the first row beside a boy with long reddish hair that almost covers his dark blue eyes.

Sluggishly, I take the seat. "Aaron Smith," Mrs. Howell begins to call role. Aaron answers. I wonder who I have second period? I never got to it yesterday, after all. I take out my schedule. Social studies. With Mr. Jacobson.

"Coby Hendrick," Mrs. Howell says. Coby! The boy next to me answers, "here!" I look at him. Coby, I guess. Why is he weird? He's wearing worn out shoes and dark red tattered jeans with a rip in the knee. His jacket is a little bit too big for him and his shirt reaches down below the bottom edge of the jacket.

He looks at me and I think he might be mad, but then notice that his eyes are amused. He jerks his head towards the teacher. "Ryker Bulton?!" Mrs. Howell is leaning towards me, her eyes wide. I raise my hand. She raises her eyebrows and puts a check next to my name.

After role call, she passes out a thick booklet to everyone. CODE OF CONDUCT. Coby raises his hand. Mrs. Howell ignores it. "I have a question." Coby says. Mrs. Howell makes an odd face and nods his way. "Is this really necessary?" I look down and grin.

Fake devilish smile from mrs. Howell. "Yes it is. Some students just don't know how to act." Coby says, "Act? Act like someone you aren't, maybe. If that's what acting is, then you deserve an oscar." Mrs. Howell puts her hand on his desk. Her rings click when they touch the wood. Everyone else in the class pretends not to notice. They stare at the first page of the booklet. "You need to learn how to show some respect, young man."

Coby just looks at her. She backs off and returns to her desk. She picks up her copy of the booklet and clears her throat. The room came back to life. This isn't right. For the first time in a while, I raise my hand to say something. She ignores me, but I don't care. I stand up and say quietly, "respect is only shown to those who we respect." I say it loud enough for only Coby and Mrs. Howell to hear me, than sit down again.

Mrs. Howell looks a bit pale for the rest of the class while I draw in the code of conduct, Coby writes in a notebook on top of his, and Everyone else learns all about how to act.

When bell rings and Coby slips a note to me. I shove it in my pocket and grin at him. One corner of his mouth turns upwards just a bit. I remind myself to read the note in my next class as I walk out the door.