Elliot's pov.
"Everyone, please sit down so we get just get everything over with." The teacher says as he puts his bag on his desk. Elliot keeps his eyes out the window.
After about 15 minutes, the door opens and Clay walks in, with his hands in his pockets. "Sorry, I'm late." He says to the teacher.
The teacher looks at him weirdly and then cringes when he takes a smell of Clay. "I smell cigarette smoke.... Were you smoking again?!" The teacher shouts at him. Clay stares at the teacher unbothered by his screaming.
"And if I was? What are you going to do about it?"
"To the office. Now Clay Smith!" The teacher points to the door. Clay shrugs, turns around and leaves.
Clay's pov.
Clay steps into the office after knocking and being told to come in. He closes the door and turns around to the principal and he doesn't look happy, to say the least. "Sit down Smith." He does as he says. Clay sits in front of him. "Mr Johnson says you were smoking or more like, he thinks you were smoking because of the smell on your clothes." He keeps his mouth shut. "Were you?" He looks at Clay angrily.
"Maybe." Clay looks down.
"Does your mom know?" The principal's eyes soften slightly as he mentions his mom.
"No, and I would like to keep it that way." Clay continues looking down. Am I ashamed of smoking? A little bit.
"Why don't just quit?" The principal asks calmly.
"Easier said than done." Clay looks up to see the principal staring at him with furrowed brows.
"Did someone make you?"
"No."
"Jacob?"
"No."
This is stupid.
"Michael?"
"No one made me do anything. Just because they do it doesn't mean they force other people to do it. If anything, they would make sure you wouldn't do the shit that they do." Clay says angrily at the fact the principal was trying to blame his friends. The principal nods.
"I didn't mean to upset you. I was just curious, sorry." He apologizes quickly.
Clay looks down. "Sure." He scoffs.
"But I would like it if you didn't smoke in or around the school."
"Sure."
"Are you listening?"
"Yes. Don't smoke in or around the school. I got it. May I go now?" Clay looks up at him unbothered.
"You can try and look like you're a big man Smith but, we both know it's just an act." He lifts his eyebrows.
"Yea, whatever." Clay stands up and leave. He doesn't know shit.
Clay walks back into class and sits down where he usually sit. He stares out the window. His thoughts are interrupted when someone next to him pokes his shoulder. He look to the person next to him and it's no other than Elliot. "Hi." He says as he looks blankly at Clay. Clay doesn't say anything back and just continues to stare out the window. "Clay?" Clay looks back at him. "Please explain"
Clay furrows his brows and looks at him confused. "Explain what?" He asks him.
"What makes you different from them?" Clay stares at him in confusion. "How are you different from those who were beating me up?"
"Why the fuck do I need to explain anything to you?" Clay raises a brow.
"Because you helped me. And I want to know why." Elliot simply states.
"I told you, didn't help you. You just looked pathetic." Clay looks out the window once again. He knows he shouldn't have said that, he knows that. But it just came out. "You looked pathetic and it didn't feel right letting them beat up. That's it."
"Wow...." He hears Elliot whisper before turning his attention back to their teacher.
Words counted: 626
