Girlfriend On Mars

3. "Yes, you, hi"

Three.

"Yes, you, hi." 

Jen realised the next day that being sat in front of the vice principal and the actual principal wasn't as scary as someone would of thought. They were two short, older men with matching glasses—like weird twins that weren't biologically related. They tried their hardest to look scary in front of Archer, but she was unfazed completely. Her eye was still dark in colour, a purplish tint circling her upper eyelid, and somehow, she had a small, thin gash on her bottom lip.

Jen was also still caught up on the fact that she had her first, brief conversation with Marley Rhodes. She was unlike what Jen had expected in a way, she'd been ready to hear fake friendliness in Marley's words and forced smiles but in reality, Marley Rhodes was very bad at hiding how she truly felt. Jen realised the day before that Marley didn't much like her, along with most of their year. The whole time Jen had tried to converse with her, she'd seemed so desperate to let the conversation die. Her reactions were funny, the dark-haired girl liked to test her grounds.

"Archer?" The vice started and when Jen looked his way, he continued, "I'm sure you're well aware what this means for you."

"Exclusion?" She said flatly, picking at her fingernail across from the two men. "Or suspension?"

"Well, not this time." The principal sighed, glancing at the vice. "Lisa's parents have threatened to get police involved and we assured them we'd take care of it and monitor you—properly."

"Hey! She hit me too." Jen pointed to her black eye and huffed.

"We can see that, but her parents are determined to have you punished. I need you to finish this year though then they can feel free to do what they please." The vice said sternly.

Despite their firm words, the two men were known to be quite kind and allowing around school. They were just doing their jobs in that moment and Jen had to play fair so she could finish this school year without being excluded.

"They've told us that if you go anywhere near Lisa, they'll have you arrested." The older man pursed his lips and looked at the nonchalant girl before him in disappointment. It certainly wasn't the first time she'd been in that office, but it never had a threat that serious.

"What am I supposed to do then? I'm in a lot of her classes." She questioned, with an eyebrow raised.

"We're moving you to different classes. Your science class will change so will your history and English." Vice explained, sliding a new timetable sheet across the desk with her new classes. She immediately frowned when she heard science, to her it was the only lesson she truly enjoyed. Her science teacher, who had been for two years, left her be and was kind to her.

"Can't I keep science?" She asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"No. Any class with Lisa is changing." Vice said firmly, tapping the desk. "Now please leave and get to class. Do not go anywhere near Lisa O'Donelly."

Jen exited the office, tense with irritation. She could have punched someone at that instance, but she took a sharp breath in and turned to stalk off towards her new science classroom. She was already late as the meeting in the office had run over and it was only supposed to be fifteen minutes.

It was on the second floor, not far from the first staircase. The teacher was Miss Lyons, a plump, older woman who was known to be quite unfriendly.

Jen jogged on up the stairs; bag slung over her right shoulder as she went. Before entering the classroom, she tugged her lengthy dark hair back into a loose ponytail so she wouldn't be called out in front of the class to do so. Through the window, she could see Lyons at the front monotonously teaching the room, bored students of the front row doodling on the tables. But nothing further than that.