Salted Wound

Chapter 6 Zamari- Aug 27, 2018

I brush my hand over my hair as I walk down the deserted hallway, my footsteps echoing. After the first tutoring session with Anastacia, I feel stupid, but I'm also pissed. She's so entitled, thinking she knows everything. Granted, she knows a hell of a lot more than me, but still, she acted like that makes me less than her. I can't believe the school is forcing me to deal with her for the rest of the semester, I could barely stand the one hour we were in the study room for.

Before I can make it out the front doors of the school, Ms. Hayes bursts out of the double doors leading into the office. I keep walking, hoping it's another unfortunate soul she's looking for, but her eyes lock onto me, and she nods for me to join her in the office. I barely hold myself back from rolling my eyes. Nothing is going right today. I slow down as I near the doors, trying to think of an excuse as to why I can't stay. I drag my feet into the office, no excuse prepared.

    "Zamari," Ms. Hayes smiles up at me from the chair she commandeered behind the abandoned front desk. "I'd like to talk about those bruises on your face."

    "You and everyone else it seems," I mutter. Ms. Hayes gives me a strange look but doesn't comment, just continues with her line of questioning.

    "It seems to me those are the type of wounds you'd get from being in a fight with someone."

I twist the cap of a pen resting on the desk and don't look at her. She didn't ask a direct question, no need to answer. She continues.

"It seems," she says slowly, "Like the type of wounds that extend past the face. Like you may be favoring your left side for a reason"

    I look up sharply, immediately shifting so I'm not leaning my right side on the desk anymore. She'd been paying more attention than I gave her credit for. This time I jump in before she can continue any further.

    "Look, Miss, I know what you're thinking, but this," I gesture to my face. "Didn't happen on campus, so there's nothing to worry about, the school won't get in trouble."

Her gaze softens. "That's not my concern and you know it. Believe it or not, some of us teachers actually care about our students, and worry when one of them has obviously found some trouble."

"I'm not in trouble, it's not like I'm going to jail or some shit," I comment.

"But if you were, you know you can trust me, right?"

She dips her head, trying to catch my eye, but I turn to look out the front window instead and see Luis standing in the parking lot, in the direct path to my car. Ms. Hayes follows my gaze and looks at me again.

"You know," she says. "If it happened to be a fellow student who caused this, you can report them."

    I snort in derision. Mama ain't raise no bitch and she certainly didn't raise a snitch.

    "I can deal with it Miss, thanks though. I gotta go," I push off the counter and head out the front door before she can protest. Luis looks to me and I smirk, loving how he immediately scowls in response.

    "You waited for me, baby?" I ask.

    "Cut the crap asshole. You got no right talking to my bitch about me."

    "It's a wonder you're not single, seeing as you refer to your girl as your bitch." I retort drily. "Keep my name out your mouth and maybe we wouldn't have issues like this."

    "How do you know her anyway?" he snaps, completely ignoring what I say.

    "Maybe you should ask her," I retort, giving a wicked smile.  "If you were man enough, maybe she wouldn't be coming to me for what you can't give." The lie slips off my tongue and feels good.

    Luis shoves me back, making me stumble over a nearby curb. Fury dominates his eyes as he growls. "Stay away from her, or you'll be wishing all I gave you was a black eye."

    I hold his gaze, all traces of humor shattered on the pavement. I grab his shirt and drag him closer. "I'm begging you, hit me. Give me  a reason to kick your ass again." I peer around the parking lot mockingly. "I don't see your friends here to back you up." A sliver of fear flashes through his eyes, confirming my suspicions that the majority of my injuries were at the hands of his buddy. He's no harm to me.

    I loosen my grip on him and he shoves away from me. "Just stay away from her. She's better than both of us." For once I agree with him.

Luis pushes past me and I turn to watch him leave, calling out, "See you later, hon!" just to get further under his skin. As I turn to leave, my eye catches on the doors to the office where Ms. Hayes stands, having witnessed the whole encounter. I swear under my breath, pretending not to see her. She's never gonna let this go.