Christmas On Hart Street

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

~Nolan~

       "Mrs. Goth, come on, you have to let him leave," Jerome said to the principal. "He can't stay the night here and it's not even snowing that much anymore."

       Mrs. Goth sighed. "Believe me, I would let him go but it's just not safe. The roads aren't clear at all."

       "Then I'll walk him home," Jerome said. "Please. He can't stay for medical reasons and if you force him to stay, I'll sue the school."

       "Jerome, I really would let Nolan go home," Mrs. Goth said. "But it's too dangerous to walk home, and the roads aren't cleared. I'm sorry but everyone's stuck here."

       My hopes weren't even up when Jerome told me he would talk to Mrs. Goth about letting me leave the school, so I wasn't even disappointed or anything when Mrs. Goth said we weren't able to leave. 

       But I just continued to feel horrible. There was no way I could handle spending the night here when everyone else was going to be here. The staff was probably going to sort us and knowing my luck, I'd end up being in the most crowded room with people I didn't know.

       Mrs. Goth knew that Jerome would only keep arguing with her, so she had to walk away to make sure that the argument didn't keep happening.

       Jerome sighed before wrapping his arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer to him. "I'm sorry. I tried."

       "I know," I muttered, wrapping my arms around his waist and giving it a tight squeeze.

       "And hey, wherever you sleep, that's where I will sleep too," Jerome said. "I will fight anyone who tries to oppose to it. Want to head back to the auditorium? Listen to us fail miserably at the rehearsing?"

       "I thought you were done rehearsing for the day," I said as the two of us started heading back to the auditorium.

       "We were, but I can convince them to start again if it makes you feel better," Jerome said. "I'll even get us to sound even worse than we normally do."

       I didn't reply. I didn't actually want to hear them rehearse the song because the more I heard it, the more I wanted to join in. But I was too afraid to join because of multiple reasons. My stage fright being one of them. My anxiety being another.

       "Ooh, I have an idea," Jerome said. "We can sneak out a window."

       "I'd rather not..." I said. "We'd get in trouble and I don't want to get in trouble..."

       "I really am sorry you can't go home," Jerome said. "Should I start a fire so we have to leave the school?"

       "What? No," I said. "Should I be worried about what goes on in your mind?"

       Jerome shrugged. "Probably."

       We got back to the auditorium where everyone was just lying around lazily. Some were on the chairs, others were on the stage. 

       And then there was Alan, lying upside down on the stage, the blood already rushing to his face but he didn't seem to care. "I'm so bored," he whined. "There's nothing to do."

       "You're going to pass out soon," Brandon said.

       "Good," Alan said. "Then I won't be so bored."

       "Because you'd be passed out?"

       "Exactly."

       "You're going to hurt yourself."