The Heartbreaker's Game

16 - Little Decoys

Heather’s POV

I admit, I was scared. I didn’t want to go to class. What happens if Jared does something bad to me? I mean, Mr. Pike would be mad at me for missing the bus and I doubt Jared will explain that he was the reason why I was late.

No way.

Even for him, that’s too nice.

I contemplated on not going for class but I can’t afford to be marked as absent, it was all I was counting on to be able to pass high school and be done with this wretched part of my life. So I held onto my pride and walked inside the noisy classroom.

Neither Jared nor Mr. Pike was there yet so I quickly took my place at the back row, hoping to turn invisible, wishing I had Trevor’s power. When the bell rang, the remaining students standing around settled into their seats just as Mr. Pike and Jared walked in together.

I shrank in my seat, hoping that they wouldn’t see me. Yet obviously they’d know that I was in class when I answered during roll call. Mr. Pike pursed his lips when I said in a shaky voice, “P – Present!”

I gulped.

But he didn’t say anything and proceeded to start our lessons.

I was fidgeting in my seat, avoiding any eye-contact with my fellow classmates, quaking in my seat with terror, waiting for them to call me out so that I could get a big lecture from Mr. Pike.

When the bell rang, giving us time to go to our next class before the second bell, Mr. Pike finally called me to stay back. I groaned inwardly.

Brilliant.

But at least they weren’t going to humiliate me in front of my class.

As students trudged out of the classroom, I dragged my feet over to the teacher’s desk where both Mr. Pike and Jared were waiting for me. We waited until every student walked out, closing the door behind us before they turned to me. I gulped even harder, butterflies in my stomach.

Please don’t give me suspension. I don’t mind detention with Jared again as long as I don’t get suspended. It’s not even my fault!

Mr. Pike cleared his throat and I braced myself. “Well, Heather, Jared here explained to me that he was the one who made you miss the bus,” he said.

“What?!” My jaws dropped and I turned to gawk at Jared. Did he really just tell him the truth?

Did I hear him right?

I glanced at Jared and he nodded, indicating for me to go along with whatever was thrown at me. I faced Mr. Pike and nodded. “Y – Yes,” I stammered, confused.

Something is wrong. Is this Jared’s way of trying to trick me? Is he playing cat-and-mouse? When will he strike? Is he trying to catch me off-guard? Because I tell you, it’s working, all right.

Mr. Pike, however, nodded. “Okay, well, I was going to give you detention for a week, but since Jared was so kind enough to explain to me so he will be suspended for a week and this will go into his record files on how well he had been progressing as an assistant teacher. Would that be a fair punishment for you, Heather?”

I shrugged, still taken aback by his sudden kindness. Surely there was a motive behind this. “Uh, I guess,” I replied lamely, shooting Jared a suspicious look. He so did not do this without a good reason.

The second bell rang and I’m late for my next class. Brilliant. Can this day get any worse? Sighs.

Mr. Pike took a slip of paper and wrote something on it. Then he passed it to me. “Tell your next teacher I was talking to you, that was why you were late for class. You may leave now.”