On a Leash

Chapter 4 ─ Sniffing Around too many B*tches

CHAPTER 4 ─ Sniffing around too many B*tches

“I want you to redo this.”

The paper was smacked down and I knew with my eyes still on Mrs Roger’s that I was going to cringe at the result. I hesitated and then faced the table. I swore.

“Yes,” Mrs Rogers remarked. She walked down the aisle to give the next student their paper. “And for that comment, Miss Thomas, you’re staying behind for five minutes.”

“And in that time how could I possibly increase this grade, Miss?” I asked sweet words in a sour mouth.

I glowered at the woman as she sucked on her teeth. She smirked, turned to Harrison and dropped the paper in front of him. “Very well done, Harrison, maybe you could teach your friend a thing or two.”

Mrs Rogers and I had never got on. Not lower down in school and our mutual hatred had not vanished when I had moved up into further education. I blamed it on her having her personality and funny bone removed as a child. I blamed it on maths. I did not blame it on my lack of enthusiasm for geometry and natural log.

“I’ll show you a thing or two,” I grumbled under my breath. “Like how to decapitate maths teachers with a skate board.” Next to me, Robyn sniggered.

“Your comebacks are awful,” she breathed. My eyes narrowed at her, causing her to feign another bout of coughing to hide her amusement.

“Can you please tell me, Miss Thomas, what is so funny?”

“I didn't say anything.” My eyes lazily surveyed the room, not landing anywhere near her.

“Sure you didn't.”

I scoffed. “I didn't.” She glowered and a smile slipped, ripe and taunting, onto my face.

“Get out.”

“Wha—?”

“Out.”

I sighed, loud and dramatic. Slapping my feet onto the lino, so hard it made the soles of my feet ache; I shoved my chair back and got up. I made my way to the door, my head held high just as I had seen Charlie do countless times. At the door I turned and rolled my eyes, making it impossible for my maths teacher to ignore my vexation and walked out.

Cool air enveloped me in the hallway and I took in a chilling breath. It was getting colder now but as usual the school wasn’t going to put the heating on until the last month of winter term. It was as my fingers dug into my pockets for warmth and I leaned up against the exterior wall of my classroom that I realised what I had just done.

I had been kicked out of class.

I had only been sent out into the hallway once before and that was for an end of term game of murder in the dark. I had stood like I did now and stared through the envelope window in the parallel door and pulled faces at Lexi. She had rushed out with the excuse of toilet break to get the gossip for why I was out of class.

That had been five years ago. The door parallel to me now led to the mysterious land of the boys’ toilets, there was no one to pull tongues at and Lexi was now working in the city. I had laughed at the time and told her that I was playing a game; she teased me over never getting into trouble.

I was in trouble now.

Trying to ignore the panic building at the aspect of having to talk to Mrs Rogers, to having detention, to having to face my mum I pulled out my phone. It calmed me, typing out a small paragraph about how Ross Thomas, yes, Ross Thomas was sent outside for being rude and how no one had seen this day coming.