Whispers [complete and non-edited]

Chapter 5

Meanwhile, at Laehal's school, Laehal was packing his backpack into his locker. There was hustle and bustle all around him. A sudden clang of metal shocked the murmurs into silence. Just the daily nerd-against-the-locker scheme. Laehal was unfazed, and unimpressed.

"P-please I--"

"You had better bring it tomorrow. Otherwise..."--the jock's friend, who was watching the first jock threaten the poor nerd, mimicked cutting his throat--"you will be toast."

Laehal groaned as he walked past the commotion. He put a restraining hand on the jock's shoulder. "Leave her alone, Kyrel."

A shocked gasp rose out of the crowd.

"What...did you say?"

Laehal raised his voice. "I said, leave her alone."

The jock's friend glared at Laehal, who just rolled his eyes and turned Kyrel around.

Kyrel dropped the nerd, who silently thanked Laehal and picked up her books and scurried away. "Don't tell me what to do, Little Pony." Kyrel and his minion snickered. Everyone knew the meaning of Laehal's name. But Kyrel morphed it. Laehal meant Lost Stallion. Not Little Pony.

"Kyrel, you need to grow up." And with that Laehal left to go to his first class. Kyrel began to say something, but Laehal had already disappeared.

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As Laehal took his seat in homeroom, his homeroom teacher entered the room. Laehal groaned in his mind. This was his least favourite teacher. Oh, what he would give to just move homerooms! Even just to Ms. T's room, any room! Just not Mr. F's!

"Laehal...causing commotion in the hallways yet again...," Mr. F said in a voice not unlike professor Snape[Harry Potter! Who's a fan?]. He tsked Laehal unkindly, and then went to mark assignments.

Laehal knew that Kyrel had just lied to get him in trouble, but he didn't know what to do about it. Mr. F certainly wouldn't listen to him. As far as Laehal was concerned, there was nothing he could do. The door opened again, and to Laehal's surprise, the little nerd who was just threatened by Kyrel walked in.

She shyly clutched her books to her chest and whispered a short apology to Mr. F. He grunted, "Deeliah, I would never have guessed that you were the one to cause that commotion in the hallway! Laehal, come here."

Laehal looked up from his notebook in surprise. His gaze wandered to the nerd, who blushed deeply and looked away. Laehal walked to the front of the room and stood beside her.

"Laehal, Deeliah here tells me that she was the one to cause the commotion in the hallway. Is that true?"

Laehal looked at Mr. F in confusion. "No, of course not. It was Kyrel."

Deeliah lightly stomped on his foot.

"Deeliah, is that true?"

Deeliah looked at Laehal with anger and sadness. She took a deep breath, and said, "No, he's just sticking up for me for no reason. I did it."

"Deeliah, I am very disappointed in you. Detention, after school. And Laehal, I am very sorry." Deeliah sighed and then walked over to her desk. Out of his peripheral vision, Laehal saw Mr. F scribble out something on someone's assignment and then put an A+.

Obviously, it was Laehal's paper. And he had crossed out an F.

The bell rang, and all the students got up to go to their class. On his way out, Laehal decided to catch up with Deeliah and ask her why she lied.