Despite It All

Chapter Three

After a thirty minute meeting with the principal and Lisa, calling and getting yelled at by my mom, and getting two days suspension, I was beat.  I was fighting for justice, and this was how everyone repayed me? I mean, she didn't even bleed, just some bruises on her face. But from the stand point of the principal, he was letting me off easy, so I guess it could have been way worse.

My first day of suspension was boring, basically sitting around all day. I even got so bored, I started cleaning my room. That's just how bad it was! My mom called almost every ten minutes making sure I was still at home, each time lecturing me about fighting. Lisa should have kept her mouth closed so I didn't have to punch her in it, but I couldn't say that to her.

I finally accepted defeat, taking a nap. I don't know how long I was asleep but there was hard knocking at my door before the sound of my friends entered the room.

"Wake up, Muhummad Ali!" Jamie said with a laugh, making me roll over in the covers with a groan. The covers were snatched off of me, and I whined, reaching for them.

"Man, wake up, your mom will probably put us out before dinner time and we didn't get to see you today. Spend quality time with us!" Kitty yelled, laying back on the bed.

"Kitty told us how you K.O'd Lisa. Boy if I had been there." Jessica said, sighing as she spun in my chair.

"Hoodrat though? Is it 2006 or something?" Jamie said with a roll of her eyes.

"Lame slang or not, she got what she deserved." Everyone nodded at Jessica's words.

Everything was quiet for a second before Kitty let out a squeal, making me almost jump out of my skin. "Guess who asked about you today?"

"Mr. Barnes?"

"Don't do that." Kitty said, making a face. "Tyler did." She said with a devious smirk on her face.

"Oh yeah! I forgot about that!" Jamie chimed in. "He came to the table, looking good as he wanted to be, asking about you."

"Where's Nicole? When is she coming back? Is she alright?" Jessica mocked him in a whiny voice. "Your thirst must have rubbed off on him."

"I am not thirsty! I just think he's cute and for science I need to know if his lips are soft." We all erupted with laughter.

"Kitty gave him your number." I turned my head so hard, it was surprising that it didn't crack.

"You did what?"

"He kept asking about you, so I told him to ask you himself. And you know I don't play messenger, so I made it a little easier." Kitty said with a shrug. "He probably texted you by now." She said, gesturing to my phone beside me.

Aside from some missed calls from my mom, and texts from them, there was one text message with just a number, and I was sure it was him. I could help from smiling at the thought of him texting me. Lame, I know.

RECIEVED 2:46 pm : hey Nicole, its Tyler. I just wanted to make sure everything was fine.

SENT 3:58pm : Tyler who?

I couldn't help myself, honestly. I just wanted to see how he would respond.

RECIEVED 3:59pm : The Tyler who saved your ass.

I flickes my brow up with a smirk. Tyler had never cursed, at least not at school. He always had lame substitute words.

SENT 4:01pm : If you call that saving, don't save me anymore. I still got in trouble.
SENT 4:02pm : I'm telling your mom you said the a word.

I chuckled softly to myself, looking up to find them all staring at me, smiling.

"What did he say?!" Jamie said, moving over next to me to read the messages.

"It looked like the skin was gonna snatch right off your face if you smiled any harder." Jessica said, laughing at me.

"Shut up." I mumbled, before Jamie pointed out he texted me back.

RECIEVED 4:05pm : No points for trying?
RECIEVED 4:05pm : Get out of here, tattletale. You curse more than I do.

SENT 4:06pm : Three points for trying.
SENT 4:07pm : And??? People know I curse, you, not so much.

Before I knew it, they were all surrounding my phone, holding their breath for a reply.

RECIEVED 4:07pm : Generous point giving -.- how many do I have in all?
RECIEVED 4:08pm : I don't curse at school because I don't want to.

"Or because he's a square." Jessica said, drawing an invisible one.

SENT 4:09pm : 4, you get one for texting me to see if I was alright.
SENT 4:10pm : loooooosssssseeeeerrrrrr.

RECIEVED 4:10pm : what do I get when I get to 10?

Why in the world did he have to ask that? All three of them were practically jumping up and down with excitement.

"Yo! I don't care what anyone says, he's flirting with you okay!" Jamie squealed. I laughed at them before shaking my head.

"He's just being a conversationalist," I said, chewing at my bottom lip as I debated what I would say.

"Girl, please!" Since it was my house, Jessica had to leave her infamous 'bitch' outside the door. "Even I can tell he's trying to see what's up. Why are you playing with your emotions?"

"Get outta here!" I yelled, rolling my eyes. I already got it through my head that he was just being nice because he was supposed to.

SENT 4:14pm : what do you want?

"Yas!" Jessica screamed, clapping her hands. "You can have him in the palm of your hand!"

I laughed at her until my sister opened the door, her thumbs going a mile a minute on her phone. "Momma said that you're still in trouble and they have to go now." We all groaned, knowing that my sister put my mom's words in nicer terms.

They grabbed up their stuff, filing down the stairs with me behind them. I gave them hugs and waved goodbye, knowing they were probably going to Jessica's house.

Before I could touch the first step, my mom called for us to eat dinner and I sighed. Dinner was murder, every little thing coming back to me getting suspended.

A boy got in trouble in Leo's class? Good thing he didn't get suspended.

My sister almost got her phone taken? At least she didn't get suspended.

I wanted stab myself with my fork a couple of times, but I got through it. When it was finally over I rushed up the stairs, collapsing on my bed. I wiggled around to find my phone. When I saw the text, I couldn't stop smiling, and only reason I stopped squealing because my sister screamed shut up. Maybe being suspended wasn't such a bad thing.

RECIEVED 4:15 pm : You.