Life Changing Experiences

Chapter 1
Detention is so God damn boring. Blah. I guess it was worth it. I’m not exactly what you’d call your goody-two-shoes girl. My name is Rachel Roth, and if you look at me the wrong way, you may end up in the hospital. Resulting damage included but not limited to: broken bones, fractured bones, punctured skin. Long story short – people don’t mess with me because I’m a bad ass. And everyone in this school knows it. Hell, even teachers can be afraid of me. At least the shy ones. That’s why the detention man is the hardest ass all around. He doesn’t fear me at all, and that’s a disappointment because I can’t threaten my way out of detention like I did last week.
People might wonder why I just don’t go to detention. If I could leave, I would. But it’s getting to the point where if I left it wouldn’t be some stupid suspension. They’d actually expel me if I skipped any more detentions. And I can’t afford to do that.
So, here I am, sitting in this detention class alone, with that jerk Mr. Braxter reading the worst types of books anyone could ever think of. And I’d know, because I read a lot when I’m not in school. Ugh. 2:40. I still have 30 minutes left in detention. Why can’t they make me do this at lunch? Me and my two friends hardly ever go to our classes. Sure, they’re also bad asses, but neither of them are as feared as me.
The first is known as Tara. I don’t even know her last name – or the other’s for that matter. Not like I care anyway. The three of us are always together. But the stupid thing is I’m always in detention after school and neither of them is. I think Braxter has it out for me. If he does, when I get out of school… which may not be for a long time… he’s going to wish he never crossed paths with me. But, that’ll be in the future. Right now I have to entertain my mind some how being in detention. Anyway, Tara is a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. She always wears jeans (I’ve never seen her wear any pants other than them) and t-shirts, but sometimes sweaters. She gushes about guys a whole lot, especially the cute ones. But she can be almost as cruel as I can be sometimes.
The second is named Kitty. Like Tara, she has blonde hair. And she has red eyes. Her eyes represent how hot her temper is. If you get on her bad side, you won’t live to see tomorrow. But it’s not easy to get on her bad side, so she can’t be considered half as cruel as I can be.
As I was absentmindedly twiddling my thumbs, waiting to get out, the door opened and in walked a boy. He had dark blonde hair and tanned skin. I wasn’t able to see the colour of his eyes as he was staring at that jerk. He sat down in the upper left-most desk, four ahead of the one I was sitting in.
“I’ll be back,” grunted that jerk. He left the room.
Now it’d be impossible to leave because one: the door is locked, and two: if he came back and I was gone, I’d be in serious trouble. I un-interestedly watched as the boy put his head down in his arms on his desk. He looked miserable. Whatever, not like I care. He wasn’t even cute. Then again, I didn’t see his eyes and that’s a big determining factor for me. I closed my eyes, trying to relax. A headache was coming and it I hate headaches. But the silence that was there a moment ago was broken… by a gentle sound. Coming from the boy. It sounded like he was… crying? What the hell? We’re in high school for God sake. Why the hell is he crying? Still, I can’t stand people crying. No one knows about it, but that’s my weak spot. I can be talked into anything from a person in pain. I have a gentle heart at times. And this was one of those times.
Cautiously, I stood up and walked over slowly. I put my hand on his shoulder. I felt his body tense and I could feel some sort of panic radiating off of him. He yelped and I backed off. He looked at me with the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen. They were forest green and deeper than the ocean itself. The tears ruined it though. He quickly wiped the tears with the back of his hand and blushed from his embarrassment.
“You okay?” I asked. He gulped and slowly shook his head.
“I’m not,” he said uneasily. Well, we never met before. They say first impressions are the most powerful. So I thought this guy was an emo. But he didn’t dress like one, so that thought was thrown out of mind.
“What’s wrong?” I asked carefully. I wasn’t good at this kind of stuff.
“Listen, lady… I have no idea who you are.” No idea who I am? How can he have no idea who Rachel Roth is? “So, no offence, but I don’t want to talk to you about it. Okay?” his eyes didn’t meet mine at all. They drifted all around the room, never even once going on any part of my body.
“How do you not know who I am? Does Rachel Roth ring any bells?” I tried to ask it intimidating, but it came out as a monotone. I couldn’t help it at all. I either speak in monotone or intimidation. And intimidation is not working right now, so my power was going down the drain. A lot about being feared is having the voice. Mine wasn’t here right now, so this… guy won’t be afraid of me.
“No, it doesn’t. Forgive me, but… I’m new to this school. I’m an exchange student from Africa. I don’t know anyone in this school. And I-… never mind. Look, I just want to be left alone right now, okay?” he sounded like he was pleading – no begging me to leave him alone. I shrugged and sat back down in my previous desk. He put his head down again, but at least this time he wasn’t crying. At least I had an explanation as to how he doesn’t know me. Well, he should know about me in a few days. Wonder what he’s in detention for?
That jerk came back in and sat at his desk.
“Garfield Logan,” he announced. The boy, whom I now know is named Garfield, looked up at the jerk. “I want you back here in detention for the entire week and Monday and Tuesday of next week. I think this seems suitable punishment enough for what you did.”
“Yes, sir. Right away, sir.” He said this rather quickly. I wonder what he did. He sounded almost too happy that he was coming here the rest of the week. I shook my head.
“Roth, you can leave,” barked the jerk. I sighed and picked up my backpack and left, but not before glaring at the jerk. As I exited the door, I couldn’t help but wondering why Garfield was crying. Damn it, my weakness will be the end of me one day.
I walked quickly to my locker. I needed to get out of here. I think Kitty and Tara should be waiting for me outside of school. I exited the school and took out a cigarette right away. God I needed one bad. I walked to the sidewalk and lit it and took a long puff. Sitting in detention gives me these unnatural urges to have a cigarette. As I walked slowly back to my house, I heard Kitty’s voice.
“Rae-Rae!” she teased. God I hate when anyone calls me that. I turned fiercely around and glare at her. She’s unfazed by it by now, though.
“What is it?” I ask through clenched teeth.
“Duh? Did you forget? We’re going to the mall. Tara plans on stealing a lot today. That girl’s fingers are the best in the world, don’t you agree?” she asked while lighting up her own cigarette. I nodded my agreement. It was true. Tara could steal next to anything without getting caught. Her hands were faster than lightning. We never had any money, so she stole whatever we needed. From cigarettes to the latest issue of Goth Monthly. Now, I’m no Goth, but I like reading about them. And I am dark and creepy, or so I like to say. Kitty annoyingly disagrees.
“Where’s Tara?” I asked.
“At her house. I waited here to get you. And MAN was it boring. How long are you in detention again for?” I sighed. Kitty was a great friend. Loyal. That’s why she waited. Tara wasn’t so loyal – which went perfect with her rebellious attitude and stealing of everything.
“Four more days. So, we’re going there?”
“You know it, girl.” We walked in silence for a few minutes. But Kitty seemed to be excited.
“What’s with you? We always go the mall on Wednesday. It’s nothing to get excited about.”
“I know. It’s not that. But, there’s some fresh meat in the school,” she smiled evilly. Well, it was the beginning of the year and a truckload of miner niners were coming to the school. So yeah, there was some fresh meat for sure.
“Of course. Lots of grade nines.”
“No, Rachel. There’s a boy… I don’t know his name, but Tara just so happened to stumble upon a secret file,” her evil smile still on her. That’s a problem with Kitty. She’s all bark and no bite. She’ll get all worked up about doing some reckless stuff, and then she’ll wuss out at the last second. Still, it was fun to listen to some of her ideas.
“Go on,” I say a little interested.
“His name is Garfield Logan. He’s an exchange student from Africa. The school has done well to hide the fact he came from Africa. Tara has the file at her house, and we’ll let you read it.” As she explained this, I was having an internal battle. Garfield Logan was definitely the boy I’ve seen in detention today. The same boy who was crying. I don’t know why he was crying, but it might have been for a good reason. Maybe he had a crappy life? Regardless, I hardly nodded my head, not sure if it’s okay to pick on him or not. I mean sure, he’d be real easy. I saw him. He looks weak. And from his tears earlier, he must weak emotionally. Would it be good to pick on him? I don’t know. It’d be hard to convince these two to do otherwise. Maybe I should talk to him tomorrow in detention class, if that ass leaves… only time will tell. I also couldn’t help but wonder why the school had kept the exchange a secret. I shook my head, hoping that the day at the mall will make them forget about it. But I have a strange feeling in the back of my neck that this won’t be the end of it…