Days of the Old

I managed to make it three days before I couldn’t handle it anymore. I was in Geometry at the time, and guess who also happened to be in that class with me?

Andy.

How I had failed to notice him there on the first day, I’ll never know. Because right then, he was shooting me his usual death glare from across the room. The same thing he had been doing for the past two days that I had been aware of his existence in this particular room.

Trust me, it gets annoying after a while. Actually, after the first three seconds, it’s downright disturbing.

The teacher, whose name still eluded me, was facing the whiteboard, oblivious to anything around her. I huffed and ran a hand through me hair, still feeling his stare burning into. I finally looked up to meet his eyes, and his glare intensified. He mouthed something I did not catch, but I didn’t care.

Before I could chicken out, I was out of my desk, and marching straight over to Andy. He face held a mix of emotions, shocked that I had the nerve to walk up to him, embarrassed, and arrogant. That only pissed me off even more.

“Payton, sit down!” The teacher’s shrill voice cut through the air, but I didn’t listen.

“What the fuck is your problem?” I demanded, getting in his face. All he did was smirk and glance at the teacher. I didn’t care about all the stares focused on our little scene. I needed him to just fuck off.

I had my fist raised, and I was going to punch him, but then the teacher got in between us. She pulled me by my arm until we were outside her classroom, she’s stronger than she looks. Her face was livid, but I was still trying to get out of her grip and beat Andy to a pulp.

She spun me around so I was facing the other direction and gave me a slight push. “Office, now!”

Finally I somewhat came back to my senses, glanced back at her and scoffed, before making my way down the hall. Once outside, I dragged myself across the garden and to through the glass doors that led to the office, taking as long as possible.

No one else was there, which was odd. So I planted myself in one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs beside the reception desk, still fuming. This was just perfect. I didn’t even get to hit him yet I got in trouble for it. I pinched the bridge of my nose and leaned back until my head touched the wall, sighing.

How many times had I been in such a situation? Too many to count. It actually almost felt almost natural to be down here, waiting to get lectured and/or punished. But this was the first time in years I wasn’t with my best friend, Tyler. And sitting in that little chair, I’d hadn’t felt so alone in weeks.

The door with ‘Mr. Dunford’ marked on it swung open, and I looked up. A man stepped out and smiled at me, he was in his mid-thirties, but his short, dark brown hair was starting to grey. “Payton? You can come in now.” He said, gestured toward the open door.

Still taking my time, I got up and silently stepped in, collapsing in the chair in front of his desk. I seriously didn’t want to be there, not without Tyler. It wasn’t funny now, and it was pretty much just a waste of time. He sat down in the leather chair behind the desk, and smiled pleasantly, ignoring my hostile demeanour. “Mrs. Hoffmaster called down and said you had an outburst in class.” He stated, then looked to me for confirmation.

What did it matter? He wasn’t going to take my word over some bitchy teachers. I let a few giggles slip and held my face in my hands. The teacher’s last name was Hoffmaster?

My giggling and lack of seriousness didn’t seem to impress Mr. Dunford, and he raised a question eyebrow. All I could do was nod, there was no sense in lying about it. He’d probably find out about it eventually. “You know, Payton, this is a very serious matter, here at Huntington High we do not tolerate bullying.”

I instantly sobered up once I heard that and jumped to my feet. “What? Are you insane? He was—Andy was—” What could I say? That I told him off because he was staring at me? I did not want to say anything about what happened on the first day, that would open a whole new can of worms I just didn’t want to get into.

“Sit down, Miss Sanders—”

“It’s Wilson.” I said venomously, making him stop short.

He sighed tiredly and looked up at me. “Calm down Miss Wilson, We have a three strike system here and since this your first offence we will not be suspending you.”

Oh, that made me feel so much better. I begrudgingly sat back down. He looked at me and began in monotone. “Detention. Today. I will inform your parents so they can pick you up at the appropriate time.”

That was all I needed to hear and I was done. I glared at him one last time, before getting back up out of my seat and heading for the door. “Oh, and Payton?” I paused and leaned against the doorway as my eyes flickered back to him. “Please don’t make a habit out of this.” He gestured around himself.

I gritted my teeth and held back a snide remark, leaving the office without another word. Just as I got up the stairs of the building my geometry class was in, the bell rang. I was thankful I wouldn’t have to deal with Andy for a few more hours.

By the time I got back to the classroom, all the students had left and more were piling in. My backpack was next to Mrs. Hoffmaster’s desk, and she frowned as soon as she saw me. I looked at her as I hoisted my backpack on, hatred in my stare. I knew we weren’t going to get along. Her frown turned into a smirk, and I couldn’t hold back what I said next.

“Fuck you.” I spat, and turned on my heel before I could see her reaction. Several students in the back of the classroom laughed, but I didn’t look back as I slammed the door and began making my way to my next class, which was Biology.

Three agonizingly long classes later, it was finally lunch, but that wasn’t much to look forward to either. But I’d calmed down since, and felt a little relaxed as I sat under the shade of the tree I had been frequenting for the past few days.

As I munched on the chicken Caesar salad wrap Val had packed for me (It wasn’t my idea), I couldn’t help but wonder how Matt would react to my detention. But I told myself that he wasn’t going to get mad, because if my memory serves me correctly, he got expelled from several schools when he was my age. So if he made a big deal out of this, it would make him a hypocrite.

P.E passed in a blur again, only consisting of me falling on my ass as I tried to climb a rope. I was beginning to wonder if the Mrs. Roland really was a drill sergeant.

I was dreading music class, but I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that Andy wasn’t there. I could finally enjoy the class for what it was and not have eyes burning into the back of my head.

We started a new project, where we had to compose a song with the instrument of our choice. I chose to do it mine guitar, obviously, and used parts of the song I had written the month before. It wasn’t fresh in my mind, and without my music sheet that was stuffed in one of my drawers at home, I couldn’t remember every single part of it. Mr. Thorne smiled in approval as he passed by, though. So I was hoping it was going along well.

When the day was over and it was time to leave the music classroom, I looked back at the Schecter guitar I was using, a Hellraiser C-7, longingly. That thing was my dream guitar. Well, any Schecter was my dream guitar.

Two minutes later, I was standing next to the auditorium, dumbfounded. I had no idea where detention was supposed to be. Finally, I figured I couldn’t stand around looking like an idiot all day, so I headed to the office.

Joy smiled once she saw me. “Hello, Payton. What can I help you with?”

“Uhm... I don’t know where detention is supposed to be.” I said unsurely, shifting my weight from foot to foot.

Her smile dropped for a moment, but then it was back up, bigger than ever. “Oh yes, dear—it’s in building E, just across the way.” She gestured behind her with her thumb in the right direction.

Nodding, I smiled and left. I already knew where building E was, so it took me no time at all to get there. It was only one story and had about four rooms, I hadn’t been in it at all yet.

The room was on the small side, and was slightly stuffy. Ten or twelve kids were seated in the very back, while one girl sat alone in the front. Her hair was a mixture, semi-short and brown on one side, longer and blonde on the other. She grinned when she saw me looking, but looked down when the teacher stood up, and I groaned once I saw who it was. Mrs. Hoffmaster. Of course it was. She was just the kind of teacher who would supervise detention.

I ignored Mrs. Hoffmaster and sat in toward the front of the classroom, two rows over from the girl. “Alright,” Mrs. Hoffman said, clasping her wiry hands together as she sent a glare toward me. “Get some homework out to occupy yourselves.” That was all she said before busying herself behind her desk.

A half an hour passed before Mrs. Hoffmaster left the room, warning us that she’d only be gone for a few minutes. Nonetheless, as soon as the door shut, everyone began chatting away.

The girl with the brown and blonde hair turned toward me straight away, grinning. “You’re new here, aren’t you?” She asked, and I noticed she had an English accent.

Smiling, I nodded, thankful that someone other than a preppy asshole had finally acknowledged my existence. She stuck her hand out, and I got up out of my seat to shake it. “I’m Dannii.”

“Payton.” I said, then looked toward her baby blue and pink converse. “Oh, I like your shoes!” I vacated my old seat and sat next to her, still smiling.

“Oh—thanks! I adore them!” She laughed. “Nice to meet you, Payton. I moved here from England last year.”

We didn’t get a chance to say anything else because Mrs. Hoffmaster came back in, a scowl on her face when she saw me talking to Dannii. I rolled my eyes and glared back at her. I figured that if I was going to be forced to be there, I might as well get some homework done, so I retrieved my backpack and got to work, as did Dannii.

Another half an hour passed before Mrs. Hoffmaster said it was time we could leave, and I had gotten all the work I hadn’t finished in Geometry done.

“Would you like to eat with me at lunch tomorrow?” Dannii asked once we got outside, and I grinned back at her, realizing that she was only an inch or so taller than me.

“Sure, that’d be awesome.” It really would be. I wouldn’t have to be a loner anymore, and that was enough in itself for me to accept her offer.

“Great. Meet me by the auditorium then, okay?”

“Alright, c’ya!” I called, and then we parted ways. She went off somewhere toward Building B, while I went straight to the parking lot, still a little nervous about how Matt was going to react.

And I didn’t even get to hit him. My fists clenched and unclenched at my sides as my mind shifted to violent thoughts about Andy.

“Oh, hey Val.” I greeted when I got into the car, but then remembered that Matt had gone into the studio to record a song with Slash.

She smiled at me and began making her way out of the parking lot. “Hey P. So what happened? Why’d you get detention?” She asked, getting straight to the point.

“No,” I mumbled, looking out the window. “Don’t beat around the bush.” She laughed, but didn’t say anything as she waited for me to spill. “Well—there’s this guy who’s been annoying me for the past few days. I got sick of it and told him off.”

"What—because he likes you or something?” She said, stealing a glance at me as she smirked.

I shuddered. “Ew, no. He thinks I’m sucking up to the music teacher.”

“The principle said you were picking on him.” Val snorted, looking over at me in amusement.

“That’s because my bitch of a geometry teacher probably told him. I swear she’s out to get me.” I wasn’t lying. It seemed like form the very first day Mrs. Hoffmaster hated me, or at first, she disliked me at the very least.

Nothing else was said on the way home, other than Val and me sharing a few chuckles over the situation with Andy, even though I knew it was a little more serious than I was letting on. He was another person who seemed to have it out for me at the start.

“Payton!” Leana yelled from the living room once we got home, and once I got there I saw that all the girls were there, but no guys. I didn’t mind though, I had really gotten used to being with them from our shopping trip last week. All in all, they were really cool. “What happened? Did you get in a fight?”

“No—I just told off this guy.” I replied, collapsing on the loveseat next to Gena.

“Is he hot?” Lacey asked immediately, and I made a face.

“Do you like him?!” Gena demanded, but I still didn’t get a chance to reply.

“Oh, I bet it was a lovers’ quarrel!” Michelle burst out, staring at me with wide, excited eyes.

Val laughed at my expression, which was a cross between horrified and disgusted. “Relax girls—I already interrogated her in the car. He’s just jealous because the music teacher likes her more.”

The girls looked deflated at this, but then Gena gasped, bouncing up and down in her seat slightly. “So what’s up with you and that guy you always talk to on the phone... Tyler?”

At hearing that, everyone leaned forward in their seat, anticipating my answer. Even Val. If it were possible, my face grew even more horror-stricken and disgusted. “Trust me, nothing is going on there. We’re like brother and sister, that’s just... ew.” I hid my face in my hands, trying to the image Gena had created for me out of my head. What I said was completely true, Tyler and I thought of each other as siblings, and it was like incest to be thinking of him that way.

They nodded in understanding, and I was thankful they believed me. After about an hour of joking around with everyone, I retired to my room, wanting to talk to Tyler.

Our phone call was short, he hadn’t been talking to me as much lately, but I tried my best to understand. He has new friends now. I couldn’t expect him to take an hour or so out every day just to talk to me. But I did get a chance that I had made a potential friend, and then entire mess about Andy. He was worried over it, but trusted that I could handle it.

Someone knocked on my door, and I knew it was Jimmy just from the familiar sound of it. It opened seconds later, and he grinned at me as I swivelled around in my computer chair. “Matt wants you downstairs.”

I stopped what I was doing once I heard Matt was home and got up, following Jimmy out. “I’m so proud of you, Mini!” He cried once we got out into the hall and slung an arm over my shoulder. “You stood up for yourself!” I laughed light-heartedly as we made our way downstairs, but looked toward Jimmy questioningly as he pointed toward the kitchen, when loud laughter came from the living room.

“In the kitchen.” I looked on helplessly as he left me there, just outside the kitchen as he joined everyone in the living room.

Matt smiled at me from behind the island, and I took a seat on one of the barstools across from him. “Val explained why you got detention, so I’m not mad about it,” I sighed, relieved because he didn’t make a big deal out of it, yet he still looked at me worriedly.

Oh, god. What now?

“She said you were having problems with a guy.” He stated, standing up straight and crossing his arms over his chest.

I hurriedly shook my head, instantly knowing what he was getting at. “Matt, it’s nothing. There’s nothing to worry about, trust me. He’s not gonna bug me anymore, I made sure of it today.”

Lie, lie, lie. How did that flow so easily through my lips?

“Are you sure?” He asked, looking at me suspiciously, to which I nodded vigorously.

Even though he took that as a good enough answer, I could help but wonder if it was something to worry about, that maybe I should have told Matt about how Andy had pushed me against the lockers and threatened on the first day.

But I couldn’t do that. He would ask what had set Andy off, and then I would have to tell him about how I beat him at guitar, but I lied about that already, too.

I have got to stop lying.