I Liked it Better When They Were Young
Back to Hell School
Monday 5th September 8:08am
Getting ready for school. Yes, I have decided to please my mother and go. Guess I'll be pleasing Tre as well.
9:01am
I walked into registration. Tre's face lit up.
"Hi!" He mouthed, beaming at me. I smiled back. I glanced at Billie. He looked pleased to see me, but somewhat embarrassed. I took thed empty seat next to him.
"Hey." I said coolly, making the first move.
"Hi." He said, blushing and looking away. This wasn't the Billie I knew. The Billie I knew would have started talking to me, or moaning to me, about school or his "freak show family". Mr Beck raised his eyebrows.
"Late again, Miss Morgan." Oh whatever. Just be glad I'm actually here, beanpole. He ruffled some papers. "You've missed a lot of work. Looks like tonight will be spent catching up." He said gleefully. Seriously, why do teachers delight in destroying your social life?
"Well, that's something to look forward to." I said, sarcastically. He glowered at me.
"Of course, you could always catch up in detention..." The bell cut him short. I was literally saved by the bell! I smirked at him and trotted out of the classroom. Tre bounded after me.
"What a welcome back, eh? Detention threats!" I said laughing. Tre gave me a "disappointed parent look".
"You're lucky he was interupted by the bell." He said severely. I scoffed.
"I'm quaking in my vans!" He tutted at me.
9:32am
In Maths. Hannah came back from the toilet.
"Sophie, Billie Joe? Mrs Mowatt wants to see both of you." The class ooed like fascinated tourists. Billie dragged himself out of his seat and headed for the door. I swore under my breath and followed him. We didn't speak the whole way down to Mowatts office. After the long trek down, I knocked on the door reluctantly.
"Come in." I went in first, closely followed by Billie. "Ah, Miss Morgan. Mr Armstrong. Take a seat." We both sat down. "Now..." Said Mowatt, tapping her pen on her desk. "How is it that the most troubling students in 1A are both off on the same days?" Billie snorted. I shrugged casually.
"Um, we were just both off on the same days I guess..." Mrs Mowatt chuckled.
"A likely tale!" She smirked. "You've been following that school drop out ever since he set foot in here!" I turned scarlet. Billie looked at me, eyebrows raised. "My guess is..." Mowatt continued, "that the both of you found school a little dull. Maybe played truant for the day, hmm?" This was UNBELIEVABLE. Not only was she a millon miles off the mark, she was insulting the both of us. Billie coughed slightly.
"Say we did. What would you do?" Mrs Mowatt turned slightly pale. She had always had a phobia of rebels.
"Excuse me?" Billie laughed slighty. This was the first I'd seen of him behaving normally that day.
"Say we bunked off. Did some drugs. Drank some beer. What would you do about it?" Mrs Mowatt looked furious.
"Well, I would give you both detention..."
"Ah, ok." Billie said, smirking. "I was just curious." I smiled a little. Mrs Mowatt inhaled.
"I will see you both here at lunchtime for the next week. You may leave." My face fell. Done for a crime I didn't comit. Billie got up and opened the door. We both left, shaking our heads in disgust. Billie looked at the office door from outside and scoffed. I laughed. He walked up to me, every step he took was unsure.
"Listen, Soph. About Thursday..." I was on full attention.
"Yeah, what about it?" He sighed and scratched his head.
"Uh, Mike filled me in about what happened. You know, you letting me stay over at yours?" I nodded. "Well, I guess I'm trying to say sorry. For all the trouble I caused. And for anything I said to you while I was.... you know..." I nodded again. He continued. "Thanks for covering for me. More than anything, for not asking any questions, just agreeing to do it. Means a lot." I smiled.
"It's ok. It wasn't a big deal...."
"It was to me." There was an awkward silence. Billie stared at the ground for a second. He then took me in his arms and gave me a hug. I smiled and hugged him back. He did have a soft side. A vulnerable side. A side that he didn't often show. But he was showing it now. Showing it to me. After a whilie, he started to recoil.
"We should get back to class." I said awkwardly. I didn't know what else to say. He nodded.
"Right. Class." He walked over to the stairs. I sighed deeply and followed him.
Getting ready for school. Yes, I have decided to please my mother and go. Guess I'll be pleasing Tre as well.
9:01am
I walked into registration. Tre's face lit up.
"Hi!" He mouthed, beaming at me. I smiled back. I glanced at Billie. He looked pleased to see me, but somewhat embarrassed. I took thed empty seat next to him.
"Hey." I said coolly, making the first move.
"Hi." He said, blushing and looking away. This wasn't the Billie I knew. The Billie I knew would have started talking to me, or moaning to me, about school or his "freak show family". Mr Beck raised his eyebrows.
"Late again, Miss Morgan." Oh whatever. Just be glad I'm actually here, beanpole. He ruffled some papers. "You've missed a lot of work. Looks like tonight will be spent catching up." He said gleefully. Seriously, why do teachers delight in destroying your social life?
"Well, that's something to look forward to." I said, sarcastically. He glowered at me.
"Of course, you could always catch up in detention..." The bell cut him short. I was literally saved by the bell! I smirked at him and trotted out of the classroom. Tre bounded after me.
"What a welcome back, eh? Detention threats!" I said laughing. Tre gave me a "disappointed parent look".
"You're lucky he was interupted by the bell." He said severely. I scoffed.
"I'm quaking in my vans!" He tutted at me.
9:32am
In Maths. Hannah came back from the toilet.
"Sophie, Billie Joe? Mrs Mowatt wants to see both of you." The class ooed like fascinated tourists. Billie dragged himself out of his seat and headed for the door. I swore under my breath and followed him. We didn't speak the whole way down to Mowatts office. After the long trek down, I knocked on the door reluctantly.
"Come in." I went in first, closely followed by Billie. "Ah, Miss Morgan. Mr Armstrong. Take a seat." We both sat down. "Now..." Said Mowatt, tapping her pen on her desk. "How is it that the most troubling students in 1A are both off on the same days?" Billie snorted. I shrugged casually.
"Um, we were just both off on the same days I guess..." Mrs Mowatt chuckled.
"A likely tale!" She smirked. "You've been following that school drop out ever since he set foot in here!" I turned scarlet. Billie looked at me, eyebrows raised. "My guess is..." Mowatt continued, "that the both of you found school a little dull. Maybe played truant for the day, hmm?" This was UNBELIEVABLE. Not only was she a millon miles off the mark, she was insulting the both of us. Billie coughed slightly.
"Say we did. What would you do?" Mrs Mowatt turned slightly pale. She had always had a phobia of rebels.
"Excuse me?" Billie laughed slighty. This was the first I'd seen of him behaving normally that day.
"Say we bunked off. Did some drugs. Drank some beer. What would you do about it?" Mrs Mowatt looked furious.
"Well, I would give you both detention..."
"Ah, ok." Billie said, smirking. "I was just curious." I smiled a little. Mrs Mowatt inhaled.
"I will see you both here at lunchtime for the next week. You may leave." My face fell. Done for a crime I didn't comit. Billie got up and opened the door. We both left, shaking our heads in disgust. Billie looked at the office door from outside and scoffed. I laughed. He walked up to me, every step he took was unsure.
"Listen, Soph. About Thursday..." I was on full attention.
"Yeah, what about it?" He sighed and scratched his head.
"Uh, Mike filled me in about what happened. You know, you letting me stay over at yours?" I nodded. "Well, I guess I'm trying to say sorry. For all the trouble I caused. And for anything I said to you while I was.... you know..." I nodded again. He continued. "Thanks for covering for me. More than anything, for not asking any questions, just agreeing to do it. Means a lot." I smiled.
"It's ok. It wasn't a big deal...."
"It was to me." There was an awkward silence. Billie stared at the ground for a second. He then took me in his arms and gave me a hug. I smiled and hugged him back. He did have a soft side. A vulnerable side. A side that he didn't often show. But he was showing it now. Showing it to me. After a whilie, he started to recoil.
"We should get back to class." I said awkwardly. I didn't know what else to say. He nodded.
"Right. Class." He walked over to the stairs. I sighed deeply and followed him.