Status: So... active for me apparently means years in between, I promise that's not the case this time. I hope.
Right to Choose
Drag
I really wish I could say that this happened for that reason, but I can’t. I don’t even know anymore. I wish I could explain everything, but it’s impossible. Things were just happening and I had no say over it, I had no control over anything. I started it, but I couldn’t stop it. It was just a wave of despair and destruction, wreaking havoc on my life.
***
May 3rd, 2011
“Cassandra, time out,” the teacher, Reegan, calmly called out without actually looking up from his desk at the front of the room, where he was likely ruining some poor student’s year with a terrible grade.
“You’re kidding, right? I just walked in the door,” Cass grumbled, unamused.
“Your participation in this class was subject to the assurance from Miss Walker that you would not cause any trouble. Miss Walker has left the school, as you well know, Cassandra, so you will leave this class,” Reegan finally looked up from his desk, holding out a slip of pink paper, with Cass’s name on it, “now, I believe I told you go to time out. And lose the hood, Cassandra, you know fine well that it is not a part of the uniform,”
“You’re a dick. For real,” Cass scowled, snatching the slip of paper out of Reegan’s hand, pulling her hood up over her head as she turned around to leave the room.
“Time out, now, Cassandra, and make it an hour after school,”
“Asshole,” Cass called out in a sing song voice, showing Reegan her middle finger as she left the room, the classroom door slamming behind her.
Still grumbling an hour later, Cass pulled herself up onto the air conditioning vents around the side of the gymnasium, pulling a worn out box out of her pants pocket.
“Shouldn’t you be in class?” A female voice called out. Cass looked up, startled, a cigarette hanging out of her mouth, a lighter in the other hand, “And you’re a little young to be smoking, don’t you think?” The voice came from a car pulled over on the side of the road just next to the gym, the passenger leaning out of the window slightly to talk.
“Evans,” Cass nodded, scowling around her cigarette, “don’t you have better things to do than follow me around? Surely there’s a criminal about somewhere,” Cass moved her cigarette away from her mouth after taking a drag, blowing the smoke out after a few minutes.
“Oh, don’t be like that Cass, besides, we haven’t seen you since you did a runner from the hospital last month. How’d that go for you, by the way? Can’t imagine it was fun running like that just after you had your stomach pumped,” Evans’ tone was light, but Cass could hear the bitter undertone, a wave of disappointment and shame washing over her.
“Oh, you know, a girl’s gotta do what girl’s gotta do,” Cass took another drag on her cigarette, trying to shake off the unwanted feelings of shame.
“Are you sure ab-“ Evans was cut off as a crackly voice came through the speaker in the car, “you’re right, Cass, real criminals are about. Stay out of trouble!” Evans waved, sitting herself back in her seat properly as her partner peeled off the curb, flicking the car’s lights on and speeding away.
Cass slumped back against the wall of the gym and closed her eyes, frustrated. She was just about to take a final drag from her cigarette when she felt her wrist being grabbed roughly, the cigarette falling to the footpath below her. Opening her eyes, Cass scowled at the person interrupting her. Seeing the furious expression on Reegan’s face, Cass yanked on her wrist, trying to free it.
“Fuck, let go of me, asshole,” Cass yanked on her arm again, but to no avail as the enraged teacher strode away towards the front of the school, dragging a highly reluctant Cass behind him by her wrist, “dude, fuck off!”
“Get in,” Reegan growled, practically shoving Cass into the principal’s office. Cass, for her part, stood rubbing her wrist, glaring at the teacher. So consumed by her hatred for him and picturing all the ways she’d love to see Reegan suffer, she missed most of the conversation he had with the principal until it was almost too late.
“- not good enough, exclusion is best for the sake of the rest of the student body,” Reegan was still angry, his tirade having only worked him up even more, Cass noticed.
“Exclusion!? Hold the fuck up! You started it by kicking me out of your class for no reason! You don’t even give me the work to catch up on!” Cass defended herself, hoping she was on the right track since she missed most of the conversation. Seeing the principal’s confused expression, she quickly worked out that she was way off.
“Cassandra, you’re out of uniform again and smoking on school property is a serious offence. As this is only your first time smoking, you will not be excluded, but I have no choice but to give you three days external suspension and four internal. See Ms Ruciak on your way out, she’ll give you the forms you need your mother to sign each day,” the principal sighed, dismissing the student from his office. Reegan was caught between fury that Cass hadn’t been expelled, and smugness that she’d been punished.
“You heard him, Cassandra, leave the premises now,” Reegan settled for smug, looking down at the teenager.
“I have to tell my mum?” Cass whispered, suddenly pale, “I can’t do that…”
***
May 3rd, 2011
“Cassandra, time out,” the teacher, Reegan, calmly called out without actually looking up from his desk at the front of the room, where he was likely ruining some poor student’s year with a terrible grade.
“You’re kidding, right? I just walked in the door,” Cass grumbled, unamused.
“Your participation in this class was subject to the assurance from Miss Walker that you would not cause any trouble. Miss Walker has left the school, as you well know, Cassandra, so you will leave this class,” Reegan finally looked up from his desk, holding out a slip of pink paper, with Cass’s name on it, “now, I believe I told you go to time out. And lose the hood, Cassandra, you know fine well that it is not a part of the uniform,”
“You’re a dick. For real,” Cass scowled, snatching the slip of paper out of Reegan’s hand, pulling her hood up over her head as she turned around to leave the room.
“Time out, now, Cassandra, and make it an hour after school,”
“Asshole,” Cass called out in a sing song voice, showing Reegan her middle finger as she left the room, the classroom door slamming behind her.
Still grumbling an hour later, Cass pulled herself up onto the air conditioning vents around the side of the gymnasium, pulling a worn out box out of her pants pocket.
“Shouldn’t you be in class?” A female voice called out. Cass looked up, startled, a cigarette hanging out of her mouth, a lighter in the other hand, “And you’re a little young to be smoking, don’t you think?” The voice came from a car pulled over on the side of the road just next to the gym, the passenger leaning out of the window slightly to talk.
“Evans,” Cass nodded, scowling around her cigarette, “don’t you have better things to do than follow me around? Surely there’s a criminal about somewhere,” Cass moved her cigarette away from her mouth after taking a drag, blowing the smoke out after a few minutes.
“Oh, don’t be like that Cass, besides, we haven’t seen you since you did a runner from the hospital last month. How’d that go for you, by the way? Can’t imagine it was fun running like that just after you had your stomach pumped,” Evans’ tone was light, but Cass could hear the bitter undertone, a wave of disappointment and shame washing over her.
“Oh, you know, a girl’s gotta do what girl’s gotta do,” Cass took another drag on her cigarette, trying to shake off the unwanted feelings of shame.
“Are you sure ab-“ Evans was cut off as a crackly voice came through the speaker in the car, “you’re right, Cass, real criminals are about. Stay out of trouble!” Evans waved, sitting herself back in her seat properly as her partner peeled off the curb, flicking the car’s lights on and speeding away.
Cass slumped back against the wall of the gym and closed her eyes, frustrated. She was just about to take a final drag from her cigarette when she felt her wrist being grabbed roughly, the cigarette falling to the footpath below her. Opening her eyes, Cass scowled at the person interrupting her. Seeing the furious expression on Reegan’s face, Cass yanked on her wrist, trying to free it.
“Fuck, let go of me, asshole,” Cass yanked on her arm again, but to no avail as the enraged teacher strode away towards the front of the school, dragging a highly reluctant Cass behind him by her wrist, “dude, fuck off!”
“Get in,” Reegan growled, practically shoving Cass into the principal’s office. Cass, for her part, stood rubbing her wrist, glaring at the teacher. So consumed by her hatred for him and picturing all the ways she’d love to see Reegan suffer, she missed most of the conversation he had with the principal until it was almost too late.
“- not good enough, exclusion is best for the sake of the rest of the student body,” Reegan was still angry, his tirade having only worked him up even more, Cass noticed.
“Exclusion!? Hold the fuck up! You started it by kicking me out of your class for no reason! You don’t even give me the work to catch up on!” Cass defended herself, hoping she was on the right track since she missed most of the conversation. Seeing the principal’s confused expression, she quickly worked out that she was way off.
“Cassandra, you’re out of uniform again and smoking on school property is a serious offence. As this is only your first time smoking, you will not be excluded, but I have no choice but to give you three days external suspension and four internal. See Ms Ruciak on your way out, she’ll give you the forms you need your mother to sign each day,” the principal sighed, dismissing the student from his office. Reegan was caught between fury that Cass hadn’t been expelled, and smugness that she’d been punished.
“You heard him, Cassandra, leave the premises now,” Reegan settled for smug, looking down at the teenager.
“I have to tell my mum?” Cass whispered, suddenly pale, “I can’t do that…”