The Rules of Life

April Tanner was right where I thought she’d be. After telling the principal, any normal person would stick by authority’s side to make sure that they didn’t get hit. But as far as April knew, I was hidden away somewhere, being looked after by thuggish guys. Or already thrown out on my ass, waved goodbye with papers saying I couldn’t step one foot on school property. No doubt I’d have restraining orders taken out against me. Probably by Noelle for sure. Maybe Dash but I didn’t think so. April would take one out, I knew. If not her idea, then her dad would see to it.

But no, April wasn’t hiding in her dad’s office, smug with I’m sure she thought was a win. I wasn’t dating Travis. She’d slept with him. He’d go back to her for some consolation sex. Maybe she’d even convince him she was alright. They’d graduate and go to the same college. But Travis would get hurt and she’d drop out to be with him. He’d get fat and become an alcoholic and she’d have lots of kids and become depressed. Yeah, I could see it. But I didn’t like it. Not because of April, because that bitch deserved it. Travis didn’t though. Travis deserved a hell of a lot better.

I rounded the corner to see a crowd of people with, yep, April smack in the middle. She was telling a story, waving her arms around wildly, mouth moving a mile a minute. Oh I would enjoy this. My knuckles throbbed still from Noelle’s pounding but the adrenaline that was starting to ease its way through my veins would surely turn the pain off.

It was almost laughable how easily I got to April. No one even really noticed me. It’s funny how you miss what you aren’t looking for. And no one was looking for me. Why should they? I was somewhere being looked after in the office. If only those dumbasses knew how easy it was to escape.

April didn’t see me until I was right up in her face. Her eyes widened and she looked around, backing up against the lockers. The crowd hushed and backed up to form a circle around us. I wondered how long I had before someone noticed the telltale signs of a fight. Probably not long, not with all that had happened. They’d have the whole fucking school on lockdown. Two fights and a rumor of a student-teacher relationship? This was principal hell.

“Hey, bitch,” I said, flashing her a smile. “Guess you didn’t keep your fucking mouth shut, huh?” April looked simply terrified. God, I wanted to savor this moment. But I didn’t have any time. “Well, let me fix that problem. You see, when I’m through with you, you’ll never, ever gossip again.”

I advise you to never punch someone in the mouth. Unless they’re fucking gross and have like no teeth. Teeth will slice into your fingers and leave bloody evidence. So yeah, I advise you not to punch someone in the teeth, especially if you’re planning on killing that someone. They will have more than enough evidence to convict you. Mainly your DNA all up in the victim’s mouth.

Sadly, I only got one punch in. I didn’t fight my captors this time. I just smiled and waved goodbye to my surely former classmates. A few brave souls waved back. I blew a kiss to them.

There was no conference room this time. Nope, I went from a side-case to the big kahuna. I was top priority, what with my teacher-sleeping, student-beating habits. Matt was in there, hair sticking up from too many run-throughs. He looked beyond stressed. His tie was loosened and the first button undone. He was rubbing his temples when I plopped down beside him. I couldn’t bear to see him like this, so defeated, so I studied my knuckles, sliced and bleeding.

“Who was it this time?” Tanner asked tiredly.

The teacher who had escorted me, some beefy science department guy, said, “Your daughter.”

If looks could kill… Oh boy. It’s probably a good thing that they can’t or else I’d be dead several times over. Tanner murmured a tight, “Excuse me” and left. The math teacher followed him and that left Matt and I alone.

I took a deep breath. “Listen,” I said. Matt looked up. His eyes were dull. “Let me do the talking, okay?”

He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, because that sounds like a great idea, Kinley,” he said sarcastically. “You’ll just make it worse, okay? So just… shut up for once.” I stared at him. I guess I’d gotten into trouble a lot because of my words and my fists but… I really wanted to help. I knew how I could help. So even though I knew he’d be even madder at me for piping up, I spoke again.

“I’m serious, Matt,” I said. “I know what I’m doing. For once. I’m going to make this right, okay? Please, just let me. Let this be the one good thing I do.” Matt met my gaze and, for a while, said nothing. But finally he exhaled and nodded.

It was a while before Tanner came back. Matt and I didn’t speak. I just thought about what I was going to say, how I was going to say it, and the possible outcomes of my action. I hoped that Matt hadn’t already fucked it up by revealing that anything happened. Nothing had, not really. A few kisses. That was it. There hadn’t been any sex. We were at least half-innocent.

He slammed the door when he finally came back. I swear, the temperature in the room went up five degrees from the anger radiating off him. But he exercised great restraint. Tanner walked slowly, deliberately, to his leather chair behind his desk and sat down, lacing his fingers together and placing them nicely on top of the shining wood. He took a deep breath and leaned forward. “Now, Miss Miller, would you like to explain to me the relationship you share with Mr. Hardacker?”

Here goes nothing. “He’s my math teacher,” I said. “He’s the only person I really trust, like, ever. We’re friends, kind of. As much like friends as you can get and still maintain a teacher-student relationship.” There was my opener. Now, come on, Tanner, ask the right questions now.

“Anything else?” Thanks.

I looked down at my hands in what I hoped appeared to be sheepish, an innocent little school girl expression. I probably just looked constipated. “Well, I sort of had a little crush on him.” I looked up shyly and smiled at Matt, who was trying to keep the surprise off his face. Maybe he knew where I was going with this. Maybe he wasn’t. But he’d said he’d let me talk so he better keep his fucking mouth shut.

Tanner nodded, like we were getting somewhere now. I could still see the anger in the way that he kept his jaw tightened and the glare he couldn’t quite keep out of his eyes. “And let me guess, he picked up on it and took advantage.”

I widened my eyes in a way I hoped resembled April’s deer-in-the-headlights expression. “No! Of course not,” I said. I should win a fucking award. “I mean, I tried.” Again, I looked down shyly. “But nothing happened.” Please let Matt have said nothing happened.

Tanner looked unhappy. “Mr. Hardacker said as much,” he said, narrowing his eyes at me. “If that’s true, then why did my daughter tell me otherwise? And why did she,” his eyes got really squinty and his voice hard, “get beat up?” Shit. Think fast, Kinley!

“I told April something happened. I wanted something to happen and then when it didn’t, I was feeling rejected so I just made it up.” I looked over at Matt. “I really liked you. The rejection stung so badly.” That wasn’t a lie. I hadn’t meant to say that but it just fell out. Matt nodded at me, ever so slightly, signaling that he understood, that he knew I was speaking truthfully at that point. “When I found out she told you, I was mad. The whole situation was just embarrassing and now everyone would know about it.”

There. That was my good deed. Hopefully it would be good enough. I held my breath waiting for Tanner’s verdict. My lungs were screaming by the time he nodded. “Very well,” he said. “Since both of your stories match up, I won’t fire you, Matt.” He released a breath, the exhale audible. “But you, Miss Miller, are expelled. You’ve started two fights today and left when you were supposed to stay in the conference room. There are numerous other reasons that did not happen today that also justify your expulsion. I’ll give you today to collect your things. But then you’re expected to leave. Go, Miss Miller, while I contact your father to come and get you. Matt, you’re also excused.”

We walked out together. Since we were going in the same direction, we walked side-by-side until we reached Matt’s classroom. Inside, another teacher was lecturing and everyone appeared bored. One girl was painting her nails; another was drooling as he slept. We both stopped and awkwardly didn’t make eye-contact.

“Thank you, Kinley,” he said. I looked up at him. “You didn’t have to do that, take the fall all by yourself. So, thank you. So much.” He reached for my hand. I let him take it. “I’m sorry that things turned out this way. I meant what I said back in the conference. I really fell for you.”

I smiled at him and squeezed his hand. “I wish it was different,” I said. “Maybe someday we’ll get another shot.”

Matt smiled, too. “I hope so,” he said. “One more for old time’s sake?”

I raised an eyebrow. “Right here?” Matt shrugged. I stepped closer to him, closed my eyes, felt his hand slid around my neck. His breath was warm, tickling my lips. I inhaled the smell of him, melted into that last kiss. And when it was over, I felt my heart break just a little bit. With a last exchange of smiles, I left him in front of his class and carried on to my locker. It took everything in me not to look back.