Asked to Compromise

I sat in my chemistry class bored to tears. I’d rather stick ice picks into my ears than listen to Ms. Judes go on about the periodic table and formulas we’d use for the year. I wished that I’d taken up my friends’ offer on cutting class. I said, no, because I wanted to actually get through the first few weeks of school without a problem. But that was already fucked.

First week of school, I cursed out my trig teacher. Few days after, I allegedly started a food fight in the cafeteria. Alright, well, I did start the food fight. Throwing mashed potatoes in a random chick’s hair; priceless. People should’ve been used to it by now. I mean, it’s me we’re talking about. Fucking around is fun.

I banged my head on the desk, silently praying for something to shut the woman up. I thought about asking to use the bathroom and never coming back to class. My friends probably didn’t believe me when I said I wanted to go to class anyway.

“Priscilla,” Ms. Judes said in her sarcastic voice. “You can either pay attention or leave my class.”

“I think I’ll leave,” I said seriously, looking at her. I slid my binder into my bag, ready to go.

Half the class laughed out loud, knowing that I wasn’t joking.

“Oooh, Priscilla’s gonna snap.”

“Well, why don’t you take a walk down to the main office and go see the principal?” Ms. Judes said.

I rolled my eyes and got up out my seat, walking through the aisles to the door.

“When is she just going to get kicked out? She’s so fucking annoying,” Someone said behind me.

I turned around, ready to drop my bag and fight. I glared at the brunette that said it.

“What?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “If I get kicked out today, it’ll be for beating your ass.”

“Priscilla, there will be no fighting in my classroom!” Ms. Judes yelled.

“I’m going to assume you meant to think that in your head and not say it aloud,” I continued glaring at the girl. “But if you ever have anything to say to me, say it to my face or shut up. Try me.”

The room got quiet and tense. I walked out, slamming the door behind me. It almost took every ounce of me to not slap her and put her in her place. I tried to relax as I walked down the empty hallways and down the stairs. I pushed open one of the doors that didn’t have a lock or alarm. My school made things so easy for us. I rounded the corner and cut across some of the field, seeing my friends already doing their own thing.

“Hey,” I said when I got to them. The smell of weed and cigarettes made me cough. Adam was leaning against the tree smoking a blunt, like always. He was a pothead, but we loved him.

“I told you she was going to come,” Charlie said to Max. “Five bucks, dude.”

I rolled my eyes, knowing they were betting on me to come out. Max reluctantly handed Charlie a five dollar bill.

“Sorry, dude,” Max shrugged at me.

“At least you believed in me,” I smiled weakly. “I only came out here because my chem teacher gave me that option and I was ready to rag this bitch in class.”

“And why didn’t you?” Lenore asked eagerly.

“I don’t know, my teacher said not to fight in her room,” I said, taking my bottle of water from my bag and sipping it.

“So? That hasn’t stopped you before!” Max said. “Remember that time when you jumped over four desks to punch that girl?”

We all laughed at that one. We all got into our fair share of fights at school and outside of school. We were all the same in some ways, and that’s why we were friends.

“Who doesn’t remember that?” Marcy said, “I was about to jump in for ‘Cilla.”

“I didn’t feel like being bothered today,” I said. “It’s still only September and two out of three strikes are up. Deegan said something about some kind of severe punishment after three strikes or whatever.”

“He’s probably just bluffing,” Lenore said. “You’re really not that bad. You’ve done worse shit. If he wanted to ‘severely punish’ you he would’ve already.”

“Yeah, but I seriously think he’s getting tired of me,” I said. “You know before school ended in June he said he expected me to come back this year with a new attitude and shit.”

“Priscilla’s ‘not that bad’?” Adam laughed. “I know I’m high right now, but come on. Deegan got tired of Eric in freshman year. Priscilla’s probably next.”

“Dude, shut the fuck up,” Charlie said, pushing Adam.

It was quiet for a minute while we all thought about Eric. Eric was one of our friends from middle school. Lenore and some others in our group didn’t know him that well, but met him in freshman year. We hadn’t seen him in over a year. He was sent to that alternative high school in California by his parents and Deegan. He had to finish high school there.

“Alright, this makes me feel like he died,” Adam said, breaking the silence. “He’s fine in that school, I guess. We talk every once in a while. You guys are killing my high.”

We laughed a little bit at Adam. He was the same when he was high or when he wasn’t.

“Whatever. Who’s up to skip the rest of the day?” Max asked.

The majority of us instantly agreed, being that there were only 3 periods left.

“Come on, I wanted to go back to class high and see how much shit I can start,” Adam whined.

“Uh, no,” Lenore shook her head and grabbed his arm.

We all ran over to the fence that led to outside civilization and hopped it, ready to eat and get into some trouble. I only hoped this wouldn’t be my last strike.