Anywhere Is Better Than Here

Monday came way too quickly for me. I found myself in Kevin's car, alone with the three brothers because my dad decided to take my brother and sister to Danny's first big basketball game in Connecticut, which is about two hours away from us. So they would be spending the rest of the day in Connecticut and would come home later tonight. I decided I didn't want to go because I'm not too into basketball. I'd honestly rather play football or soccer.

"I can't believe your Dad got front row tickets for that game Abby!" Joe complained.

"Oh Joe, get over it already! It's Danny's first game, as soon as he saw the tickets he freaked and got them," I explained.

"Jake is still so lucky he gets to miss school," Nick muttered.

"I second that," Kevin grumbled.

"Whatever guys, I'll see you at lunch," I said, flipping my black hair and walking into school.

I am not a morning person first of all, and it also doesn't help to have all your best guy friends complaining to you about how lucky your brother is for being able to skip school. It's annoying.

When I got to my first class, English, I sat behind my acquaintance, his names Michael. Mike turned around in his seat. Today he was sporting ripped jeans from Abercrombie and Fitch and a red Hollister shirt with brown Birkenstocks. His medium length hair was wet from obviously just getting out of the shower and his blue eyes sparkled.

"Abigail Beckett!" he said, smiling.

"Michael Kenderson!" I said, showing my pearly whites.

"So, how was your weekend?" he asked.

"Amazing, and yours?" I asked, taking out my notebook from my bag.

"Awesome! Dude, I smoked like...a whole pack this weekend! It was amazing!" he laughed.

"Oh my gosh Kenderson, that’s all you ever talk about," I laughed, "Dude, I haven't had a cig in like...foreva ago!"

"I don't have anymore left, sorry," he said.

"It's fine, the Jonas' and my brother would kill me anyways if they were to find out," I said, flashing my ring at him.

"Ah, what a lovely purity ring you have there Ms. Beckett," he said, grabbing my hand and examining my ring, "I'll be sure to keep it on the DL, don't worry."

"Thanks Kenderson," I smiled at him.

My teacher walked into the room at that moment, telling us to get out our notebooks and our Crucible books and that today we would be writing an essay.

"I'm going to hand you five questions. You have the period to answer one of them in a five paragraph essay. Remember kids, underline your theses!" she said, handing out the papers.

I took a look at the paper:

Directions: Today you will write an essay about the play The Crucible. You will write a five paragraph essay answering one of these questions in class. Next week, I will ask you to submit another essay pertaining to another one of these questions. You may use any notes and/or your book for these essays. You will have fifty-eight minutes to do the in class essay, please submit your essay at the end of class. Good Luck.

1. What do you think enabled the Salem Witch Trials to happen?

2. Do you think John Proctor is a Hero? Why or why not? (You can use examples from the book, and from the Hero notes we took last week.)

3. Explain how the relationship between John Proctor and his wife, Elizabeth Proctor has changed from Act II and Act IV. (Use your notes.)

4. Why do you think Author Miller titled this play The Crucible? What is the definition of a crucible?

5. Pick one character from the play and explain whether this character is either a static or dynamic character.

I sighed, getting to work on question number two, knowing I would have to psychoanalyze the rest of the other questions and that it would take more than fifty-eight minutes to do.

"You have a half hour left. You should be on your second body paragraph by now," my teacher said and I jumped, everything was so damn quiet!

I continued working, digging the eraser of my pencil into my temple, getting nervous. So far I was pretty much just bullshitting the whole thing. It was WAY too early to be writing a damn essay!

"Five minutes left kids, if you're finished you can start handing them up now."

I heard four people's chairs scrape against the floor. I was just finishing up my conclusion and adding last minute touches to my body paragraphs. FINALLY! The bell rang! I placed my name on the top, making sure to grab my US History textbook on the floor before making my way to the front.

"How do you think you did, Abby?" my teacher asked.

"I don't really know. Hopefully good," I answered.

"Have a nice day Abigail!" she said as I walked out.

"You too Mrs. Parker!" I said, waving before running down the stairs that were to my left and into F hallway. I waited outside my classroom, F101. My teacher always took forever to get here!

"Ayo!" the one and only Joe Jonas came up to me, smelling like onions.

"Dude, you freaking reek!" I laughed, holding my nose.

"Abby you're so mean! We worked with onions today in Foods!" he said, taking out his bottle of AXE he always kept in his bag. He handed it to me, "Spray me, make me smell like a sex god again!"

I laughed, grabbing the bottle and spraying it all around him. This only caused the people in the hallway to cough as they walked by, and all of F hallway to smell like there was just an AXE fight going on. After waiting for what felt like hours, my teacher finally came, his laptop bag on his arm, his folders in one hand, his key in the other, and a white Styrofoam cup filled with coffee dangling from mouth.

Meet Mr. P. Garrison, the most boring teacher you will ever have the pleasure of meeting. Fear him! The all Powerful Garrison will seriously bite your head off if you answer the question wrong, and will make fun of you for asking a question he feels has an obvious answer. This guy is out of his freaking mind!

After suffering through an hour of us taking notes and no one raising their hand but me (He doesn't even know my name! And it's only MARCH! He just calls me, "you." Or nods in my direction!), we finally left the room. Joe and I walked towards our next class together, considering its Essentials of Chemistry and we both have it with eachother.

"Have you gotten a text from Jake?" he asked, as we were walking through A hallway downstairs to go to B hallway.

"Nope, why?" I asked.

"I texted him when first period started, he didn't get back to me..."

We started up the stairs to B hallway to go to room B207. I looked at him, "So?"

"Don't you think that's a little weird? I mean, he always texts people back," he replied.

"I don't know, maybe he's sleeping in the car or something. Or maybe they went out for breakfast," I said, shrugging my shoulders. Although Joe is right, he usually does text back 99.9% of the time.

We got through third period, me ready to eat the desk in front of me I was so damn hungry. Joe laughed at me when he heard my stomach growl from behind me. I turned around and slapped him on the arm. It was so embarrassing! When it happened the second time he burst out laughing, causing my teacher to turn around from the board and turn to me and Joe.

"What is so funny, Joe? Sheesh!" she laughed with him, Dr. Manner was cool like that.

"N-Nothing," he stuttered, his face red.

Of course he would laugh at my embarrassment, he's a boy! Boy was I gonna rip him a new one when I got out of this classroom! Finally, my stomach stopped growling after awhile because I tried to focus myself on something else. What might that be you ask? Kicking Joe Jonas' ass!

When we finally got out of there, I punched Joe in the arm. He just kept laughing. As we made our way downstairs, we passed Kevin in the hall. He was about to walk next to me until Joe pushed him away, "Don't stand to close to the lion Kevin, she might bite your arm off!"

I laughed at that though, he was so stupid at time, "Let it go Joseph!" I whined.

We made our way to the lunch line, Joe and Kevin getting their lunch money from any kid they knocked out of the way. I find it funny how the lunch aid always just sits there and does nothing but yawn every once in awhile and check his watch every two minutes.

After getting our lunch, me getting a salad and fries, healthy I know, and Joe and Kevin getting pizza, we went to the courtyard and sat in the shade. We also found Nick there, half asleep. I quickly walked up to him, setting my stuff down before pulling him into my arms.

"Are you okay? You don't look too good," I commented.

"I don't feel good," he mumbled into my neck, "I feel lightheaded..."

"Come on, I'm taking you to the nurse. I think you're blood sugar is too low," I said, hoisting him up and putting his arm around my shoulder.

"Let me help you," Kevin said, taking his other arm.

As we were walking away, I noticed Mandy walk up to Joe from the corner of my eye. I smiled slightly; They would make an okay couple. When we got to the nurses office, we sat Nick down in a chair, telling the nurse what happened. She instantly got him his insulin pen. She gave me the pen, letting me give him the shot. When I was done, I handed it back to her, watching as she disposed of the needle. I placed my hand on Nick's forehead, pushing back his curls.

"Hi babe," I whispered as he stared up at me with half-lidded eyes.

"Hi Abby," he said with a small smile.

"Rest for awhile okay?" I asked, giving him a kiss on the forehead before making him get up to lie down on the "beds" they kept in the room.

I turned back, giving Kevin a heads up, and taking his hand as I walked out the door with him. We walked past the Main Office, getting five feet away from it before the door slammed open and the secretary came running out like a mad woman.

"Abigail! Abigail!" she yelled, trying to get my attention.

Kevin and I turned around, staring as she looked at me with a concerned look. "Your mother is on the phone..." she said, before walking back into the main office.

I looked up at Kevin, he gave me a shrug, and we made our way back four steps and walked into the door.

"She's right here, Mrs. Beckett, I'm so sorry, hang on just a minute," she handed me the phone over the counter.

"Mom?" I asked, as my mother let out a large sob.

"Abby? Oh Abby, they were hit! They got into a car accident Abigail!" she sobbed on the other line.

I started to tear up, "Who mom?" I already know the answer.

"Your father, brother and sister," she sobbed.

"What?" my voice cracked, Kevin instantly was at my side.

"Danny is in critical condition," she let out a loud hiccup, "I'm coming to pick you up now."

"No, wait, what about-" I just got the dial tone.

I literally dropped the phone, burying my head into Kevin's chest. I let out a much needed sob. "Abby what happened? What's the matter!?" Kevin tried to get answers from me. I just kept letting out loud sobs. Finally he pulled out his phone and called who I'm guessing was Joe, because Joe came running into the office seconds later, out of breath.

"Oh, Abigail," he said, coming over and taking me from Kevin's arms. He picked me up and walked me out the door, Kevin right behind him.

"I think something happened with Danny," Kevin said, that only got me to sob louder.

By now I was getting stares from different kids in the hall, but I didn't care, I just wanted my daddy, my brother, and my baby sister to be okay. They walked me to the front entrance and waited with me for my mom to pick me up. No sooner than later, a white Ford SUV pulled up in front of the entrance. In the drivers seat sat Denise Jonas, in the passenger seat sat my mom.

I opened the door to the back seat, Denise rolled down my moms window, "Where's your brother?"

"He's in the nurse's office, his sugar was too low. Mom, what happened?" Joe asked.

"There's been an accident," she turned towards Kevin, "Get your brother and get your car. We're driving to Connecticut."