Page 28 of Reviving Kendall

Since I don’t want to turn around and face him, I find a spot on Ryleigh’s tire to stare at, “I technically didn’t lie about anything.”

His palm smacks the Jeep beside me, “Omitting the truth is the same fucking thing. Lies are for cowards. Lies are also for people who don’t want any friends.” The last is whispered so close to my ear that I feel his breath fan over my neck.

He pulls away from me and I don’t watch as he walks away this time. It’s all I can do to fight the tears threatening to spill down my cheeks.

Twunt

I go the rest of the weekend without hearing from any of them. The only person who is still talking to me is Ryleigh. I’ve not tried to text the guys, though, so maybe it’s just as much my fault as it is theirs. Possibly more mine, since I’ve yet to apologize. I work my feelings away at the restaurant, and get banging tips in return for it. Doesn’t really make that much of a difference to me, I just drop it in the bank and move on. It’ll be there when I need it.

Gramps hasn’t really been up to moving around much the past couple of days, so I’ve been making sure that he doesn’t need anything while I’ve been home. Sunday night is particularly bad when he goes into a coughing fit that scares the shit out of me.

Needless to say, as I wake up Monday morning, I feel worse than hammered ass from not having any sleep. I get assurances from Robert that he’s going to take Gramps to the doctor before I catch the bus for school. I want to stay and take him myself, but Gramps spills some bullshit about a good education. Right, because that’s going to get me out of here.

I fall asleep in half of my classes and just grunt in reply to everything that Billy says to me at lunch. I’m not in a social mood. At least not with anyone at this school.

I’m super cranky as I make my way into the bathroom. Sitting down to do my business, I hear the door open and close.

“Did you hear that trailer park got Derrik beat up over the weekend?” Stacey says loud enough to echo around the bathroom. They had to of followed me in here.

“Come on, Stace. I heard her grandpa is really sick,” the new girl says.

Stacey huffs and then laughs, “Yeah, her grandma died a couple years ago too. Must be the trailer trash plague. Best stay away or you’ll catch it too.”

I’ve had about all I can take for the day. I yank the door open so hard that it smacks against the wall loud enough to sound like a gunshot, “Shut. The. Fuck. Up. Stacey.”

She whips around, “What’s wrong, trash? Grandma a soft subject for you? I’d bet that’s where you learned how to be a whore.”

Adrenaline courses through my body, and I move faster than I ever have before. My fist connects with Stacey’s face with a loud crunch. She screams, and her two friends take off running.

“Say what you want about me, but you keep your fucking mouth shut about her,” I say through my teeth.

“What’s going on in here, Ms. Davis?” Mrs. Carpenter demands as she stalks through the door. The pod squad is right on her heels, but she yells at them to go back to class.

She helps Stacey to her feet, “Let’s go, you two.”

Stacey squeaks, “She attacked me Mrs. C, I was just trying to use the bathroom.”

“You can tell your lies to Mr. Brooks,” she tells a horrified Stacey.

I’ve never once been sent to the principal’s office. There wouldn’t be a better reason than this. I’ll accept the consequences of my actions, and maybe next time Stacey will know better than to use my family against me.

Mrs. Carpenter drops a still bleeding Stacey off at the nurse, and then herds me into Mr. Brooks’ office. She shuts the door behind herself as she talks to him, “Found these ladies fighting in the bathroom. The other one is over at the nurse’s office.” The nurse’s office? Why can’t she just call her by her name? I know that the two of them are good buddies outside of school. For some reason this strikes me as hilarious, and it cracks me up. I’m in one of those delirious moods from not getting enough sleep, one of those where you get the giggles, and can’t stop.

“You think this is funny, Ms. Davis?” Mr. Brooks asks.

I shake my head instead of answering out loud. I’m scared the giggles will break free again and that won’t do anything good for my current situation.

“Why were you fighting?” he asks as he’s filling out paperwork on his desk.

Biting back what I really want to say, instead I tell him, “She’s been saying shit that she shouldn’t.”

His eyes flick up to mine, “Language.”

I shrug, and Mrs. Carpenter comes into my line of vision, “Was she the person you covered for the other day?”

Staring her right in the eye, I tell her the truth, “No.”

She sighs, and Mr. Brooks takes over again, “Well, god forbid there be a next time, but if there is, it’s best to tell someone instead of fighting amongst yourselves. Violence is never the answer. You of all people should know that, Ms. Davis.”

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