“Enough, let’s go now. I need to blow off steam,” James said suddenly, startling Marvin and me.
“Now?” Marvin’s eyes went wide, and he looked at me, afraid.
James nodded wholeheartedly, while Will continued, “I have clown masks at home.”
An intense chill went down my spine. I couldn’t say the same about those two; all it took was one look to see the excitement that flashed in their eyes.
James had no idea what fear was and had never backed down. He made the first move and ignited the spark. But William was the one you had to be careful around. He could smile innocently, as he hid the match that set the whole house on fire behind his back.
>> <<
Present day
All three of us sat in front of the principal’s desk waiting. James was on my left, with his eyes shining like two red-hot sapphires. To my right, Will looked around impatiently.
“I’d break everything in this shithole,” he said.
“Will, calm down,” I whispered, short of breath. Obviously I was the only one chickening out.
I knew why both of them hated the principal, but I was caught between a rock and a hard place, and I still felt guilty around Blaze.
And Marvin just wasn’t there.
I bet that he was still sleeping, lucky guy.
“Today we have the honor of having three stereotypes.”
The principal announced himself with that sentence as he walked into the office. The atmosphere immediately became unpleasant. I felt it from the way he slammed the door. He adjusted the collar of his shirt and raised his big eyes, which had bags under them that went down to his nose.
“I see the fourth one’s missing, but don’t worry, I’ll get to him too.”
I gulped. His deliberately threatening tone of voice broke through the air.
“Let’s recap.”
I watched him lean on the desk then cross his arms in a less-than-reassuring-way.
“We have the troubled teen,” he started, looking to my right at Will.
“The violent one,” he continued, looking at James, who was staring back at him ruthlessly. “The toxic one who isn’t here, and—” He finally set his gray eyes on me. “Oh, well, look! Jackson’s also here.”
He pretended that he’d just seen me just to make me uncomfortable.
I took a deep breath but the tension didn’t let up. I felt my hands sweating.
“The sheep that follows the herd. He’s always there in every self-respecting group, but he’s also the one that I respect the least.”
My lips immediately dried up. I couldn’t open my mouth.
“Listen, Jackson, I’ll give you a very simple lesson. A leopard never changes its spots.”
James tried to make a sudden move, but I held his forearm back before he could jump up.
“Forget it,” I said, once he sat back down.
But I saw him answer the provocation with another. He turned on his vape pen, looking the man right in the eye.
Principal Manor ignored the act of rebellion. In fact, he didn’t even tell James off.
