Chapter Four

{Kennedy Simms POV}

The talk with Ms. Taft, our principal, went better than expected. She took some kindness to our situation because apparently she was close with my mom. So she let me go with a warning, but I have to spend the rest of the day at home. Or after school detention for three days. Which I obviously can't do because I have other children to look after.

I went back and picked them up. Simon and Logan weren't actually shocked that I had gotten almost suspended the first day. They actually made a bet on me. Thanks, I feel the love.

But now I have to go back into school today, which I am not looking forward to. And I can't punch anyone else so now I have to either ignore them or try and use words with dumb high school kids. Ew.

Simon decided to drive everyone to school in our old family car. Now I'm in Rick, driving to pick up Jazz.

I follow the familiar streets until I pull up to her fancy beach house. Jazz's family has a lot of money. Her mom is a Divorce Attorney and her dad is a Heart Surgeon. She never really sees them, and she's an only child. She never really like to get close to anyone new. Because with people nowadays, you never know if they're using you for money or if they actually like you.

I text her saying 'I'm here'. I get an 'okay, heading out now.'

Not even a second later, she emerges from her house and skips her way towards me and Rick.

She jumps in the passenger seat. "Rick looks nice." She notes.

"Doesn't he. He loves compliments on his appearance, he doesn't want me to say anything but he's very self-conscious and insecure." I whisper the last part to her. We stare at each other for a few moments before we both bust out laughing.

After we sober up, I pull out of her drive way and down the road towards school. "Hey should we get Starbucks?" Jazz asks from the passenger seat. I look at the time, reading '8:12am'.

"Uh, not today. I don't exactly want to be late for the second day." I grimace remembering yesterday's events.

"Oh yeah. Bad call." She shakes her head. "Music?" She asks. I nod and hand her the aux cord.

"Turn it up, dude." We pull up to the school parking lot, blasting Nirvana Come As You Are and jamming out. I park towards the back of the senior lot.

"Why are we parking so far back?"

"It's easier this way."

"How?" She's always questioning everything. Even though sometimes it gets annoying, I'm sure my lack of response also gets annoying. So we kind of balance each other out in some ways.

"No one really parks back here so we avoid the rest of the students and the back exit is usually clear so we don't have to wait to leave the parking lot." Suddenly it's like a light bulb went off and her appearance suddenly sparkles. Her expression says it all. "Little slow today, are we?" I tease as we exit the car and start heading towards the front entrance of the high school building.

"Rude."

"Oh right. Sorry, everyday is a slow day for you." I smirk.

"Okay. That was also rude." She chuckles. "But I love you so."

"Well of course, who doesn't love me." I flip my wild curls dramatically.

"Oh girl, I'm totally loving this sass. And to answer you supposed rhetorical question, Sasha hates you."

"Yeah, but she's a demon so it doesn't really count." We laugh as we enter the building.

"Who's a demon?" I turn towards the voice to see my brothers and a few other guys behind them.

"Sasha." Jazz says with amusement sparkling in her eyes.

"Simon, how's the little bug and the blondie?" I question.

"Well, Shelley met a few friends yesterday so she's good. And Kailey is Kailey." I nod. Kailey is like me and our father in many ways. We speak very few words and are comfortable in our own company. Sure we like other people too, but we are fine being alone.

"Kenz, I was wondering if the guys could come over after school today." Logan speaks up from beside Simon.

"How many and who?"

"Just these five right here." He jerks his thumb behind him towards the five guys standing there. I give him a blank stare. "Oh right. Meet James, Hayden, Ivan, Levi, and Morgan. Guys meet my sister and her best friend." They all do that classic guy 'sup' nod.

"Alright fine. I want them out by 8:30." I get nods from both Simon and Logan. I walk away satisfied with their answers.

"Dang girl. Look at you rockin' be the single parent at 18 years old. Feisty little thing too, aren't you." Jazz comments from beside me.

"Oh shut up." I laugh.

"No but seriously, I'm very proud of you. And I'm know mama ginger and papa not ginger are very proud looking down on you." She pulls me into a hug and I wrap my arms around her. "They are up there looking down and loving how your blossoming into a lovely young women. They see how hard you are working and they wish they here there to tell you themselves." She rubs soothing circles up and down my back. A few tears escape running down my cheeks. Suddenly the loud shrill of the bell rings about us. We flinch from the sudden noise.

"I forgot we were at school." I sigh.

"How long were we hugging in the hallway for?" Jazz questions. I shrug laughing a bit. "What do you have first again?"

"Chemistry, I think. Mr. Nenes in room 702."

"I have Gov. right now. I'll meet you by the locker rooms again for second." I nod hugging her again and walking to Chemistry. I follow the hallways that I did yesterday. Feeling really bummed about Jazz not being in first period with me, I forget that my brothers are in this class with me.

I walk through the door and they're waving their hands like idiots. My eyes scan the room and land on Sasha. She has a gnarly bruise on her neck. Looks like she tried to cover it in make up but failed miserably. I grimace while she shoots daggers in my direction. Oof. Must've been a good punch. I think I deserve a pat on my back. Good job.

Okay, normal I don't condone violence in high school. If you can't win an argument with words, then you should probably start paying attention to class instead of petty drama. But that was harassment and that's not okay.

I tear my eyes away from the cockroach and head towards my brothers who are still waving their hands in the air like idiots. "Stop. You guys are stupid." I laugh at them. They grin back.

Just then the shrill of the final bell goes off and Mr. Nenes walks in. "Good morning, ogre snot heads." I love his greetings.

xxx

"Dude, you killed those push-ups." Jazz compliments as we exit onto the track field leaving gym. I grin brightly in her direction.

"I keep in shape, homie-ostasis." She looks at me like I told her I'm a werewolf and I'm going to rule Mars. "What?"

"Excuse me, but what?" She questions with an eyebrow raised.

I roll my eyes. "I took homie and turned it into a science kind of theme. I don't know okay! I've been calling Simon and Logan that for like a year and a half now. It just stuck." I chuckle. She laughs next to me.

"You're so weird." She nudges me with her should grinning at me.

"Thanks." I nudge her right back while grinning.

*8 minutes later*

"How are you in my office again, Ms. Simms?" Asks Ms. Taft from behind her desk, sitting in a chair that is probably 3x bigger than her. It kind of reminds me of the little lady from The Incredibles. I hold back the urge to snort. Ladylike, I know.

"Well, it— um..." I trail off looking over at Jazz for help. She nods.

"Yeah, we... you see, me and her are... no were—." She looks at me just as puzzled.

*Flashback to 8 minutes prior*

She nudges me again, harder this time and it almost sends me flying into the lockers. I shove her and then she shoved me. And it went back and forth, seeing how fast we can shove each other while ping-ponging off the school lockers. We were being too loud and Mr. Jones caught us with an amused smirk on his perfect face, but still had to send us to here.

End of flashback

Present time

"You girls are going to be trouble this year, I just know it." She mutters under her breath. We laugh.

"Of course. I mean we're now getting our crackhead bond vibe back after not having it for 3 years. I miss my best friend. She likes my support doggo." I pout my lips while Jazz rest her chin on my shoulder, mumbling 'woof' slightly.

"I can't really be mad at that." She mutters again. "Lunch detention tomorrow with Mr. Jones, Kennedy. Ms. Mills for Jazz over there.  Lunch detentions are only on Wednesdays." She writes us hall passes and sends us back to class.

We practically giggle the whole back to the classroom. People might think we're talking about 'a super cute guy' but we're giggling over how are crackhead energy hasn't changed. How we still vibe as if I hadn't left at all. As if my life didn't change dramatically, taking my parents from me and never giving them back.

I miss you guys. I hope you are proud of me. I'm trying my very best.