chapter 18

Scarlett's POV

After running faster than a car, taking the bus about 2 km or 1.2 miles, I reach the school. Oakwood high. doesn't smell like oak, does it? It'll be much better if it did. That mild earthy smoke smell. Ugh! I love it.

'hey there, shorty!' My best friend, Michael says while walking beside me. Michael was in the football team and those guys were so sweaty, ugh! How does he even survive? Shorty is the nickname Michael gave me.

'Why is everyone I meet much taller than me?'

'ok who are we talking about?' Michael questioned me. He was so much taller than me. Margret is like 5'9, Anna is like 5'11 and he is like 6'1.

'me! I'm talking about me! Everyone I meet is above 5'7 and I feel so tiny!' I puff my face and turn away from him.

'oh please! Which hot-ass guy did you meet?'

'she ran away from home and is staying with me for a while.' I grumble.

'girl? No, thank you!'

'so your royal homosexual highness, how are you?'

'I'm fine, servant.' Servant?! I hit him hard on the arm.

'ow! why did you hit me?'

'don't act dumb. You just called me servant.' He thinks for a second and then he realizes.

'I'm so sorry, it came out of accident. But I never know why do you hate that specific word so much?' he gets curious. I get uncomfortable thinking about how to say it to him.

'sorry. I shouldn't have asked, must've been a terrible memory for you.'

'that's a story for another time.' It gets real quiet and awkward between us. I was about to say something to ease the awkwardness, but he beat me to it.

'you know-' he starts.

'I don't know' I interrupt his sentence.

'I'm not done. Let me speak. I found out that the janitor is your average shop-lifter.'

'what's so shocking about that? He doesn't get paid enough. He has 3 children and his wife is dying. Just to get the surgery he has to get a fucking insurance or it' going to cost his life. He rarely gets a compete meal because he gives most of his share to his kids. What would you expect if the healthcare system is like you don't have insurance, perish then, we don't care about you? The healthcare system has the power to heal others and they are the VILLIAN at the same time!'

'did you just curse?'

'I just cursed.'

'okay, you made your point. How do you even know about him?'

'do you even bother to strike up a conversation with him? Even say thank you? Good morning? Bye? Or even show how grateful you are because of him cleaning the complete school?' He opened his mouth and then closed it again. I won this round even though it was not a round. Whatever, I made my point.

'another point made. Don't snitch on him.'

'I would not snitch on him.'

'puh-lease! I have been with you since middle school and you have been snitching on the teachers and students.'

'ok I was going to snitch on him.'

'you are a terrible human.'

'you are one angel.'

'and shop-lifters are very common. It's not that big of a crime.'

'talking about crime, when are you going to leave that place? Are you going to live there for the rest of your life? One day you'll get murdered by staying there!'

'ugh! I will! I just stayed there for a month! I'm not staying there for the rest of my life!'

'ok class! guess what are we going to do today?' The teacher announces as she enters. Oh yes, the entire conversation happened from the entrance to our benches. Me and Michael are nearly in every class together.

'we'll be talking later about this.' he whispered at me.

'Okay sir.' I noted. Better listen to her then!