Just An Act

Chapter 7: Mute Button

  I stared at the wall, watching the clock tick slowly. Detention. I swear that principle hates my guts. Although, I can't really blame her. I have given her many many reasons over the years of being in this damn high school. 

  The kid sitting in front of me, chewed loudly on his gum. I glared at the back of his head as if shooting daggers at his greasy hair would kill him. Ugh. 

I reached forward and tapped the kid roughly on the shoulders. He swiveled around on his chair revealing his slouched down position and Megadeth tshirt. I sighed and rolled my eyes. 

  "Can you not?" I asked rudely. 

  "Not what?" That mischievous little bastard.

  I leaned forward and glared at him, straight in his eyes. "Do you want to die?" I asked slowly, and punctually. He straightened, and held his hands up. 

  "Chill man. I ain't doin nothing to you." He said. But he didn't chew so loudly after that. Even after that small victory I was still pissed at the principle. I had places to be. A non existent life to live.

---

  "One more drop of that." I said as I held the eye dropper steady. Shay nodded and set the dropper onto the table. I stared at her swiftly moving hands. Of course, I'd get the partner who tried to do everything.

  "Hey by the way. Your brother, how old is he?" Shay asked me, continuing with the experiment. I groaned and rolled my eyes.

  "No way. My brother? Come on Shay. You can do so much better!" I laughed. She smiled but didn't stop her work.

  "Well, Kent might be obnoxious sometimes, but he's still cool." Shay objected with a slight pout.

  "Sometimes?" I scoffed and shook my head. "You really don't know the ass hat." She chuckled.

  "No. I guess you're right. Hey speaking of knowing people, do you wanna hang out again?" She asked as she deposited the contents of the dropper inside the beaker. 

  "Sure. How about this Saturday?" I asked. "I don't have anything going. Ya know, typical no life stuff I gotta do." She chuckled at that remark.

  "Well, my family is out of town for the weekend. So, would you like to come to my house?" Shay poured another colored liquid into the beaker. I could almost swear she was just pouring random chemicals in by then. 

  "A high school party? I don't know..." I hesitated. The last time I'd been to one of those, my face had almost got pierced by a freaking dart. Drunk kids are no fun to play darts with. Trust me on that one.

  "Well, think about it." She patted my shoulder, smiling her brilliant smile, and went back to her work. I nodded, absentmindedly. I was still thinking about her remarks about Kent. What a weirdo..

---

  "If you could have one wish in the entire world, what would it be?" Kent asked as soon as I stepped in the door after school. I halted in the doorway.

  "Uhh I don't know. Probably for a pet pig." I said dryly.

  "Ha ha. Very funny." He retorted, his eyes still glued to the football game.

  "What about you?" I sighed as I plunked down beside him and grabbed the remote, switching the channel.

  "Hey! I was watching that!" He yelped. I shrugged.

  "Too bad, so sad." His face contorted.

  "Fine." He pouted, and crossed his arms over his chest. "I would wish for a mute button. You know? Or a pause button. Like, when people are giving you long lectures, you can just pause them if you get tired." He thrust his hand into the chip bag that had weirdly appeared from out of thin air. This kid.. Always eating.

  Chuckling at his wish, I grabbed the chip bag from him despite his high pitched protests. 

  "Mine now." I smiled cheerfully at him as I stood to go upstairs. "Oh, and by the way. Do you remember Shay?" At the mention of her name, Kent sat up straight.

  "Yeah why?" He "mysteriously" coughed. 

  "Oh nothing at all." I chirped. I loved toying with his kiddish feelings. It probably wasn't the nicest thing to do. But hey, what are brothers for.

  Realizing he just got played, he yelled after me. "Nice move, chicken butt. Nice move."

  "Thanks ass hat!" I yelled from my bedroom doorway.

  I plunked down at my laptop and opened it, still munching on the potato chips. My login screen came up and I quickly typed in my password. Opening Facebook, I took a look at my wall.

  Why does she always gotta be so rude? Like who does she think she is, threatening me because I was cheiwing gum wrong? - Trent

  I chuckled at that post, and hit reply. 

  You're so smart that you misspelled "chewing" Here's a gold star for trying muffin top.      - Jade

  Still, no matter how much ridiculed I got at school, I was still baffled at how stupid people can be. Especially high schoolers. 

  My phone dinged with a notification, telling me I had a text message. I glanced down at the screen. It was from Shay?

So r u coming? - Shay

Idk yet - Jade

Ok. Well let me kno soon :)) - Shay

Kk, will dooo c: - Jade

  I sighed and locked my phone. The one person who texts me for the first time in forever, wants to know if I'm going to some high school party where the drunk kids bang like elephants on a hot summer day.

  I was having a staring contest with the squashed bug on my window, when my phone began ringing. I jumped, and looked down, then back at the bug.

  "You win this round." I glared at the bug. I picked up my phone and pressed accept.

  "Hello?" 

  "Hey Jade. This is Laurel. I was wanting to know if you wanted to do anything sometime soon. We haven't hung out in awhile."

  "Oh hey, Laurel. Sure, I would love to. I'm busy Saturday, but maybe next weekend?" I asked, slightly apologetic that I was seeing Shay two times in one week, but hadn't seen Laurel in over three. Unless school counts.

  "You? Busy on a Saturday? With what life?" She coughed loudly and exaggeratedly.  

  "Heyy!" I protested. "I have a life! It's just.. coming. Slowly." 

  "Mhmm. You know, like those signs in storefront windows. 'Coming soon!'" She recited to me, giggling.

  "Haha, very funny Laurel." 

  "Okay okay fine. Anyways, I gotta go. Boyfriend problems. Ugh." I could almost hear her roll her eyes over the phone.

  "Okay, seeya."

  "Seeya!" Was her cheerful goodbye.

  I locked my phone and turned to the window again.

  "Round two, buddy."