Book 0.5 by S. P. Macomber (cat reading book .txt) 📖

her, recognizing her as the girl I saved at the bakery yesterday. Emma.

Acting as if I hadn't heard her, I turn back around to the crowd forming.

She comes to stand beside me, not at all deterred by my attitude. "Hi, I'm Emma," she says, sticking out her hand for me to shake. "I'm the girl you saved yesterday."

"I know," I say, not bothering to shake her hand.

"Oh," she sighs in disappointment before perking back up. "Do you know what's going on in there?" She asks, pointing towards our class.

"No, and me not answering you the first time should have gave you the hint."

She doesn't seem bothered by my attitude, instead finding it amusing. She was an enigma. She wasn't tough and snobby like the girls that hanged in my group. She leaned towards the innocent, meek type, but I didn't know what she wanted from me. Was she trying to use me for something? Did she like me? Was she just lonely and in need of friends? I wasn't sure. I didn't know her and people I didn't know well always put me on edge.

Sighing she holds her books close. "I guess our first class is canceled today from the sound of it."

Ignoring her, I watch as all the kids standing by the door entrance quickly splits off, avoiding the chair that comes flying out, hitting the locker. Having had enough, I stalk to the class. My classmates quickly moved out of my way in a hurry. Standing in the doorway, I look around the class, spotting a giant boy slam a desk down, breaking it.

The boy was Craig or most commonly known as Tank. He plays on the football team as an offensive lineman and I had heard things about his home situation that tended to make him have fits of anger in simple situations. I would guess this time it had something to do with the teacher, since no one had been in class before we all got here, besides the two of them.

"Tank!" I yelled, trying to get him to stop. He throws the table to the wall, turning to glare at me before realizing who was yelling at him. He calms down the moment he sees it's me.

"What are you fucking doing, man?" I demand.

Looking around at the destruction he had made, he rubs his head, embarrassed. "Ugh sorry man, I just lost it."

"No shit."

Feeling something brush my arm, I look down to see Emma sticking her head through the small space between my arm and the doorway, looking around.

"Wow," she says, in shock. "Looks like a storm passed through here."

Rolling my eyes, I place my hand on her face, pushing her back and away from my view. Our teacher finally stands up from where she had been hiding behind her desk. Anger quickly replaces the shocked expression on her face.

"Mr. Matthew, go to the principal office right now," she shouts, pointing at the door that I was currently blocking.

"No! Ms. Jane I'm sorry. I just get easily angered, I promise I won't do it again," he begs her.

"Go!" She yells, not giving in.

I could tell he was terrified of going to the principal's office and if I had to guess, I would assume it would be because he would be getting suspended and his father would be called.

"Does he need to do that?" Emma asks, pushing through my arm. "I mean, he seems sorry, Ms. Jane: I'm sure he wouldn't mind cleaning up the mess he made. Right, Craig?" She asks Tank, who immediately nods, trying to get out of his punishment.

Our teacher turns to glare at Emma. "Miss Grace you need to mind your own business and no he can't he has destroyed school property." Turning back to Tank, she points to the door, indicating for him to leave.

Tank looks downcast, scared, clenching his fist. I knew that fear well, he was afraid of his father due to the fact he was probably beat by him.

"Tank, why did you get mad," I ask just before he starts walking towards me.

Looking at me, surprised, he stays quiet for a moment, trying to guess why I was asking him this question, before motioning to the teacher. "Ms. Jane was talking about how I smelled and that I wasn't allowed into her class unless I showered."

Turning to glare at our teacher, I call her out for being the cause of his outburst. "So really, isn't it your fault, Ms. Jane for ridiculing your student, making him feel ashamed of himself."

She stares at me in astonishment before looking behind me, no doubt at the kids, who all had their phones out recording the scene.

"I... I did no such thing," she lies.

"Really?" I ask, lifting a brow. "Because you're sweating a lot all of sudden. No doubt nervous. So are you sure that you didn't say that?"

She was about to open her mouth again and lie, but I stopped her before she could. "Remember, Jane, you think what Tank did is bad? I can make life so much more difficult for you should you lie again, " I warn.

She bites her lip, looking away, avoiding my gaze.

"So, what's your answer?"

"Yes, I said that," she mumbles too quietly for anyone to hear.

"Speak up."

Swiftly turning her head my way, she glares. "I said it!"

Smirking I nod. "Good. Now Tank here won't go to the principal office, we'll help him clean up all the mess, and everything is good in the world," I sarcastically replied.

"What about the broken desk?" Ms. Jane demands.

Giving her a condescending expression for trying to play dumb, I motion behind me. "I know we have a storage room on campus where we have extra supplies so don't even try to play that card."

Huffing in a tiff, she turns her head away from me. "Fine! I want this all cleaned up by the time I come back and class is canceled for the day." Marching out of the room, trying to slam shoulders with me in anger, I swiftly move aside and place my foot out, causing her to trip and use Emma, who stood behind me, to catch herself.

Hastily, I grabbed Emma's hand, pulling her to my side so that our teacher could fall to the ground for being an asshole. Emma clings to my hand, staring in shock at Ms. Jane, who lay splayed out on the dirty floor, crying before getting up to run away.

Hearing everyone gasp, I look to see them staring at my hand, still tightly held by Emma. I hurriedly shake her off. I had no doubt this news would find its way back to Stella.

"Thank you," Emma whispers, still close to my side.

Rolling my eyes, not wanting her to get the wrong idea, I explain myself. "I wasn't trying to save you, so don't let it go to your head. I just wanted to see her eat shit."

"And you," I look to Tank, who had been silently standing in the middle of the wrecked class, watching the scene play out in shock. Having expected to get it trouble. He instantly gives me his attention. "Start cleaning this shit up."

He immediately gets to work, picking up the desk and putting them upright while I and the rest of the class help. It gets done fairly quickly.

"Let's go get the desk from the storage room," I tell Tank.

"I can help too," I hear Emma say as we walk to the door, I don't bother turning around to answer her.

"No."

I can hear her chuckle behind us before we head out the door.

"So, what's going on?" I ask Tank as we make our way down the empty hallway.

"What do you mean?"

I send him a blank stare. "You know exactly what I mean."

Sighing, he shrugs, placing his hands in his pockets, walking alongside me, looking down at his feet. "Stuff with my dad got to be too much. I couldn't take it anymore."

"You didn't kill him did you?" I ask not because I suspected him of doing something like that, but because I would understand if he had.

Eyes wide, he turns to me, startled. "No! I know I'm a bit dense at times, but I'm not that stupid."

Smirking, I nod, glad he was at least that smart. Tank and I weren't close buds by a long shot, but I knew of him and he definitely knew of me. "So, then what happened?"

"I left home. I've been homeless for a while now, kind of right about the time we got out on a break. So that's why I smell so bad. And when Ms. Jane pointed it out, I kind of just snapped."

I stopped walking, staring at his defeated form that kept walking, not noticing me stopping. I knew there were a lot of kids that attended my school facing all kinds of problems, but I had never met one who was homeless.

"How are you still playing football then?"

He turns back realizing I'm not beside him. "I think my dad is still paying for it. He has always pushed me to get into the NFL in hopes we'll get rich, so I doubt he'll give up his dream."

"Is that your dream?"

"No one's ever asked me that before," he said, bewildered.

"Well?"

Sadness crosses his face before a smile breaks out. "Yeah," he nods his head. "It is my dream."

Nodding in understanding, I walk past him. "You come with me after practice," I call back.

Running up beside me, he sends a confused stare. "Where?"

"You'll see."

After the dramatic start to my morning, things calmed down and I got through my classes fairly quick. It was now lunch. Getting out of math, I head to my locker and, no surprise, Stella stood there waiting. Arms crossed, anger clear on her face.

Ignoring her, I open my locker, blocking her figure, shoving my books inside. She stood there, waiting as if I had to explain myself for something.

Huffing, she moves around to the other side where another girl stood putting her things away.

"Scatter," Stella orders the girl sneering at her.

Scared, the girl quickly shut her locker, running away. Rolling my eyes, I shut my locker, going to walk past Stella.

She sticks her arm out as if that would stop me. Pushing it away with my chest, I continued my walk to the cafeteria. I could hear her speed-walking to keep up with me. "Ian, dammit," she mutters, grabbing ahold of the back of my black. shirt.

Not wanting to cause a scene, I stop giving her my attention. "What do you want?"

"Is it true?" She asks.

"Is what true?"

"That you were holding some cunts hand during the first period?"

Rolling my eyes, I shake my head in exasperation, not bothering to answer her. Instead, I open the cafeteria door with her on my heels, not satisfied with my non-answer.

I wasn't hungry, so I made my way straight over to our table, where our usual group sat. Axel spots me and then spots Stella trying to hound me. Grinning evilly, he walks up to me, slapping hands before walking past me to intercept her.

"Hey Stella, you look pretty good today," he draws out.

Trying to push past him to get to me, she gets frustrated when she can't get him to move. "Axel I don't have time for your antics right now."

"What?!" Placing his hand over his heart acting hurt, he falls to the ground before her, creating a scene. "you don't have time for me, but I need you."

Smacking him on his head lightly. She tries to walk around him.

But Axel has other ideas. Before she can get away, he grabs her legs, lifting her over his shoulder, causing her to scream.

"Your mines now!" he yells laughing hysterically. He slaps her on the butt taking off with her attached to his shoulder. Everyone laughs.

Thankful, I take the vacant seat between Heath and Max.

"She chasing you about the rumors going around?" Heath asked, taking a bite of his hamburger.

Sighing I nod. Taking a fry off his plate, popping it in my mouth.

"Is it true?"

Sending a blank stare at him I