Coping With School

The whole ride there, there were only silences between the two of them. When they finally got to her school, Blake opened the car door for her. He tapped his watch, “Come here the moment school is over. Any later, and I’ll take it as you trying to do something suspicious. Got it.”

Maya looks at him and nods. She got out of the car and didn’t even look back. Blake crosses his arm, “Is it even safe for her to go to school?”

He shakes his head, “Never mind. Just doing what’s asked of me. Don’t think too much about it, Blake.”

Blake goes back into his car and drives off to work. Maya felt eyes staring at her from back and front. She ignores them and enters her class like normal. However, the moment she steps in, a water balloon flies into her face and pops on impact. The students in the classroom laugh in her face. The boy that threw the ball was Kyle Glowker. His buddy Robert, and Jess were laughing along his side. Maya didn’t show any reaction whatsoever from the water balloon. She just stood there with a blank face.

“You didn’t cry when you killed your family,” said Kyle, “So I was just helping.”

“There’s the puddle of tears for you!” Robert shouts out.

Everyone in the room laughed even harder. Though Maya’s expression was expressionless, her open palm was slowly tightening into a fist. Before anything could happen, the teacher came in at the sound of the bell. Their teacher’s name was Mr. Harper. He walked into the classroom and stepped on the puddle of water. He also bumped into Maya who wasn’t moving.

He furrows his eyes at her, “Young lady, do you not know anything better than to just stand there in your puddle of water? How rude, class is about to start.”

Maya turns around and looks at him. He huffed at her with an irritated face, “Clean up your mess, you hear me?”

Maya slowly releases her tight fist and stares at him. He stares back, but the more he did, the more he felt something unnatural coming from her. He quickly looks away and clears his throat, “Go to the nurse office and get a change of clothes.”

She walks past him and heads over to the nurse office. The eerie feeling he was getting from her slowly disappeared. Mr. Harper gave out a sigh and entered the room. Just as he was about to start class, the lights in the room started to flicker above Kyle, Robert, and Jess. Everyone looks up to the flickering lights since it kept flickering non stop. And then suddenly, the light bud breaks above their head and shatters with a loud pop sound. Everyone in the room freaks out as the three duck for cover. Even Mr. Harper was shocked and scared for a split second there.

When he regains his ground, he huffs out, “Those damn maintained! I’ll be sending a formal complaint to them!”

***POLICE STATION***

Blake was on his desk, leaning back on his chair and was asleep. He was suddenly smack in the stomach by Char who had just arrived. Blake coughs out a couple of times before snarling at him, “What’s the big deal?!”

“You shouldn’t be sleeping on the job,” said Char as he sips in his coffee.

“Our work doesn’t start until nine,” said Blake as he cozy himself back to sleep.

Char shakes his head at him, “The moment you arrive is the moment work begins, Blake.”

Blake groans out irritated by his words. Char set his coffee down, “Were you able to send Maya to high school without trouble?”

Blake nods with his eyes closed. Char starts up his computer, “Well, I hope she’s doing alright. I heard that being a freshman without any friends can be lonely.”

“If you’re that worried for her then why don’t you take care of her,” said Blake with a lazy tone, “And who the hell told you that? You don’t know if she has friends or not.”

“My daughter goes to the same school as her,” siad Char, “And she told me that Maya doesn’t have any friends there. She’s a loner.”

“Good,” said Blake.

“Good?” Char tilts his head, “How is that good?”

“Being a loner means no one will get hurt, and no one will bother her,” said Blake, “What else?”

“Unlike you who is fine being a loner,” said Char with an upset tone, “Maya just lost her family remember? She needs support right now.”

“And have you forgotten that she’s our prime suspect for the murder of her sister and adoptive mother?” Blake throws back.

“Well, my guts says that it isn’t her,” siad Char.

“Screw your guts,” said Blake, “That’s not going to feed our stomach. No one is going to believe your guts but only physical evidence, Char.”

Char couldn’t argue back because what Blake said was true. He returns to his computer upset at his partner, “Well then, I’ll just go find those evidence and prove that she is innocent.”

“Yeah you do that,” said Blake as he waves his hand at him with his eyes close, “In the meantime, don’t wake me up until it's nine…”

“You lazy bum,” said Char with a disappointing voice.

Blake ignores his partner and snores himself away.

***MAYA”S SCHOOL***

Maya attended her class after receiving the change of clothes from the nurse. She ignores all of the murmurs behind her back as she walks down the hallway to go to her next classroom. Even during lunch time, when people were mocking her, she ignored them. She wanted to leave the school as soon as possible and just go back to Blake’s place. Even though he was a mean grumpy old man, it was better there than here.

However, it felt forever staying at the school and waiting for it to end. She huddles to herself during the breaks in her own corner with her eyes close. She silently cries to herself as she recalls her older sister patting her head and comforting her.

School ended for the day, Maya was putting her books and papers away into her bag. She looks at the watch on her wrist. It was getting close to the specific time Blake told her to meet him. She heads out of the classroom and quickly goes to the pick up zone. However, just as she was about to get here, someone trips her on her way out. Maya stumps forward and slides down hard against the hard concrete. Her stuff flew out from her back as her chin and knee scraped against the concrete. It was Kyle and his friends again.

Everyone who saw this laugh at her. All of the teachers were at the pick up zone so they didn’t see anything. Kyle laughed at her and noticed something on her ankle. He whispers something into his buddies ears. They nod at him. Maya tries to get up, but feels something pulling her leg. She looked down and saw Robert trying to take off her GPS ankle. 

Her eyes widened in shock. Maya tried to kick him off from her, but her arm was held back by Jess, and her knee got pin down by Kyle. She struggles to get from their grip, but they wouldn’t budge. Those who saw this just giggle and said that a murderer was getting what was coming. Maya tried hard to kick them off, but it was no use. They were overpowering her.

Blake arrives at the pick up zone. He looked at his watch, it was already the pick up time but he didn’t see Maya anywhere. Char told him that something students will come late to the pick zone because of classes and that it would be best for him to wait for a good ten minutes. Blake gave out a sigh and parks his car to the parking lot.

He waited, and waited, and waited. But Maya was nowhere to be found even after ten minutes of waiting. Annoyed that she kept him waiting, he finally took out his phone to look up her GPS. The locator showed that she was just a few steps away from the pick up zone. Suddenly, the dot that showed her location died out of nowhere. He narrowed his eyes at the disappeared dot. He closes his phone, “Damn… I knew it.”

Blake quickly runs to her last known location. When he finally got there, he saw something that stun him greatly.

“...!”

To Be Continue

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