" Here , hold this,"

I was pushed into doing something I never thought I'd be doing since my existence was brought to earth by my mom when she pushed me out of her vagina. A rose in hand , its petals birthed with the most attractive shade of red , redder than a blushing tomato, I stretched it over for Charli Dawson to hold. A look of disgust penetrated her brooding aura as she regarded me with a disdainful eye , deftly plucking it from my fingers' grasp with tentative fingers. Never in my 17 yrs of life have I ever thought that I'd be buying anyone flowers! Especially not Charli Dawson.

" I suppose this should flatter me into believing that you could be a hopeless romantic when pushed to the task," she sneered and I rolled my eyes at her shallow reasoning. I'd made a brief stop at the local gas station to purchase a rose , for Charli. I wouldn't waste a penny on her even if it kills me but I had to make this look legit. Our whole fake relationship. Besides, it's just for a day. What could go wrong?

" Calm down ,it was only three bucks," I scoffed, both of us stopping at the Marooned front entry doors . It was time to rehearse our pathetic theatrics of two supposed love birds. What's funny is that I've never been in love before so I had zero clue on how I should act. If anything I'd learned from those cheesy teen romcoms is that love makes people do stupid ridiculous things, like writing cheesy love poems with really cringe love quotes adorned with little red hearts on them. I feel physically sick just by thinking about it.

" My knight in shining armor," Charli remarks in her most sarcastic voice, drawing the rose over to her nose for a sniff. Almost immediately, a wet sneeze flies out of her nostrils in a high pitched kitten like sound, earning her a laugh from my side. I heard she was allergic to flowers... or was it pollen? Another sneeze comes out of her successfully fueling my amusement.

" Okay," She sniffles, having recovered from the sneezing fit, dabbing a palmed tissue on her nose, before tossing it away. " Should we practice the dialogue or-"

" No need," I exhaled, darting my gaze around the area , trying to spot the ever annoying Leslie. I notice a bunch of kids shooting me suspicious looks , probably because I was standing next to Charli for a suspiciously long amount of time. She was a highschool freak , many people didn't like hanging out with her , me included so in other words, this was like social suicide, hanging out with a high school outcast like Charli Dawson.

" What do you mean?" She whisper shouted, bending down to scratch her right ankle through her stockings.

" I mean, I've got this, so don't worry," I reassured her. And that's when my eyes saw Leslie with her cluster of equally annoying minions. Standing next to the bleachers, talking heatedly amongst themselves, was Leslie. The skirt she wore was two years too small I could practically see her lower butt cheeks. Same goes for her two minion buddies with poor fashion choice and big blonde hair that were heavily masked with intoxicating hairsprays. As Roxie would say, pleated skirts are so last year!

Leslie Jenkins was a bratty type of girl , spoiled to the core . Her body weight contributed to most of her social rejection from most of the student body but that didn't seem to slow her down as she sought ways on how to stay relevant in highschool in hopes of making a name for herself, some kind of legacy because to her, that's what truly mattered to her; social acceptance. Once people found out who her father really is , they started to fall at her feet practically worshipping the Amazonian looking girl. She was the perfect case of overnight fame , she slept one night as a loser and woke up the next day as Ms popular. Not that she had any genuine friends, people like Leslie Jenkins never really have true friends. Most kids feared her so it would be considered unwise to not want to be her friend or accomplice. She had this mentality that she could get anything she sets her eyes on , while that might be true , seeing as money can buy anything, she forgot that not everyone can be enchanted by her wealthy pockets. I was the one thing Leslie couldn't have. Not to brag ,but that did make me feel some type of special. I was the missing link to her full circle happiness.

And seeing her with her minions over by the bleachers, griping about whatever, my stomach churned violently at the sight. Suddenly, I find myself reaching for Charli's impossibly soft hand like a baby's bottom , effectively grabbing it in mine, squeezing it inside my sweaty calloused ones as I led us to where she stood.

" Um....I guess we're holding hands now?" Charli's voice seemed to mellow in the background noise as my mission to get to where Leslie stood rang loudly inside my thoughts. The quicker I show her how in love Charli and I are ,the quicker Leslie Jenkins will move on from me. And the quicker I dump Charli as my fake girlfriend and never speaking to her again.

I was practically dragging her behind me as I stomped towards the bleachers, my Vans slapping the concrete pavements audibly, a sign of my determination.

" Slow down, will you?" Charli kept shouting, occasionally tripping behind as I dragged her along with me , my hand increasingly tightening around her tiny ones with anticipation. Her cries fell on deaf ears . It doesn't take long for Leslie to spot us and her mouth practically freezes mid sentence as she took in the sight of me and Charli holding hands. Then a smirk slowly slithers on her lips almost as though she'd witnessed the most incredulous joke of a lifetime.

" Hello Les,"I greeted in a sarcastic tone once I was a feet away from her and her minions.

" What do we have here?" Darting disdainful looks between Charli and I, Leslie spat. Her two minions, by the names of Rita and Winnie, were seen snickering behind her , trying hard to hide their amusement but failing. Rita's silent chuckles come out snorty and I was compelled to make pig noises as a way to mock her but decided against it.

" I want you to meet my ... Girlfriend," the word came out strained and pained with uncertainty, as though I was fighting the urge to barf . And to spice it up, I snaked an arm around Charli's slender waist , pulling her closer to my body and that's when I realized she smelled like tangerines,not lemons. I hate to admit it but the scent was immaculate. Tangerines smell nice but nothing could compare to Amanda's signature perfume. The one that lingered in my hoodie after she'd worn it .

A slight silent gasp pushes past Charli's parted lips, her body as rigid as a plank of wood at the audacious act. This is the closest I've ever been next to her if I'm being honest. Well , there's that one time when we were forced to play Seven minutes in heaven and she was paired with me. Tyson thought it would be swell if he locked us both inside his tiny closet and I recall how claustrophobic it felt. What's worse was how our fronts kept touching each other in faint grazes as we squeezed our way inside the wooden compartment. Her body was soft and squishy and impossibly warm . I remember how sweet she smelled, like cotton candy or candy canes and I tried not to let that cloud my hatred for her into my dazed mind. I also remember the confusing erection I had , a result of her rubbing her crotch against mine . Not that I was attracted to her ...but the friction did seem to awake the beast behind my zipper.

This time, I had her cuddled next to my side and she didn't seem to relax at all .

" This is a joke , isn't it?" Leslie chuckled derisively. " You expect me to believe that you," her finger pointed at me then ," could date this?" And the pointing was directed to Charli.

" Yep," I confidently nodded, subconsciously caressing Charli's waist without thinking. It felt appropriate at the time. It felt right, the warmth radiating through the fabric of her ratty shirt causing me to shudder as it clung onto my finger prints. " What's so hard to get?"

" How desperate can you be?" She laughed out loud, this time ,her two highly unattractive minions joining in with their snorty laughs, Rita snorting louder than a swine of pigs. " Who on earth would want to date a corpse like Charli? She's ugly and weird I mean look at her. No friends, no social life, she's nothing." Ouch! I mean, all rivalry aside , but Charli wasn't that bad looking. Sure she's socially deprived but that's her personality. Still, inexplicably, I felt wounded on her behalf.

" Maybe that's why she prefers to eat lunch alone , because nobody is desperate enough to want to share a seat with her creepy antisocial ass," Winnie added, fueling their mocking laughs ever more.

" Yeah, she probably belongs in a cemetery, that's why she wears black all the time," Rita went between laughs.

" Did somebody forget to bury you, Charli?" Leslie asked in voice that sounded as though she was talking to a retard or a three year old kindergartner, her lips pooched in a pitiful pout , causing her two minions to burst out laughing even harder. Normally, I'd jump in on anything remotely close to Charli getting insulted. I wouldn't hesitate to throw in a few of my best Charli Dawson insults too seeing as I thrived at her pain and suffering but hearing Leslie say those words to Charli made me feel something really weird at the pit of my stomach. I didn't even realize my jaws ticking or my hand clenching into tight balls of fist , knuckling fading into a white color. I didn't even realize my nails jaggedly stabbing inside my palms , leaving purple crescents in their wake.

And most important, I couldn't stop myself from lunging at Leslie, grabbing her by her collar as I harshly pulled her closer to my angered face , nostrils flared with rage as I breathed fire and brimstone. I was the only one who was allowed to insult Charli, anyone else doing that would have to suffer my wrath. I know it sounds dramatic but it is what it is.

Leslie crushes onto my chest , the rough impact of me yanking her by her collar , her face that was once inhabitated by a mocking grin flustered into a horrified expression as it was inches away from my seething one. The cackling stopping immediately, almost as though someone hit the mute button as her two minions watched as the horrific scene unfolded in front of their eyes.

You know how there's this universal rule on earth that dictates how men aren't allowed to hit women because it's 'unethical' ? I broke that rule today , which landed me in the principal's office and Leslie to the nurse's office. I'm certain that I'll be getting an In school suspension but it was for a worthy cause. I can't believe I punched a girl for Charli Dawson!

**************

" What do you have to say for yourself?" Mr. Angerson spoke , his voice losing its usual institutionalism tone and adopting a measured one filled with rage and disappointment. His dandruff flaked glasses were almost sliding off the bridge of his nose before using his forefinger to push it back in place.

" I didn't punch her that hard," Was my casual response, leaning back on the tattered leather seat , hearing it squeak at the action. My father was on his way after being called from work about the incident that had ensued between Leslie and I and I couldn't have been more annoyed. Why do they always feel the need to include parents in disciplinary meetings?

" You broke her nose," Mr. Angerson informed with a seething look but I still failed to see the severity of the situation. So what if I broke her nose, can't she get a nose job instead? Those things can be fixed. She comes from a long line of wealthy family members, I'm sure her father can afford a decent nose job.

" Her nose was ugly anyways, I think I was doing her a neat favor so ... you're welcome," Another nonchalant response, watching the middle aged man's face scrunch up with anger , getting all red like an overripe beetroot . I see him tapping his gold custom made pen on his faux oak desk in an impatient rhythm, the sound reverberating through the large , extravagantly furnished office. I can't believe the principal's office is way more luxurious than our class auditorium. I mean , the floor is padded with this soft wool carpet meanwhile the auditorium has these old rotting wood on the rickety floorboards. I'm starting to suspect that all those upkeep money they donate for building school facilities are getting swallowed by the principal's greedy pockets. All that money getting wasted in renovating his office? Talk about insincerity and greed.

" You do realize that you're in a heap of trouble, young man," Angerson reminded me , his voice grim with conviction. Like I didn't know that already. Men aren't supposed to hit girls but why is that? I've seen women beat up their husbands for petty reasons without any repercussions but God forbid a man returns the favor!

" If I say sorry to her , will you guys let me go unpunished?" I acted like an innocent kid, wearing my puppy dog eyes, lips quivering with a false repentant look. Angerson knew it was just one of my usual sarcastic attitude mixed with the unmistakable air of I Don't care . His lips pursed, the middle aged man rose from his seat , straightened his blank oatmeal brown suit before shuffling to the right side of his humongous desk and edge his butt on the corner, settling on it. His gaze was intense, bisecting me with a look of intent and concern and a slight chill of uncomfortableness gnawed at my conscience.

" Max," he called in a somber voice, his face a mask of neutral. " I am aware that you are no stranger when it comes to delinquent behaviors and recklessness. If I am not wrong , this is like your fifth time getting sent into my office." I rolled my eyes, letting my gaze fall on to the brass metal sign parched on top of his neatly arranged desk engraved with the words Principal Richard Angerson glimmering on its surface in a perfect black cursive font. I instinctively clasped my hands on my crossed knees , my thumbs twiddling with each other as a way to diffuse the tension that crackled in this given atmosphere. It seemed as though what he was alluding to pushed me into a rather disagreeable mood.

" How many detentions do you get sent to in a span of one week?" He asked , forcing me to look at him with an unblinking gaze hoping my intense chocolate swirl eyes might intimidate him.

" I don't know....two maybe," I shrugged casually.

" And how many is that in a one month duration?" I groaned at his question.

" What's with all these Maths question?!" I spoke in a devastated cry, head titled to face the dome shaped ceiling, frustrated. " I'm not really good at math so please! Enough with the question."

Despite the rudeness of my response, Mr. Angerson's face remained stolid. No fathomable emotions dancing in his otherwise decrepit face. Just a stone calm demeanor as he let my words soak into his conscience like seasoning. It doesn't take long for a knock to interrupt our staring contest before Angerson answered from inside , asking for whomever it was to enter . My neck twists just in time to see Judith, the school's secretary , dressed in a black tight fitting skirt , red silky shirt and black flats, enter the room with someone behind her - that someone being my father . My eyes barred into his cold uninviting ones , the perfect testimony of his brewing anger. But that's not all. Amanda suddenly trails behind him but her eyes are more soulful, concerned , almost pitiful as she faces me.

Angerson stands just in time to offer his outstretched arm for my father to shake before motioning for him to take a seat next to me on the vinyl leather seat beside me. Amanda doesn't seat, in stead , she just greets Angerson before standing right next to him. Soon, all eyes are on me. I wanted to curl away like a salted snail but held my ground. This is who I am , fearless even under the harsh inspection of superior individuals like Angerson , Amanda and Dad. I wasn't going to cower under their gaze. To me, I knew I did nothing wrong but these old farts didn't seem to see that.

" Thank you for coming today , Mr. Cooper," Angerson said but dad had refused to acknowledge him , the brown eyes that I had inherited from him ripping me soullessly with his glare. The suit he's wearing seems a little loose on the shoulders and I am compelled to ask him if he was losing weight but decided against it.

" So....we have decided that the best course of action for Maxwell here is five days of In-school suspension-"

" What!?" I couldn't contain my burst of anger at the mention on ISS. Tyson has ever had an ISS . He told me of its excruciating moments and I didn't want to be a part of it. I'd rather go to summer school or even night school for that matter.

" It's for the best, Max," Amanda spoke , her voice soft and calm, almost measured in a careful dose . It caught me by surprise at how phlegmatic she sounded. No longer authoritative or curt with me like she usually is. I found myself blinking at that tone.

" I was thinking more about taking him to some military school," Dad grumbled , taking his death glare away from me, folded arms across his chest as he plopped his back on the backrest.

" That won't be necessary," Angerson advised before facing Amanda. " Mrs. Dawson will be your supervisor during the duration of your In-school suspension. You'll be working closely together with her as she ....aids you during the journey so that means you will be expected to answer to her , whatever she says you should do , no questions asked. She will also be checking your backpack as you enter your designated secluded room during said duration. "

" And is she aware that the reason I am in here is because of her daughter?" I blurted out , the weight of all that was happening crushing my chest ruthlessly. The one time I stand up for that goof ball , I get an ISS.

" We've spoken with Charli," Amanda said, her soft tone unwavering.

" What about Leslie? Will she be getting any more harsh punishment for verbal bullying?" I asked, eyebrows raised inquisitively, daring them to disappoint me seeing as Leslie would not be facing any punishment for being a 'girl'.

" She will also get punished accordingly but as of now, we are focusing more on you," Angerson said in his principal voice.

Feeling a surge of unfairness on this situation, I slumped back on my seat , a sigh of defeat leaving my lips before grumbling under my breath a ," is it too late to ask for a lawyer?"

No one responded.

**********************************

hello one and all! :)

I really hope y'all liked this chapter and in relation to this chapter, I would like to say that I strictly do not condone any form of physical violence regardless of what gender is involved. As you can see in this very chapter, there's a bit of violence and not just your typical highschool fight, this one involves a guy punching a girl and it is not right. As the famous misconception goes of how it's okay for women to beat men and not vice versa , I disagree with that notion.

Just wanted to bring awareness to that. It's not okay for women to beat up men and vice versa. This double standard should be abolished.

Anyways, hope you liked the chapter, also don't forget to vote.

Hugs and kisses !