I looked at his and then back at mine, “you wanna go together or separate?” we both asked at the same time.
We laughed, “we can ride together,” he said.
“Which car?”
“Yours is fine.”
I nodded and we got in mine, buckled up, and drove to school. When we got there, I realized we were a tad bit early, so I sat in my seat for a little while. Bentley reached over and touched my face softly. I looked at him questioningly, he shrugged. Then he leaned over and kissed me. I slid over closer to him, and he pulled me into the seat with him.
We kissed like that for a while, and then I jumped when someone knocked on the window, it was the janitor, “you two kids need to stop that mess. Save those things for at home, you hear!”
I blushed, and went back over to my seat, “sorry,” I said, and Bentley just grinned and nodded.
I took two deep calming breaths, as he walked away, “how can you not be embarrassed?” I asked sternly.
He laughed, and pushed my hair out of my face, “that’s not the first time it’s happened to me, plus… I’m a guy, that doesn’t bother me.”
I stared at him for a moment, and then let it go, watching other cars pull in the parking lot.
“Serenity, you okay?” he asked.
I nodded, “yeah, I’m fine.”
“Why are you so quiet?”
“Just am.”
He took my hand, and I almost pulled it back, but I didn’t, “I love you, you know that?”
I smiled at him then, “yeah, I know. I love you too.”
He grinned, and then we both got out of the car as the bell rang, “so, off to English, huh?”
I laughed, “yeah, Bentley.”
“Hey, Serenity! Wait up!” a voice called, and I tensed up, as I recognized the voice, it was Joel.
I slowed down, and Bentley did as well, thank goodness. “Hey, look about the other night at the party, I just wanted to apologize about Melanie, though I heard you got her worse… still. I’m sorry, I should have made sure no one was listening.”
“Whatever, Joel. Apology accepted, bye.” I started walking away, but Joel kept up.
“Look, what I really wanted was.. I really want to be in this baby’s life! I know that I said I didn’t, and I know you think that it will ruin my life. But I don’t care! I really want to be a part of his or her life, please, Serenity.”
I took a deep breath, “okay, Joel. I’ll keep you updated, but don’t think this means anything. I still do not like you, at all.”
He smiled, “that’s okay, thank you so much,” he said, and kissed me on the cheek before jogging off.
I glanced over at Bentley, who was staring at Joel as if he were about to kill him, I put my hand in his, “you okay?”
He took a few calming breaths, “that guy pisses me off, Serenity.”
“I know, he does to me too.”
“I don’t even care that he kissed you, well, yeah, I do… but what really makes me mad is the way he just casually forces himself into your life, as if you mean nothing. He would never even have talked to you again if you weren’t pregnant! This is bull!” he yelled at the end.
I squeezed his hand reassuringly, “it’s okay, sweetheart, I know that he’s a butthead.”
He smiled at my word, and kissed me, “okay, okay. I know… I need to calm down.”
I laughed, “yeah, that’s it, babe.”
He grinned as we walked into English class. People were staring at me like I was freaking President Nixon, and they’d just found out I’d been a part of Watergate for goodness’ sake! That really pissed me off, “hey, hi, hello there! I’m Serenity, and I was invisible to you until a couple days ago, so why don’t you guys go find someone else to stare at, okay?” I yelled.
The teacher ran in there, “what’s the problem here?” he asked, obviously thinking I was starting a fight.
“They’re staring at me,” I replied sharply, Bentley grabbed my hand and squeezed it, trying to calm me down.
“I’m sure they are wondering why you’re the girl that got pregnant by the school’s pride and joy, Joel Jenkins.”
My eyes jerked up to the teacher’s face, who was staring down at me with disgust, “you’re serious, right now? You’re acting like it’s my fault.” I didn’t say it as a question, but he felt the need to respond.
“Yes. It’s obvious that the whole school knows that you seduced him so he would sleep with you, and that this is all part of your master plan to get rid of him and let our rival school win.”
“This sounds like a retarded frickin’ soap opera! I’m not some dirty hoe bag, I didn’t even know what sex really was until he seduced me!” I said yelling, and then continued, “why the heck would anyone sleep with him just so he would get kicked off the team? That is the most retarded thing I’ve ever heard, idiot! And as for all of the curious peanut gallery!” I said, turning to face the classroom, “you’re all freaking ignorant for even thinking for a second that a FIFTEEN YEAR OLD could really seduce the school’s ‘pride and joy’,” I said sarcastically. “So screw you all!” I turned and faced the teacher, “I repeat SCREW. YOU. ALL!”
“Young lady, report to the principal’s office,” he replied with a smug smirk on his face. I wanted to hit him so bad… my hand was twitching when Bentley jerked me out of the classroom, and I was saying a stream of cuss words that had never left my mouth before in my life. He pushed me back against the wall, and my stomach tightened in anger. “CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT!” I yelled, not so much a question, I just needed to say something, anything. I needed someone on my side.
“No,” he said quietly, “no, I really can’t. They’re insane, babe, but you’re going to have to deal. This is how your life’s going to be now… People are going to think what they want to.” He sighed and pushed my hair from my face, “you need to calm down, you’re near a panic attack right now.”
“I can’t,” I kept murmuring softly, as I began to cry. I slid down to the floor, and started sobbing. He slid down beside me and put his arm around my shoulders, “do you need to go home?”
I sniffled, “no. They’ll only talk more…”
“Babe, you can’t be stressing what other people think right now. I know you’re scared, and I understand, I do, but you don’t wanna hurt your little baby, do you?”
I sniffled again, wiping the tears from my eyes, “no, no, I don’t. But I have to go to the office, anyway, they’re probably going to suspend me,” I said.
He grinned, “not without me, they won’t.”
“You’re serious?”
“Of course, but let’s go to the office, already.”
I nodded, and we got up and walked towards the office. We sat down, and when the secretary asked us what we were doing, I responded that I had a major blowout with the teacher, and class, I was supposed to come here. She nodded and sent me back towards the principal’s office, with Bentley following behind.
The principal motioned for us to sit down, we did. She looked from Bentley to me, her surprisingly gray eyes narrowing in suspicion, “well, what happened?”
I took a deep, calming breath, “It started when the class were all staring at me like I had committed some major felony. So, I told them to chill, basically, then the teacher came in and agreed with them, saying I had seduced Joel into getting me pregnant so he’d be kicked off the football team, so our rivals could win, I flipped on him. I know what I did was wrong, but I don’t expect to be treated like that, even if I made a mistake in my private life, the teacher shouldn’t have anything to do with it,” I said quickly.
She stared at me, and then to Bentley, “and what did you do?” she asked him.
“I pulled her out of the room,” he said calmly.
She nodded, and wrote a few things down, “when you say flipped, do you mean cussing?”
“Nah, not that I recall. Just yelling and I kind of said ‘screw you.’”
“Now, I know what he did was wrong, but you’re not supposed to disrespect your elders like that,” she said calmly to me.
I tried to keep calm as I said, “to earn respect, you have to give it.”
She sighed, “I know where you’re coming from, and I don’t get into students’ affairs, and I don’t expect my teachers to. Me and Mr. McSevin are going to have a very serious conversation, but we do not approve of vulgar language, or disrespect, so you are to be suspended for the rest of today, and five more days afterwards. We expect you back next Tuesday, you understand?”
“Me too,” Bentley said.
She gazed at him questioningly, “you did no wrong.”
He said a few curse words and then said, “good enough?”
A fire rose in her green eyes, “I’m going to let that slide. I know you want to spend time with your girlfriend, son, but you are to stay in school. You can fetch her work if you’d like.”
He took deep breaths, and I knew he was angry, “fine,” he said sharply. And I could already see the wheels turning in his head.
She picked up the phone, “I’m going to call your father to tell them that you are suspended. Go on home now.”
“Call my mom, Dad isn’t part of the family anymore.”
Her eyes lightened with curiosity, but she quickly put it away, “okay, fine. I’ll call your mother. You may leave.”
I took a deep, shaky breath, and we walked out. Bentley was cursing as soon as we walked out the door, a few words even I hadn’t said earlier. I took his hand, “shh, calm down. It’s fine, I’ll be fine. You won’t get behind.”
“I won’t be able to take this school without you, babe.”
I smiled up at him, “that’s sweet of you, but--”
“C’mon. I’ll drive you home, I need to get my car anyway, then I’ll come back to school, okay?”
I smiled at him again, “alright, thanks.”
We walked out to my car, and then Bentley drove me home. With a kiss, he said goodbye, and then drove off in his own car. I watched him until I couldn’t see him anymore, then I walked in the house slowly, my mom was at work, so I was met by Lillian, but no one else.
“Serenity?” she asked, surprised.
I sighed, “I got suspended for flipping out on the class.” then I told her everything that had happened.
“Oh, that’s horrible!” she hugged me tightly, “are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m just really tired… and I’m nauseous. I think I’m going back to sleep. Sorry,” I said with an apologetic smile.
She kissed me on the cheek, “it’s understandable. I’ll see ya when you wake up.”
Around noon, I woke up when the phone rang, and then when Lillian hung up she knocked on my door, “hey, good, you’re up. Um, I have something to tell you.” Her eyes looked confused.
“What is it?”
“Um, that was Chelsea… Her, Melanie, Bentley, Ryan, and Joel all got suspended for fighting people. Over you, and the rumors spreading around about you. And they were all different people!”
I blinked groggily, making sure I was hearing correctly, “you’re serious?”
“Yeah, for five days!”
“Whoa,” I breathed.
“They’re all coming over here in a few minutes,” she said. “Do you want me to tell them not to?”
I swallowed, “no, I’ll be fine.”
She nodded, “well, get dressed, they’re not that far away.”
I sighed, pulled on a pair of sweats, and a t-shirt, put my hair up, and then padded out into the living room with my lime green slippers. Lillian smiled at me when I walked in there. “Never cared much about appearances, did you?” she asked softly.
I smiled, “nope, not at all.” I felt a little dizzy, so I sat down on the sofa, and then propped my feet up on the ottoman. The doorbell rang, “I’ll get it,” she said before I could move. I sighed and sat back as I watched her, with her black hair flowing out behind her.
I heard her saying hello to everyone, and then I saw Bentley coming around the corner first, sat down beside me, and pulled me close. “Sorry, but I couldn’t handle someone else talking about you, babe.”
I smiled up at him, love pouring through my eyes, “that’s okay, sweetie. It means a lot that you’d defend me like that.”
Chelsea and Melanie entered the room then, looking at me with triumph in their eyes, Melanie spoke first, “I beat that hoe’s butt for you, Serenity.”
I smiled at her, realizing that maybe we’d actually become friends, “thanks, Melanie,” I said softly, hoping she knew how much I meant it.
Chelsea nodded enthusiastically, “me too!”
I laughed, and then Joel and Ryan entered the room, Ryan spoke first, “no one in that school will talk about you and get away with it, Serenity. You’re too much of a sweetheart.”
I smiled at him, “thank you so much, Ryan, Chelsea, Melanie… Joel,” I tacked on last, Bentley already knew how much I appreciated him doing it, but the rest… I had no idea.
“I would have if I had been there!” Lillian said, and we all laughed.
I gestured towards the chairs around, “you guys can sit down, if you want.”
They all took seats, and I asked did they want something to drink. “Um, I’d like a water,” Chelsea said, Melanie said the same thing, and Ryan, Joel, and Bentley all wanted Coke. “Okay, coming right up,” I said, and got up slowly, trying not to show how dizzy and exhausted I felt.
When I walked to the kitchen, where no one could see me, I rested in a chair for a moment, then I got back up, and started grabbing glasses, a pain ran across my stomach, and I dropped a glass. It shattered in the floor. Everyone came running in, “are you okay?” Bentley asked, reaching me first.
I grabbed my stomach, wincing, gave it a pat, and stood up straight, “must have slipped, don’t worry,” I said.
They all gave me looks of curiosity, except for Melanie, who lingered behind, “you had a stomach pain, didn’t you?”
I nodded, “yeah, I did. But please don’t tell everyone.”
She smiled, “don’t worry, I won’t.”
“Why did you fight someone for me? I mean I slept with your… on again, off again boyfriend, someone you loved…?”
She smiled at me sadly, “you were right about him, that’s for sure. And I know what you’re going through, sweetie. I just want to help you, like I never had the help.”
I smiled at her, “thanks, Melanie.”
She left then, and I got the rest of the glasses out without problem, I poured all the drinks, and then brought them in two at a time, even bringing Lillian one.
When I was done, I sat back down beside Bentley, “you didn’t get anything?” he asked.
I shook my head, “I don’t want anything.”
He searched my face, “are you feeling alright? You look really, extra pale.”
I shrugged, “it’s nothing.”
“Do you care if I stay here again tonight? My parents are kinda pissed right now.”
I smiled, “sure, babe.” Then I looked at everyone else, “You guys are all welcome to stay here for as long as you want, we have a bunch of air mattresses, right, Lillian?” I asked, who was staring at Joel whenever he wasn’t looking, her green eyes turned around to face me, she nodded, “right.”
Joel looked at her, and back at me, “my parents will want me home.” Ryan said the same thing, Melanie and Chelsea agreed with those two.
“Okay, then, I just thought I’d ask.”
They laughed, “thanks.” they all said. After Joel, Ryan, Chelsea, and Melanie finished their drinks, they all kissed me on the cheek, said goodbye, and left.
I sighed, and leaned my head back, closing my eyes. I heard Lillian gathering all the glasses, and walking to the kitchen, Bentley kissed me then. I kissed him back for a moment, “what’s wrong, babe?” he whispered to me.
I shrugged, “I’m tired.”
Suddenly I was in the air, he was carrying me to my room, “she’s going back to sleep,” he said to Lillian, and then walked in my room, shutting the door. I felt bad for the limited time I was spending with Lillian, but she said she understood, and I didn’t see hurt in her eyes.
Bentley laid me down on the bed, “go to sleep, baby.”
I grabbed his hand, as he laid down beside me, and laid it on my stomach, “I love you so much, Bentley.”
He smiled into my neck, “I’m not the only one who loves you, but I am the one who loves you most, you know.”
I laughed, “I do know, baby.”
He grinned, and after that I drifted off.