Gackle - Karen Cross (Prelude)

[dancrilis]

Detention

Karen knew she needed to pick up Rachel. Alex Merrin had taken a knife to the class toad and he hadn't owned up, and no one had ratted on him - the boy had a reputation for violence and the recent episode had reinforced that in the minds of the students.

The teacher was Miss. Tara Shortwell and she would hold the students until she got the go ahead to let them go, or until she got bored and had something better to do - but based on how she was watching her ipad with her headphones in she might be happy out. Any other teacher in there early twenties would have trouble keeping the class quite - Tara however had a reputation around the school for being an old gang member from her tattoos, and had six months ago hospitalised a fifteen year old boy who made a pass at her - she was not someone that was crossed my many.

The deal was someone talks and the class gets to leave, otherwise the police could deal with it. Of course who ever told would be a snitch, and would also have to deal with Alex who would likely not ever get a slap on the wrist.

Bethany passed her a note thinking about trying to sneak out tonight, maybe go to a party, Diane and Enrique are in, you?.

[Meeky]

Karen blew a strand of straw hair away from her face, then quietly took the note from her friend's hand. She let it sit under her hand for several seconds, looked around to make sure nobody was looking, then slipped the piece of paper to the middle of her desk and glanced it over.

Truth be told, she didn't read it as quickly as she could have. She was still thinking about what Alex had done to the toad, and it bothered her. That he had killed the amphibian for no reason was bad enough; that he had done it and could do it just as easily to a person just gave her goosebumps. If a nasty, sadist guy like him could do it once, then...

Well, at least it wasn't a person, was the most encouraging thought Karen could muster. She looked over the note again, actually reading it this time. When she was done, she flipped it over and started scrawling on it with her stub of a pencil.

What time? her answer read. Promised Rachel we'd see a movie after school. Karen silently prayed 'tonight' meant somewhere close to midnight. Rachel needed to go to dance class before the movie, and then after the movie she'd be too hyped to sleep, and if she knew Karen was at a party she might just tell Mom, who... well, Karen didn't want to think about what she'd say to things.

Karen slipped the note back to Bethany, subtle as a snake.

[dancrilis]

The note came back whenever, get there we you can we can talk after.

It took another fifteen minutes for Tara's patients to end - or more likely her program, "I don't like snitches" she said "rotten people running to others and sticking there nose where it doesn't belong", he feet hit the floor from resting on the table with a bang.

"But" her voice ice "I liked that toad, he was here when I went to school, here when some of my friends did too - we didn't have pets, but we had Fatso to play with" glaring around the room "or whatever you called him now, beyond Stabby".

"I have been hear looking at an old video of the class we had, and lo and behold Fatso was there" taking a breath she began calmly "so let me be clear this is getting back to some fairly nasty people, so it is not snitching to the cops or your parents" she began shouting "it is telling me that you didn't screw with my frog!", if she caught the difference between a frog and a toad no one corrected her.

She calmed herself "I have your attendance so I know who was here - and that list goes out unless I here hear and now who it was - and then we can see what your pets think of your honour system", a pin count be heard in the class as she finished.

Alex's face was white as a sheet - this was likely not what he was expecting.