Six o clock.....
It is Thursday morning, barely two weeks after the resumption and am already looking forward to my first detention in my entire life. I have never been punished all through high school and getting detention is like the worst high school experience for me. To add to that, am getting detention with the meanest girl in school, Kimberley McAdams, my high school nemesis. What is the worst that could happen?
It bothers me that someone like Kimberley McAdams actually exists. I have met mean girls before but I have never come across a girl like her. She seems to enjoy being mean to people especially people her age. Well.....what can I say?..... I guess I look forward to getting detention with her.
School that morning was just like school, woke up early, took my bath(funny as it may sound, I spent all the time I could getting dressed, if I was going to get detention I wanted to look nice doing it), ate breakfast and Simon drove me to school. At least all was well until Principal McAllister made her emergency morning announcement.
"Kimberley McAdams to the principal's office now!". She announced.
We were in the class when the announcement came just before the first period. Kim looked a bit uneasy. She sat down more firmly not looking too ready to get up from her seat. Okay did I say she was looking quite uneasy?..... I meant a lot of uneasy.
The queen Kim I know, I mean the Kim Kay I know is not the one to be scared or the one to respect authority. Maybe I don't really know her, she might not be so tough after all, at least not as tough as she pretends to be.
Should I really be worried about Kim right now? With Kim being called to the principal's office, I should be expecting my call anytime soon. I almost died of anticipation while trying to think of the reason behind Kim's call. What else would it be if not either the scandal or fighting? There is a greater possibility that it is the scandal case.
"The principal is calling you Kim, you heard her". Marc said.
She stood up and walked from her seat to the door and back.
"What now Kim".
"How do I look?". She ran her fingers down her hair and straightened her skirt.
"You look just perfect Kim, now run along. You do not want to get us in trouble, do you?". Disney replied to her.
Kim hesitated.
"Are you scared?". Monica teased.
"No. Queen Kim ain't fear nobody". She was looking really determined when she said it.
She walked out the door with confidence.
"Here is Ms McAdams here with me". Principal McAllister's voice rang after a few minutes.
"She has a very important announcement to make and I want you all to listen attentively".
"Good morning Duncan high students. My name is Kimberly McAdams, your high school Queen....."She paused. "I am the person behind the papers showing on the school walls a few days ago".
Oh no. I guessed right, it is about the scandal. I dread being called to the office to make my own announcement too.
"Firstly I would like to apologise to the principal and the school management...I am really.....sorry....to break...the school..... school rules" Her voice was really shaky while she made the announcement and she hesitated in between her words a lot. I could bet she was reading the announcement from a piece of paper.
" I will also like to apologise to señor Singer, the Spanish teacher and my colleague Barbara Jesus. I am sincerely sorry for attempting to ruin your reputation. Finally, I sincerely apologise from the depth of my heart to the students especially the junior ones whom I had lain a bad example for. I am sincerely sorry for breaking the school rules...and also for the distraction I have caused and I hope that...that you all find a place in your hearts to.... forgive me. I truly regret.....my actions. I am....so... sorry once again. I.... accept any...punishment given though I hope justice will be tampered with mercy".
"Duncan high school students, you heard from the perpetrator herself, Kimberley McAdams".
I was waiting for the moment she will call me to the office for my own announcement but that time never came.
"That is all for today students and I hope that the seniors will learn to lay a good example for the junior. I also hope that the junior students will be responsible students, take good examples and discard the bad ones. Of course, I know that there are students that like to disobey authority but trust me not on my watch".
Kim did not attend the first two classes. After the social studies teacher left the class, Clara expressed her worry.
"It has been almost two hours since Kim left the class and no one is doing anything about it?".
"How is that our problem?"Someone said.
"It even better that she is not here". Said another.
"That is not a fair thing to say, "Clara said.
"No one likes to be bossed around by Kim". Monica put in.
Everyone expressed their dissatisfaction about how they have been treated by Kim. They all talked about how they liked the way her plot against me backfired. They too understood that it wasn't Kim who willingly apologised, it wasn't her kind of thing to do.
"Kim will never admit to being forced to tender her apology not just to the whole school in general but particularly the newest nerd in school and the least respected teacher," Marc said.
"Uhm...I am supposed to be offended at being called a nerd" I chipped in.
There is one thing about being mean. Mean girls never have true friends, that I know for a fact. Most of the students in the class are just pretending to be friends with her to avoid incurring her wrath. It's amazing how they could talk freely behind her back.
The class was silent all of a sudden. Kim had walked into the class.
"Where have you been"Clara broke the silence.
"We have been worried sick about you,"Monica said.
I could not control the loud cough that came after Monica's sentence. Of course, I was not actually coughing. The cough was only an impromptu way of expressing my dismay.
"Where have you been all this while Kim". I asked. She looked calm like she was touched to hear me say that. If everyone was going to be fake, I should try to be a real friend for once. Even if she doesn't appreciate it.
Her calm expression changed all of a sudden and she looked tense.
"Shut up moron and stop acting as you care". She snapped at me.
"Don't mind her. She thinks she is somebody"Monica said and everyone laughed.
"Where were you?". Marc asked.
"Fixing my makeup".
"For almost two hours Kim, two hours".
"I was looking beautiful for you Marc. You have a problem with that".
Marc was silent.
"I thought as much" Kim sounded like a bully.
"Good speech though"Monica said.
"All part of my plans"
"I said it"Marc said and everyone smiled.
Kim would never understand what Marc meant but we all did.
They chatted on like I was invisible.
I was a bit shocked at the sudden change of expression. It hurt me that she would treat me like that when I was only trying to be a good friend. One minute she is looking sweet and the other she is a total jerk and a complete meanie. It's a wonder how she manages to keep up with being two-faced. It seemed like she has a mask which she hides her real face behind. At that realization, I felt really determined to make sure I uncover the girl behind the mask.....
.....The closing bell rang at two (school closed early that day because the teachers were to attend a seminar) after which we rushed to the principal's office. By we, I meant Kim and me.
"You are asked to wait at the crypt entrance Kim and....." The secretary told us as soon as we came in.
"Barbara". I completed her sentence for her since she had difficulty remembering my name.
Kim led the way to the crypt while I followed her. It took us about fifteen minutes to get there. The crypt was located in the last building in the school. The building looked like it had been abandoned for years. We opened the building and went down the stairs in the corridor. The stairs led to an underground entrance.
"Here we are"Kim said.
"The crypt?". I asked
"The crypt". Kim repeated
The place was covered with cobwebs and we had to bend our heads while walking.
"I heard that the school's first principal was buried here".
At that moment I was scared.
"You have kept me waiting for too long".
I nearly jumped out of my skin. I looked back and saw principal McAllister standing by a door. For a moment I thought it was the dead principal's ghost that was talking right behind me.
"We are so sorry principal McAllister"I apologised after regaining my composure.
"Get in girls".
We walked into the room she pointed at. Surprisingly, the room was clean and quite beautiful. It has a wooden table with five chairs and two sofas. It had a shelf with lots of books on it and also a typewriter and a computer that seems to be from the 1900s.
"I will be back in four hours to set you free".
"You can't lock us up here".
"Don't argue with me McAdams, it will only add to your punishment. If I could handle this then you can".
"This is Injustice" Kim protested.
"Five hours".
"You can't do this to me".
"Six hours".
Kim shut her mouth and sat on a sofa.
"That is much better. I hope you both work out your issues while you spend six hours together".
Principal McAllister took our phones, walked out of the room and locked the door behind her.
I put my bag on the other sofa and walked to the shelf.
"Thanks so much for adding to my punishment". I said.
Kim did not reply to me.
"I wonder how often this place gets cleaned up".
"Why do you ask?".
It was surprising that Kim would want to make a conversation with me. I contemplated on whether or not to answer. I didn't want to be cut off again.
"Well...it seems all the books here are up to date and her room looks really neat in comparison to other parts of the building".
"Whatever".
I rolled my eyes and sat opposite her.
"If we are going to be stuck here for a while, we might as well get things right between us".
"How much time do we have left?".
I glanced at my watch.
"About five hours fifty minutes".
She brought out one of her textbooks and started to read them or maybe 'pretend' to read them.
"What do you have against me?" I was ready to get this over with once and for all.
"Nothing... Barbie nothing, until...."She paused.
"Until what?"
"Until I found out that you are Simon's sister".
"What?"I was shocked.
"You heard me. I am not going to repeat myself".
"You are crazy Kim. What are you talking about?".
"So am crazy now".
"I am sorry. I didn't mean it like that".
"You know what? you are fake".
"Fake?".
"See? You like to act like you do not understand anything. You like to play the victim".
"Kimberley, I must admit to you am lost".
"Don't tell me you do not know what am talking about".
"I swear I do not. I only moved a few months ago and...."
"Maybe you do not need to know then". She cut me in mid-sentence.
"No, I want to. You are my only hope at understanding what is happening".
"Forget it Barbie".
"But if you did what you did all because you found out that am Simon's sister then you must hate me a lot".
"I have nothing against you Barbie. Just forget it". She said with a note of finality.
The room grew uneasy with silence. Neither of us talked for half a minute.
"You know you did not have to act all so perfect when you came". Kim finally broke the silence.
"Excuse me?".
"You refused to do the initiation".
"That is against my principles".
"You think you are the only one with principles. I have principles too but I had to give them all up so I could belong. You didn't have to do the initiation thing yet you managed really well and even made new friends".
"You did not have to give up your principles to fit in and the fact that I am blending in really well has nothing to do with you".
"You did really well in Spanish class".
"That's only because two of my dad's ex-workers are Spanish".
"You didn't have to flaunt it".
"I didn't. I was only showing what I am capable of. I don't have to play dumb to make you feel good".
"I work hard to get grades yet the teachers are never impressed and then you came and seemed to be in control".
She looked really hurt and her eyes were red. She looked like she was trying to suppress tears. We both were silent again. Truth be told, I wasn't really in the mood for a conversation.
I read a whole novel during the silent hours. I looked at my time and it was almost eight. The silence was already killing me.
"Look am sorry I made you feel that way but it is not my fault. You never even talked to me about it".
"shouldn't you have seen it for yourself. I am Kimberley McAdams. I don't show emotions".
"You make it sound like it is a reputation you had to keep up with".
"it is Barbara. You just don't understand and you probably won't."
I guess there is a face behind the mask after all
" Everyone is talking about how great you are. Your newly found minions were bragging about how you are Simon's sister, Marc could not stop talking about how sweet he thinks you are and even Kyla talked about you all through dinner".
"Kyla?".
"Principal McAllister".
"Oh!".
"She is my aunt".