Proving Innocence

Chapter 3

Call after call after stupid goddamn call! For each call I basically answer the same thing; No, I'm not interested in being a guess star on your show. No, I don't want to star in your movie. No, I don't want to talk about the new movie on your talk show. Eventually I turned off my phone but they just started calling my mom and the land line. It's only Wednesday!

Guess LA heard that I'm suspected of murder. Well was I hope, I haven't seen Captain Glares since Sunday.

"I'm off to school, mom." I peaked into the large kitchen.

"Oh, honey, you have a call." She held up the phone and I gave her a look.

"Who is it?" I asked suspiciously.

"Okay, okay." She put it back up to her ear. "Sorry he can't come to the phone right now." I nodded, turning to go. "Oh, Joseph, I noticed your grade in chemistry is slipping. You might want to fix that." A threat, even though her voice was sweet.

"Got it." I said, slightly annoyed and ducked out of the kitchen before she could say anything else. Good thing she didn't see me snag that muffin. By the time I put on my helmet I devoured the muffin.

School's an annoying waste of time. All I do is get bullied and try not push them down the stairs. I already know everything because the teachers just teach from the text books. At the beginning of the year I get one for all my classes and read completely through them multiple times until they're memorized. One of the reasons why my teachers hate me, the other is . . .

"Joseph, how is it that you know and understand the until yet you don't turn in your homework?" Mrs. Helen, my math teacher, asked, looking down at me.

"Because I didn't do it." I said simply.

"Joey, you have potential. If you only tried harder you could do great things."

"I get told that a lot."

She sighed. "Please just turn it in before the end of the day."

"Roger-dodger." I mock saluted. Mrs. Helen wasn't really one of the teachers that hated me much, she was just annoyed at my little effort, like the gym teacher, Mr. Klarkson. But my English teacher, Miss Hayle or my chemistry teacher, Mr. Moore. I don't anyone in the world could hate me as much as Mr. Moore does.

I did my homework at lunch and turned it in on my way to chemistry as I prepared myself for Ethan's fan attack.

"You understand the experiment, right?" Ethan asked.

"Yeah." I sighed, ignoring Mr. Moore's smug look as he strolled through the tables, occasionally looking in my direction. He must have really pulled this one out of his ass. It wasn't in the text book and he dodged around explaining so much I don't think any of the other students understood. He doesn't care if they fail, as long as I do. You could tell he was one of those pretty boys who got everything they want in high school. "Basically just don't mix A with C unless B is in one already and don't put D into C unless A is present and E is just a trap, it can't be mixed with anything other than B but only if A, C, and D are at least a drop present in it."

"Do you even remember the chemical names?"

"Are they necessary?"

He shrugged and we continued with the experiment as the other students around us ended up with clouds of pink smoke and foam flooded tables. Ethan was pouring something when the table jerked and it slipped from his hands splashing on my hand. I hissed in pain quickly jumping up. Oh it just had to be the dangerous one with acid in it, didn't it?!

"Joey, I'm so sorry! C'mon we have to wash it off!" Ethan panicked. I saw Mr. Moore in the corner of my eye. Asshole!

We rinsed the burning crap off my hand rushed to the nurses office.

"Okay, Joey, your mom's on her way to take you to the hospital since you can't drive with your hand like that." The nurse said.

"Thanks, Jane." I said. I come to the nurses office a lot. She smiled before going back to the front to her office. I checked my phone for the time. I just hope I get home in time to order it. The limited edition Hatsune Miku Neko Headphones with the cat ears that turn into speakers. They hit the shelves around the time I usually get home from school and from the amount of them if I don't work fast they'll be sold-out in no time.

Mom showed up and took me to the hospital. Claude was with her but only to take my bike home and I made it very clear that if he left even the smallest scratch on one of the few things I liked more than anime than I'd make him life a living hell with me as the Satan. He just stuck his tongue out at me grumbling he won't hurt the damn bike.

I hate hospitals. There's just so much negativity and joy in the same building or connected buildings. Sick patients, one's being healed and others getting worse. Some slipping into commas and some waking up. Deaths and births. Tragedies and celebrations. Guess what they say is right. Opposites attract.

I can never spend too long in a hospital without breaking down or having a panic attack.

The doctor gave me ointment for the burn, extra bandages to wrap around my hand and some pills in case my hand starts bothering me. He said that because of the skin that was sort of burned off that it won't heal without leaving a pretty big scar over my hand. I don't mind though. I'll just have to be careful what my hand's around until it heals.

Mom kept asking if I was alright on the way home because in the car I was breathing heavy. I just brushed her off saying I was fine.

"No way. Are you serious?" We opened the front door to see Logan in the entry hall on the phone. "Oh hey. Where were you guys? I was looking for you earlier."

"Sorry, Logan." Mom said. "We were at the hospital."

"Hospital? You guys alright?"

"Yeah." I held up my hand. "Just had an acid accident at school. It'll heal."

"You spilled acid on your hand?"

"Well I didn't do anything-nevermind. You said you were looking for us. Was there something you needed?"

"Nah. Not anymore. But if I do need anything I'll be sure to call. Call me if you need anything too." He winked.

"Sure."
"Yeah." Mom and I replied at the same time.

"No, not you." He said into the phone. "Well your music is horrible."

Then I remembered. My headphones!!