Short Stories

Bad News (Part 1)

Jack was grateful for Mina and Nate, really. Sometimes though, he wished they didn't treat him like a kid. He knew that he acted like one sometimes, but that didn't mean he wanted to be treated like one. He zoned out and let the smooth voices of Mina and Nate wash over him. He needed to rest, they would be back at him again tomorrow. If he got lucky, they wouldn't fuck with him for another couple of days. If he was lucky. He usually wasn't.

Jack's head was hung low and he heaved a big, shaky sigh that caught the attention of the other two. Jack barely looked up as Mina and Nate sat on either side of him. He didn't see the pain filled glance that the two shared as they wrapped their arms around their hurting friend.

"Come on idiot, let's get you home." Nate said.

----

"...she just acted like she owned the bloody place!" Mina threw her arms up and let them fall again with a loud slap against her thighs. "She's bad news honestly."
"Calm down Mina, you said that about me and look where we are now!" Jack chuckled. Mina shot him a glare that caused him to lift his hands up in mock surrender.

The three friends were sat in the library, they were supposed to be doing homework but one thing and led to another and there they ended up gossiping about the new girl that had arrived that morning. Jack watched in silence as Mina and Nate continued to complain about the crappy attitude that the new girl had. On the inside Jack was rolling his eyes at the hypocrites that sat in front of him, he had been just like this girl when he first arrived: bad attitude and a God complex along with it. It was by accident that he had become friends with Nate and Mina. Jack smiled slightly as he watched his friends bicker about something or another and thought that he couldn't be happier.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Jack and his dummies!" A gravelly voice cut through the bickering of Nate and Mina. The trio rolled their eyes simultaneously at the voice and the crappy insult.
"Fuck off Jared." Jack grumbled and glared at the taller boy.
"I don't want too, kid!" Jared was around six foot three, broad shouldered, pimply and the biggest bully the school had. That didn't mean that he was particularly bright, which he wasn't. Jack scrunched up his face as he thought about how long Jared a senior had been, he came to the conclusion that it was probably since Jack had begun high school four years ago. That's a long time.

"...Right Jack?" Nate's voice drew Jack out of his thoughts.

"Huh?!" Jack was caught unawares by Nate and had the misfortune of looking like a total idiot as he tried to grasp the flow of the conversation.

"Never mind," Nate shook his head at his friend's slowness. "Anyway, if you'd kindly bugger off now that you've succeeded in bugging us Jared. That would be much appreciated." Nate said in his best snooty voice. Mina and Jack both sniggered slightly as they watched Jared attempt to comprehend what Nate said.

A look of realisation flashed across Jared's face before it was replaced with his usual scowl. He didn't say anything and turned to stalk back out of the library. There was a split second of pure silence with the trio, but it was quickly replaces with stifled giggles.

"God. I can't wait until we never have to see that tool again." Mina shook her head and leaned back in her chair.

"Yeah me too I-" Jack started but was cut off by a loud crash and scream from the hallway. The trio glanced at each other before they simultaneously abandoned their things and rushed out into the hallway.

----

"Do I have to go to this dumb school?" Stevie whined at her older sister Andi as she stared at herself in the floor length mirror that was hung just beside the entrance to their small kitchen.