Chapter Five.

A heated argument tore between last night's dinner meal and thi morning's 'scrumptuous' pancake from inside my stomach as it mourned loudly, both meals fighting for their place in there yet failing. I was certain that I'd be visiting the nurse's office today , maybe then I'd get a pass from attending Mr.Latowskie's biology lecture on Genetics. 

"I'm very disappointed in you after receiving that phonecall from Amanda yesterday concerning your behavior , Young man," I had momentarily forgotten the supposed 'talk' I was having with my dad as he so generously drove me to school.I had heard that very same talk with him on countless issues he had with me because of our disagreeing opinions. We never saw eye to eye on anything .It was our dynamic. His thoughts differred from mine and that always seeemed to bring us in a disagreeable mood. 

This morning, he lectured me on how I was to treat Amanda ,how I should behave around her, and all those words uttered by him were drowned out the wind that rushed in inside through the opened car window on his side. I wasn't going to stop teasing Amanda , I just couldn't see that happening and if she thought that by ratting me to my father would stop my incessant teases, she'd be wrong. 

I nodded absentmindedly at the gibberish words my father said as he took a left turn towards the road leading to my school, biting on to a cuticle on my middle finger before chewing it off and spitting it out.

'Do you understand?" He turned to face me , confirning whether his words reached my braincells and I nodded, giving him effectively what he wants despite the fact bthat I wouldn't heed to his reprimanding words and empty threats.I was still going to give Amanda a hard time.She was too tantalizing to ignore. 

"If she calls me again to complain about your lack of respect towards her,I will be forced to punish you myself,"He proceeded to the drop off zone in front of the school gates where a sea of students were busy engaging in conversations with their friends, some comparing timetables , others doing skateboard tricks and so on. 

I spot my gang of delinquents seated by the entrance by the steps , talking boisterously amongst themselves and whatever words my father had spoken seemed to fizzle away into that part of my brain that swallows information without any intent of surfacing back up into my coscious. The same part that houses forgotten memories, like Math formulas and boring  historical facts.This conversation would soon join them , never to be remembered again.

'I'll see you after school,"He informed as I unlocked the door , shrugged my backpack on before slamming the door after me.Excited chatter envoloped the morning atmosphere , as my feet shuffled towards my friend group.Emerald was the first to spot me , chewing a strawberry gum before blowing a bubble as it inflated in front of her lips before popping it. 

"Since when does your dad drive you to school?" She asked in a skeptical tone.

"Since Zac's mother called him to complain about what happened in calculus class yesterday,"I smirked , sharing a bro shake with Tyson and then Nico.Zac was nowhere to be seen but Jackie had his backpack resting on her lap.

"Serves you right,"Emerald went, a satisfied smirk curled up on her lips before blowing yet another bubble , the pink gum inflating in front of her lips then pop!

"I couldn't care less,"I gave an indifferent shrug.My hands reaching inside Emerald's backpack where she stashed her gum collection before fishing out one strip.

"Couldn't you just ask me to offer you a gum in stead of violating my privacy?"She vented , her eyes storming with rage even though I knew she'd simmer down in a few minutes. Such a drama queen!

"Why should I not violate your privacy ?'I scoffed before my eyes spotted a pack of tampons inside her bag."Aww...is someone PMSing today?"

That invited the rest of the group to tease the already glaring Emerald as she zipped up her backpack ,furiously. Her feisty attitude this morinig brought me energy and the insatiable need of taunting her , maybe even disturb her just to see what happens. 

"Let her be,Max,'Jackie sends me a sharp punch on my upper arm that prompts me to yelp in pain.

"Sorry then,"I craddled my assaulted arm, my face scrunched up in pain.

A scrawny blonde haired boy walks by before Tyson places his foot in front of the kid and as expected, trips over it , his books sprawling all over the ground accompanied by a strained squeal from him.Of course the crowd around begins to collapse with laughter except for a few concerned goody two shoes kids who bend down to help the embarrassed kid.My hawl eyes spot a pink notebook amidst the pile of books that had succumbed to the kid's unforseen catastrophe and immediately reach down to grab it before anyone could.

The word Diary written across the front page in glittery calligraphy, alongside butterfly stickers and unicorns.

"What do we have here.."

"Give that back,"The tiny voice from the timidly frightened blonde boy cracked as he requested for me to unhand the prissy looking book.

"Oh it talks," Tyson egged at him and I too was equally as surprised ,It talks, doesn't it?That's new.

"Or what?"I threatened , my grip around the pink notebook increasing as I watched the shirt kid attempt tp flip me off, his arms shaking beside his body.Those icy blue eyes of his seemed to darken with an emotion that resembled anger, was it angry at me?

"Are you gonna fight me if I don't give it back?"I took a daring a step towards the kid and he immediately shrunk like a salted slug but still maintained his stance.

"Why are you even carrying a pink notebook?"Nico snatched the book from my hands, begun to flip through, earning him a bewildered look from the kid."Is this a diary?" 

"No ,"He strained to talk."Just give it back...I-I don't want any trouble , please."

The corners of my lips twisted into a sardonic smile at the hopeless plea from the kid but Nico refused to comply thumbing through the pages, an amused laugh resurrecting from his lungs as he skimmed through the texts written in each page.

"Dear diary,Brain Krinsky is seriously hot and I can't seem to take my eyes off him-"

"Give it back!"The kid screamed, his face red, even a beetroot would be envious , his nose flared in anger.That was enough to draw a crowd as the bystanders watched as the scene unfolded with curious eyes."I don't want any trouble.."

His voice was quiet, strained and shaky. 

"You got a loud mouth for a kid your size," Tyson proceeded to playfully shove the kid's shoulder, watching as he staggered back depite the weak energy used, making wonder how he would hold up were he to be subjected to strong turbulent winds for two seconds.Kid's probably going to get tossed around like a leaf. 

Emerald had long since evacuated the area, excluding herself from this, not that that suprised me , she could sometimes become a miss goody two shoes.Nico was busy reading through the book , engrossed by the frivolous information drafted inside and the kid's face grew redder with each page flipped.I stood on guard, in case he grew violent and decides to claw his way in order to retrieve the diary. 

"Hey, everybody, listen to this,"Announced Nico , clearing his voice as he prepared to read out loud a piece of writing that seemingly caught his eye."Dear diary, today when I was showering , I noticed a few hair strands growing around my-"

"Stop please!" As expected , the skinny kid jumped on me in an attempt to grab his book from the boy behind me , his efforts proving futile seeing as I was twice his size.The crowd begun to swell around us, laughter rippling throughout the amused students as Nico read out loud the embarrassing secrets in that particular page whilst I held the kid back, his tiny weak hands slamming against my chest in what could best be described as kid punches. Tyson lends a hand as we both held the volatile kid from ruining this morning's announcement from this kid's diary. Still doubling back in laughter ,a loud shout tore amidst the curious bystanders. 

"Give him his book back!" Heads turned to face at the source of the commanding tone.I knew that voice. 

It was Charli Dawson.Another highschool freak.

Dressed in all black , her make up greatly amplified today, with the extra dark lip stick and mascara, the girl reprimanded , her eyes a pale imitation of her mother's.I never used to see any resemblance between Amanda and her daughter , but today,I saw some fraction of it. 

"Oo..the Angel Of Death has spoken,"Some kid in the crowd teased , causing another rippling laughter to flow in the crowd.But that didn't faze the goth girl as she stomped to wherever we stood and immediate;ly stood in front of me , a storm of anger within.

" Give him his book back,"A cold growl and I rolled my eyes at her command.Nonetheless, I did let go off the kid and almost immediately ,Nico gave up the book to the kid and we watched as he hastily grabbedit, shoving it inside his tattered backpack before scampering away like a little girl.

"The book has been returned to its righful owner,"I informed her with a scornful gaze.

" I wish you'd never been born,"Spat Charli, eyeing me contemptuously ."Why were you even bothering that kid in the first place?"

"Because I can.Is there a rule that says I can't?"

"Yes!Bullying is not allowed , you dipshit!"

"I wasn't bullying the kid, I was just playing with him.I'm sur that's the most fun he's ever had his whole life," 

"You seem to be allergic to the idea of respecting other people's privacy,"Charli scold me, her voice growing angry with each decibel."First it was my poetry journal-"

"No offense but your poems are trash,"I cut in, a mocking smirk dancing on my lips.

"And now you're reading that Kid's diary to the whole school!"

"That was Nico, not me,"I shrugged indifferently.

"You didn't stop him, you were encouraging him!" Retorted Charli and the crowd seemed to be enjoying the argument between the two of us.This morning was off to an interesting start.Probably give the students something to talk about and discuss during the day, Max and Charli arguing in the school's front doors and attracting a scene.Zac isn't going to like this but his little sister was acting like a bitchy brat by yelling at me in front of everyone for something Nico did.I wasn't going to let that slide off. 

"You should be ashamed of yourself,"She spat.

"Well, that's rich coming from a girl who undresses with her curtains fully opened," A chorus of shocked exclaims followed through after that audacious revelation."If you want the whole world to see you naked, why don't you just post your nudes on twitter or i*******m or something?" Another chorus of exclaims , the crowd getting more intrigued by our frivolous banter.

Charli's eyes were bulged open to near golf balls at the sudden revelation of what I had just said.The perturbed expression doesn't last long however as she replaces it with a devillish smirk an I knew she was going to counter back with something worse on my account. 

"Well,Max," She boastfully spoke." Unlike you, I'm uncomfortable with the idea of putting my nakedness out there for the world to see it . But I totally understand why you'd be uncomfortable.Zac told me about your situation down there."

"What situation?"I gave a derisive laugh.

" That you're all foreskin, no dick," 

That ushered in a thunderous laughter and cackle from almost everyone , even my friends were doubling back in laughter and I must say , I was impressed by that comeback.This five foot girl crossed her arms over her flat chest, satisfied by the preposterous statement she just accused me of and I had to throw in the towel.She'd got to me .She was good. 

"I'm circumcised ,Charli, so I really don't know where you're getting the idea of me having a foreskin," I threw her a smik and spiced it up with a sly wink ."If you wanted to see me naked, all you had to do was ask." 

"I'd rather eat dog shit than see youn naked, besides, what do you have to offer besides a two inch dick and saggy balls?" Another hooting ensued and I was beginning to enjoy this side of her .Even though my ego was slightly brusied from her piercing comments.I still housed a lot of senstive information concering her and I was willing to parade every one of them to the cruel, judging presence of the high school students.

'Insulting the size of my private parts when your breasts are the size of literal pebbles is criminally insane!" I informed."You keep forgetting that your bedroom is directly opposite mine."

'Oh so you're spying on me?"She exclaimed with amusement.

"Don't flatter yourself kid, there's nothing much going on under those clothes of yours, no breasts, no ass. nothing,"

"And yet here you are, admitting to spying on me."She smirked."If there's not much going on on my body , then why are you spying on it?"

I didn't want to say that the reason I did that was because I was spying on her mom and not her but I held my tongue.

"I was hoping that someday I'd spot a few changes on your underdeveloped body but I guess that's all there is,"

That was when the bell broke into a shrill cry, announcing the start of school, the crwod groaning at the abrupt interruption of the scene we'd created between us.As students scurried to their classes, lockers noisily slamming and feet shuffling around, I couldn't help myself from looking over at Charli's locker where she stood by herself , gazing at the floor, married to her endless thoughts.That tough exterior that dhe'd boasted a while back while throwing those hurtful insults at me seemingly wearing off as her face morphed into a melancholic one.I mean, usually Charli never smiled abd seeing her in a melnacholic expression was nothing unusual but this time , it looked more real than a facade.

As if she could sense from across the busy hallways,Charli looked up and our stares held each other for a split second before she stuck her middle finger at me abd stormed off to her respectful classroom.

Fuck you, too, Charli!