Chapter Four ★ Grounded Cont’

｡☆✼★━ Daniel ━★✼☆｡

“Penny.” I growled. “Just leave me alone.”

She flipped her long pig tail behind her shoulder and let out a small laugh. Her petite fingers slid across the blue and white satin sash with the words ‘HALL MONITOR’ written on it in black letters. With dark brown eyes she stared down at me. The corners of her mouth drew further down. She said, “Sorry can’t.”

“Why not?” I asked. “I was on my way to class. Honest.”

Penny removed a walkie talkie from her black leather belt and spoke into it, “We have a skipper.”

“I’m not trying skip class.” I said and struggled to get up. She placed her designer tennis shoe on my shoulder and pushed me back down to the floor.

She pointed at me and said, “Stay down. Unless you want to add more to your record.”

I grumbled and laid back down on the dirty floor. First her brother and now her. Why do they target me out of everyone in this dang school?

Deep breath Daniel. Take deep breaths. I closed my eyes. Sometimes I just wish they would move away or something would happen to them so they weren’t my problem anymore.

“Yes, sir.” She said into the walkie talkie and removed her foot. I sat up and batted her hand away but she tried again. Penny huffed, “Will you stop fighting me dork?”

In her hands were my glasses that had fallen off during my run-in with Mitchell. I snatched them out of her hand and put them back on. The handle on one side was crooked and did not settle on my ear. I replied, “Thanks.”

“Do you need an escort?” She asked.

“No.” Then turned my head to one side. If only she would leave.

Penny tapped her foot and crossed her arms. She let out a huff and said, “Well bad news dork. You’re getting one whether you want it or not.”

Dang it. I glanced up at the ceiling. Why? Why is this all happening to me? 

She shook my shoulder and said, “Hello? Earth to dork-en-stein. Which class do you need to be in?”

I cast a sideways glance at her. Her lips pursed as she waited for my reply. I shrugged her hand off and sneered, “Don’t you know?”

“Uh, obviously not.” She said in a mocking tone.

Really? Penny did not know that I was in the same class as her jerk of a brother? Wow. Just wow. I didn’t answer but instead walked towards Mrs. Lockhart’s class.

She chased after me, “Um, dork. Where do you think you’re going?”

“To class, Einstein.” I replied and pointed down the hallway to the door that still stood open to my history class.

Penny’s hand was on the walkie talkie as she observed which room I was pointing at down the hall. She let go and smirked. “Oh, I see. You’re in the same class as my brother.”

She continued, “He never mentioned that you were in his class. Hmmm.”

“Whatever.” I threw my hands up in the air. “Can I go now?”

“Yeah. But we have to do this properly unless you want detention.” She said.

“Huh?” I said and quirked an eyebrow.

Penny placed a hand on my shoulder and strengthened her grip. “I have orders from Mr. Henderson to let you off easy. He got a request from your father to treat you with kid gloves as of late. So I was told to give you a pass. Something bad going on at home?”

“None of your business.” I scowled and hunched my shoulders. Her fingers dug into my shoulder. She gave me a light shove and we both walked down the hallway.

I always thought walking through an empty hallway was creepy. Now that I’m walking with Penny the feeling became even more spookier. Goosebumps rose on my arms but I chewed the inside of my cheek to distract myself.

It was quiet. We got closer to Mrs. Lockhart’s class when Penny stopped me. She leaned in and mentioned, “I heard the amusement park is going to open back up.”

Huh? Why is she mentioning that old run down park? I kept eye contact with her. Penny blushed and continued, “Would you take me on opening night? Ah, like in exchange for this favor that I’m doing for you.”

Wait, one of the popular girls is asking me out? Ugh, if I say yes then Mitchell will beat me to a pulp but if I say no then Penny might shove me into Mrs. Lockhart’s class with no pass for being tardy.

I licked my lips and replied, “Um…”

‧͙⁺˚*·༓☾ – TO BE CONTINUED… –☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙