Chapter twenty-four: Friends don't do that (Zach's POV)

I really should at least try avoiding the principal's office because every time I come here he really does just ramble on and on. I huffed, pressing my knuckles into the side of my head, my elbow propped up on the armrest just like last time, the only difference is, this time I was bleeding a little more, and I wasn't alone. 

I huffed and rolled my eyes, tilting my head to look at Ellie. She was staring at Principal Withers exactly how I was, just wishing he would shut the fuck up. 

"You three, out." He flicked his fingers across Brett, Isaac, and Steven's dickface of a friend. The three of them were in the clear. Brett and Isaac, I understand, but how is Steven's friend 'innocent.' This is messed up beyond belief. 

"As for you three," he sighed and looked at us, "What do you suggest I do with you?" he asked. 

"Let us go, maybe?" I sighed. 

"After what you've done, I don't think so Mr. Rivers," he replied. 

"What do you want me to do? Detention? Join a club? Work after school on something? Suspension? Expulsion?" I listed. There's nothing more he can do. 

"Expulsion sounds about right," he nodded slowly, "For all of you." 

"You can't do that!" Steven stood up. 

"Sit down," Principal Withers sighed and he obeyed. 

"Perhaps not all of you... Ms. Hart? Would you like to leave and step out of this... situation, if you will?" Everyone turned to her, expecting her to stand up and leave but she didn't. 

"No," she answered. 

I straightened in my seat and turned to her, "What are you doing?" I whispered. 

"Excuse me?" Principal Withers asked her. 

"You asked me a question and I answered. No," she repeated, keeping still in her seat. 

"Ellie, go," I nudged her elbow with mine. 

"Am I not audible? I said no," she huffed at me. 

"Okay then. Ms. Hart, you have a detention every day for the next two weeks, Mr. Michael, suspension for two weeks, Mr. River, suspension for three." 

"How are you giving Steven a suspension for two weeks and Zach a suspension for three? It's not like Steven did any less. And he started it!" Ellie stood up. 

I grabbed her hand and pulled her back down to her seat while sighing in exhaustion. "Ellie, breathe," I said. 

"But that's not fair," she huffed. 

"I said what I had to say, you all may go," Withers said. 

"How can you-" she began standing up again but I grabbed her hand again and pulled her down, holding her hand to keep her still. 

"Sir, that's not fair," Steven spoke up. 

"Why is that, Mr. Michael?" he asked. 

"Because we both were involved just as much as the other," Steven replied. 

Who would have thought? 

"Is that so?" Withers asked. 

Ellie was fuming, I could see it and I could feel it just being in this room. She tried pulling her hand out of my grip but I didn't let her. After another forty-five minutes of debating, constant arguing between Steven, Ellie, and Withers, he finally agreed to give both Steven and I two weeks of suspension and take down Ellie's detentions to one week before letting us all out. 

Steven went his way, we went ours. I went back to the now-empty field with Ellie to grab our things. She grabbed her things, shoving them in her back before zipping it up and pulling it over her shoulder while I just threw my things in mine and carried it in my hand. 

"Son of a fucking bitch!" she screamed, throwing her bag onto the ground. I stood and watched while she yelled curses out into the world, at one point I was worried Withers would hear her. 

I picked up her bag and pulled it over my shoulder, sighing while wiping the blood off the corner of my mouth. I could taste it every time my tongue touched the inside of my lip, not a good feeling, I'll tell you that. 

While she continued to curse, I noticed Withers coming out and heading to his car. I stood in front of her and clamped my hand over her mouth to shut her up while he got in his car and drove off. That's the last of the staff at school. 

"Shh! Just stop yelling!" I whisper-yelled before stepping back. She just stared at me for a really long time before stomping her way to my car. I followed her, feeling exhausted from the day. Honestly, I'm just taking that suspension as a vacation, at least I can sleep in now. 

We got in my car and she huffed, buckling her seatbelt on with an unnecessary amount of force. I don't want to drive with her yelling in my ear so I'll just wait. 

"Who the fuck does he think he is?! What does through his head when he makes those pathetic decisions for people?! Like seriously, what the fuck makes him think he's doing something remotely close to right?!" she yelled. 

I leaned back in my seat, watching her ramble on and on, waiting for her to shut up. It surprised me to see how furious she got. I didn't expect it. Maybe I'm just overthinking it but she's never acted like that for someone else and I just think that... I think friends don't do that for each other. 

I mean, don't get me wrong, we all do get mad at situations for each other, but no one's ever done so much. She was offered a chance to just leave and get out of it, but she didn't. I don't think any of us would go that far to stay for so long and argue with someone for one of us. For example, if it was Nathan and Spencer, or Ellie and Nathan, or anyone else, I don't think she would stay for that long and argue for them, she doesn't have patience. 

Not that she had patience today but she kept her cool as long as she could. 

When I couldn't take her yelling anymore, I just put my hand over her mouth and started driving. She threw my hand off but leaned back in her seat, folded her arms across her chest and huffed, pouting all the way to the apartment. 

Once I parked the car, I turned to her with a sigh, resting my arms on the controller. 

"Are you done now?" I asked. 

"Yes," she sighed. 

"Good, because I can't take any more of your yelling," I said while turning the car off before getting out, her bag and mine in my hands. 

"How were you so calm the whole time? I can't believe you were going to accept a three-week suspension. Hell, you even suggested expulsion," she scoffed as we entered the elevator. 

"As always, I wanted the whole thing to just be over with, but you wanted to run your fight for justice," I shrugged while we stepped out and walked to the apartment. 

"You are just stupid. You don't care what happens to you as long as the confrontation is over as soon as possible, which is not fair to a lot of people but mainly, it's not fair to you." 

I sighed, "What does it matter?" I shrugged. 

"It matters. It matters to me. You fight for me, Zach. I have to do it for you," she replied before opening the door and going inside. My eyes followed her till she closed the door of the room after going inside. 

Brett came out of his room and looked at me then at the closed door. "What happened?" he asked. 

"Two-week suspension, she's got detention for a week, it's no big deal," I shook my head. 

"You're unbelievable. She fought for you, didn't she?" I nodded. 

"You're not even going to thank her?" 

"I didn't ask her to fight for me, Brett," I huffed. 

"So? She did it anyway, the least you could do is talk to her about it. And I mean really talk to her, not just blow it off and act like it never happened," he said while putting the first aid kit back under the sink before going back into his room. 

I noticed the small bandages on some of his injuries which made me look at my own. I was bleeding in quite a few places. My elbow, my mouth, my nose was bleeding earlier, my right eyebrow, bruised and bloody knuckles, scratched knees, everything was hurting. 

I winced while standing up before grabbing the kit and heading to the room so I could use the mirror while cleaning my abdomen. I walked in there while she was sitting at the foot of the bed, staring off into space. I eyed her wearily while walking to the bathroom. 

I washed my hands before taking my shirt off, wincing as it brushed a cut. I tossed it in the hamper and grabbed a wet cloth before turning to the door where she stood. 

"Need any help?" 

I shook my head. 

"Okay, can I help?" 

I shook my head again. 

"Okay, give me the freaking towel." She snatched it while glaring at me. 

I smirked at her while she shot me a glare before beginning to clean up all my injuries. 

Friends don't do that, I can tell you that.

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Chapter twenty-four

Man, if friends do that then I need some friends, the hell? How come I don't have friends like Zach?

Q: Do you prefer movies or books?

A: I honestly prefer books even though I watch a lot of movies, like a lot.

Next Chapter: Coffee