24 Chapter 24 (2/2)
Marcus scoffs as he turns around and heads back to his desk. Jackson forcefully pushes Wyatt's arm away from him as he sits back down. Now Wyatt was left the only one standing. ”Uh... Mr. Maloney, it's just...” Wyatt says, ”I'm trying to... stop a conflict before it turns into a fight”.
”The only conflict” Marcus says, ”is that laibah are still here”.
”Yeah, I'm a laibah!” Jackson shouts. ”You happy!?”.
”Jackson Lonny!” Refus shouts, ”shut up before you start another-”.
”No, you shut it!” Jackson shouts. ”I'm tired of these people! Let them leave this school, we're better off without them!”.
”Jackson!” Aeris shouts.
”Jackson!” Refus says, ”I'm stopping this before we have to start expelling people! You're dismissed for the rest of the day. Come by after school to pick up your homework and study materials”.
”... We need to talk after school” Aeris quietly says to Jackson.
”Yes sir” Jackson says with a scoff, as he stands and stomps out of the classroom.
”This can't be happening...” Jessica says with a sigh of disappointment.
”I'm sorry...” Wyatt says. ”I tried to stop him, but-”.
”Don't worry about it...” Aeris says. ”It's not your fault. At least he hasn't been expelled”.
After school that day, Jackson and Aeris met up at the school gates. Wyatt overheard Aeris tell Jackson that they needed to talk and wanted to make sure that his friends were safe. So on his way up to work, he went to go see them. After Wyatt left, Emma later left the dorm as well, to go vent her worries about their current school's situation to Matilda. Before Wyatt arrived, Aeris and Jackson began talking. ”It can't be good” Jackson says, anger still in his voice, ”so just get it over with already. What did you want to talk about?”.
Aeris pauses for a moment, trying to build up the strength to say what she was going to say. ”I'm afraid...” Aeris says with tears beginning to form in her eyes, ”that it's over between us. Until you can stop acting so... so irrational and out of anger, I need to be... alone”.
Jackson pauses for a moment, then finally says ”So that's it, huh?”.
”Yo!” Wyatt says as he approaches the two of them. ”You guys alright?”.
”No... not really” Jackson says. ”You really have the worst timing ever”.
”I'm just trying to help-” Wyatt says.
”You're just in the way, all the time!” Jackson shouts.
”What else am I supposed to do?” Wyatt asks. ”I'm trying to be there for my friends!”.
”No, you're just in the way!” Jackson yells.
”See?” Aeris says, ”this is exactly what I'm talking about!”.
”Look, in the way or not” Wyatt says, ”I try to do what I can to make sure my friends will be alright!”.
”Cut the bullshit!” Jackson says.
”Jackson, stop!” Aeris yells.
”What bullshit!?” Wyatt says.
”You and I both know it's all just a game of charades to you!”.
”What are you gettin' at?” Wyatt asks.
”We all know that humans will only go so far for laibah!” Jackson says. ”Friends or not, you don't really feel obligated to actually help! All you do is just pretend that you care!”.
”Why would you think that!?” Wyatt shouts. ”Of course I care! You guys are my friends!”.
”Oh yeah!?” Jackson asks, ”Then what about Emma!?”.
”Why are you bringing Emma into this?” Wyatt asks.
”Jackson, don't-” Aeris begins to say before she's interrupted.
”We all know that you only go out with her because you think she's human!” Jackson says. ”But in reality, we all know you'll end up dumping her and breaking her heart, because she's really a laibah just like us! She won't tell you, because she knows it too!”.
”Jackson, you asshole!” Aeris shouts. When Jackson finally pays attention to Aeris, she was pointing towards the school. As Wyatt and Jackson look at where Aeris was pointing, they saw her. Emma, standing in the middle of the concrete walkway, shocked, crying, frozen in fear.
”E-Emma!” Wyatt says as he reaches out to her. However, Emma turns her head away from him to try and hide her tears as she runs off towards the forest.
”Why would you do that!?” Aeris asks Jackson as she slaps him.
”I knew it...” Wyatt says as he clenches his fists, shaking and trying to keep his composure. ”I already knew... about Emma. I wanted to wait until she was ready to talk about it”.
Jackson and Aeris freeze for a second. ”Wyatt, I-” Jackson begins to say.
”Forget it” Wyatt says as he runs after Emma.
Aeris stares angrily at Jackson. ”I-I'll make this right...” Jackson says. ”I'm gonna go help look for her”.
”Did you forget that you were supposed to stop by the class today?” Refus asks as he approaches. ”The principal wants to talk to you as well. You better get moving”.
”Smooth...” Aeris says as she slowly claps to show disappointment.
Wyatt tries to follow behind Emma, but quickly loses sight of her. Panicking, Wyatt goes to the only person he knows that knows Emma as well if not better than he does. ”Welcome!” Matilda says as Wyatt enters. ”Oh, Wyatt? What's the hurry?”.
”I can't explain everything right now” Wyatt says, ”but Emma ran off!”.
”She what!?” Matilda asks. ”What did you do!?”.
”It wasn't me!” Wyatt says. ”There was some... really dumb argument... and well... someone kinda gave away Emma's secret”.
”What secret?” Matilda asks, hoping it's not the worst case scenario.
”Look” Wyatt says, ”I know she's a laibah! B-but... she's still... Emma! That's what's important to me! Do you know where she might try to hide?”.
”Are you going after her?” Matilda asks.
”Yes” Wyatt says firmly.
”You better” Matilda says. ”If you wouldn't, I'd permanently kick you out of the store! Or worse, I'd just kick you repeatedly!”.
”Can you please tell me where to find her?” Wyatt asks.
”Well...” Matilda says as she thinks. ”She lived in the forest before, she has a lot of memories there, as well as it's a secluded area. Have you tried that?”.
”No I haven't” Wyatt says. ”Thanks!”. Wyatt begins to run out of the store, but suddenly stops. ”One more thing” Wyatt says. ”You remember that deal we made?”.
”The picture?” Matilda asks. ”You want it now?”.
”It's a desperate measure at this point” Wyatt says. ”I was originally planning on playing off that photo thing as just a random joke in the store and giving her the picture for her birthday, but... I'll need it now more than ever”.
”I have the picture ready, but no frame” Matilda says.
”It's fine” Wyatt says. Matilda hands the picture of the two of them in Matilda's store. The picture that Matilda took when Wyatt and Emma went shopping for winter clothes last weekend. ”Thanks, Matilda!” Wyatt says.
”One more thing!” Matilda shouts before Wyatt runs out of the store. ”If you don't bring her back, I'll be more than just pissed off at you... I mean it. Bring her home safely”.
”I plan on it” Wyatt says.