36 Chapter 36 (2/2)
”Ha ha! Got you!” Aeris laughs.
”Look, I'm serious” Jackson says.
”I am too” Aeris says. ”Let's just... go back to doing the things we used to do. Joke around with the group, have a little fun, put the past behind us. It's not my fault you're slow on the uptake of my last joke...”.
”Sometimes I forget how much of a bully you are...” Jackson says.
”You're one to talk...” Aeris replies.
”Fair... you've got me there” Jackson says. ”Come on, we're keeping the rest waiting”.
When the two of them arrived on the rooftop, there were four new students in the club. ”What the actual hell is going on here?” Jackson asks.
”Oh, Jackson!” Wyatt says. ”New members from Darren's class! This is Gregg, Jerry, Dylan and Lily”.
”Howdy!” Jerry says as he waves to Aeris and Jackson.
”So you're these friends of Darren's?” Gregg asks.
”I always wondered what the misfit group looked like” Dylan says.
”But you're one of the misfit group now, Dylan” Lily says.
”Since when did people decide to give a shit about this club?” Jackson asks.
”Since this morning” Gregg says. ”A lot of our class was curious about Darren's choice of clubs. Then, when we all heard about that bill, we figured this is a generally good way to show support for the school”.
”They're all human, by the way” Emily says, keeping her distance from the rest.
”I-I'm still here too!” Tina says.
”Great...” Emily replies sarcastically. ”It's great that the club is growing and all, but I'm really gonna miss having a quiet lunch...”.
”Yeah, but it's still fun, isn't it?” Jessica asks. ”I never thought we'd have this many people together so soon for this club!”.
”I guess no longer being the misfit club of loners has its pluses” Thomas says. ”Like, people will no longer look down on us for being here... I hope”.
”Come on, where's your spirit!?” Darren asks. ”Even if people were to think low of you, you've gotta stand up for what you believe in!”.
”I think Darren's been watching too many cartoons” Emily says.
”Well this is... a sight to behold” Aeris says, still standing by the door of the rooftop.
”Come on! No need to be a stranger here!” Gregg says.
”But I don't know you people...” Aeris says. ”By all definition, that's makes you a stranger”.
”I'm going to have to make that damn patch for all of these people...” Emma says. ”The work is stacking up exponentially!”.
”Do you want me to help?” Wyatt asks.
”Did you learn to sow?” Emma asks.
”Well... no” Wyatt says. ”But I could help if I was shown how”.
Emma sighs and says ”I think it'll take me longer to teach you than it would for me to just simply do it alone...”.
”Yeah... that's probably true” Wyatt says. ”Just don't overwork yourself, Emma. We don't have to have everything done in one day”.
”Yeah... alright” Emma says as she rubs her forehead to ease her stress.
”Well... this is going to get...” Jackson says as he looks over the group of Rejects.
”Noisy?” Aeris asks. ”Repetitive? Busy?”.
”All of the above” Jackson replies.
”Well... that's life, I guess” Aeris says.
”Yeah, I guess so” Jackson replies.
Later that night, when Wyatt came back from work, Jackson sat up in his bed to talk to Wyatt and Emma. ”Hey, guys?” Jackson asks. ”The club is gonna keep growing, right?”.
”Yeah, it likely will” Wyatt says.
”Then what should we do next?” Jackson asks.
Emma shrugs and says ”Take it one day at a time? There's not much to do, except hope we don't lose our school... and our current home”.
”Yeah... I was wondering about that” Jackson asks. ”If we lose the dorms because of the school shutting down, then what are you two going to do?”.
”Well” Wyatt says, ”I promised not to leave her side. I'll take her with me to Durley if I have to”.
”You will?” Emma asks.
”I wouldn't give my family a chance to say no, either” Wyatt says. ”I won't allow them to just have you put back on the streets. However, I don't plan on losing the dorms”.
”You have a plan?” Jackson asks.
”Not yet” Wyatt says. ”However, it's always good to hope for the best and prepare for the worst. I'm not sure if we can do much about the school, but if the opportunity should ever come up, I'll take any chance I can get to help. If we don't keep the school running, we lose our home, our futures, the chance for Kemal to come to school, Jessica to reunite with Catherine, and even our homeroom teacher, Refus will likely lose his position as a teacher. It's not likely that many other schools would allow a laibah teacher like our school does. He's staking his entire career on that bill the principal proposed. A lot will be lost if we can't find a way to help”.
”Yeah, and it kind of makes me nervous” Emma says.
”Don't worry, Emma” Wyatt says. ”We'll find a way to get though life. Even if we lose everything now, I'll find us a way”.