Chapter Thirteen: Detention!
“Hey! Guys, get up!” Penny hollered, barging into Constance and Jean’s room.
“What? What? I’m up!” Constance shouted, rubbing her eyes lazily.
“Detention starts in 15 minutes! Get up!” Penny said throwing pillows at them.
“It’s 4 in the morning!” Jean yelled.
“If you’re late for detention she’ll make you stay an extra half hour longer” Penny pulled Constance out of bed by her ankles.
“Okay, I’m up” Constance groaned, sitting up on the ground.
“Get dressed” Penny threw a pair of black cargo pants and a black turtle neck at Constance and a black pleated skirt and regular black t-shirt at Jean.
Penny gave them directions and sent them out of the school. The cemetery was placed on the edge of the school grounds and was off limits to students. The outer doors of the library were ab out 20 feet from the starting statues of the graveyard. The cemetery had some cracked statues, and some broken tombstones but it seemed peaceful.
“Welcome to detention!” a woman announced.
“That’s Ms. Widow” Jean whispered.
“Oh jeez” Constance muttered under her breath.
“I will be picking your pairs…Miss Miller and Mr. Knight…Miss Marie and Mr. Nolan” Ms. Widow stated.
Henry made his way towards Constance and Jean, but Alexander didn’t move. “Hey” Henry smirked at Jean.
“No funny business” Jean said, stomping on his foot to emphasize her statement.
“Ouch!” he shouted, cupping his foot in his hands.
“Jean” Constance warned, eyeing her before giving her a small smile.
“Mr. Nolan, you must participate in detention activities” Ms. Widow glowered at him before shoving a rake into his hands.
He nodded and Ms. Widow handed Constance a rake and a garbage bag. “What am I supposed to do with this?” she inquired.
“You’re going to rake the leaves before the first snowfall,” she said then glanced at the graves. “Then you’re going to polish the headstones and statues”
“Right…” she muttered skeptically before starting to rake under the biggest oak tree on the grounds.
“That tree’s been there for more than 200 years Miss Marie, don’t rake the roots” Ms. Widow scolded.
“Yes ma’am” Constance rolled her eyes and turned her back to the tree to start raking. Alexander was assigned to the same area as her but was as far away from her as he could be without the teacher yelling at him.
She heard the fluttering of wings above her head and some leaves fell in front of her face. She looked up to see a big, heavy, old branch hanging above me, a little lower than all the other ones. “Don’t worry Miss Marie, you’re perfectly safe” Ms. Widow took in her worried expression.
She looked over at Alexander, who wasn’t paying any attention to her at all, then back up at the tree branch. Just as she turned away she saw crows perched on the tree; more than 20 of them. She turned away and continued to rake. A sudden cracking sound broke the silence, and Constance looked around to see which statue had broken.
“What? What? I’m up!” Constance shouted, rubbing her eyes lazily.
“Detention starts in 15 minutes! Get up!” Penny said throwing pillows at them.
“It’s 4 in the morning!” Jean yelled.
“If you’re late for detention she’ll make you stay an extra half hour longer” Penny pulled Constance out of bed by her ankles.
“Okay, I’m up” Constance groaned, sitting up on the ground.
“Get dressed” Penny threw a pair of black cargo pants and a black turtle neck at Constance and a black pleated skirt and regular black t-shirt at Jean.
Penny gave them directions and sent them out of the school. The cemetery was placed on the edge of the school grounds and was off limits to students. The outer doors of the library were ab out 20 feet from the starting statues of the graveyard. The cemetery had some cracked statues, and some broken tombstones but it seemed peaceful.
“Welcome to detention!” a woman announced.
“That’s Ms. Widow” Jean whispered.
“Oh jeez” Constance muttered under her breath.
“I will be picking your pairs…Miss Miller and Mr. Knight…Miss Marie and Mr. Nolan” Ms. Widow stated.
Henry made his way towards Constance and Jean, but Alexander didn’t move. “Hey” Henry smirked at Jean.
“No funny business” Jean said, stomping on his foot to emphasize her statement.
“Ouch!” he shouted, cupping his foot in his hands.
“Jean” Constance warned, eyeing her before giving her a small smile.
“Mr. Nolan, you must participate in detention activities” Ms. Widow glowered at him before shoving a rake into his hands.
He nodded and Ms. Widow handed Constance a rake and a garbage bag. “What am I supposed to do with this?” she inquired.
“You’re going to rake the leaves before the first snowfall,” she said then glanced at the graves. “Then you’re going to polish the headstones and statues”
“Right…” she muttered skeptically before starting to rake under the biggest oak tree on the grounds.
“That tree’s been there for more than 200 years Miss Marie, don’t rake the roots” Ms. Widow scolded.
“Yes ma’am” Constance rolled her eyes and turned her back to the tree to start raking. Alexander was assigned to the same area as her but was as far away from her as he could be without the teacher yelling at him.
She heard the fluttering of wings above her head and some leaves fell in front of her face. She looked up to see a big, heavy, old branch hanging above me, a little lower than all the other ones. “Don’t worry Miss Marie, you’re perfectly safe” Ms. Widow took in her worried expression.
She looked over at Alexander, who wasn’t paying any attention to her at all, then back up at the tree branch. Just as she turned away she saw crows perched on the tree; more than 20 of them. She turned away and continued to rake. A sudden cracking sound broke the silence, and Constance looked around to see which statue had broken.
“Look out!” Henry yelled, looking at her with wide eyes.
She looked up in time to see Alexander throwing himself at her, knocking her out of the way as that huge branch came crashing to the ground. His body hit her hard, throwing the air from her lungs as she hit the ground. The branch connected to the one that just fell came down with it, Alexander covered her; the debris hitting him instead.
“Connie! Are you okay?!” Jean shouted, running over to her.
Alexander got into push up position and was immediately standing. He didn’t even offer to help her up, he just walked back to where he dropped his wake almost 40 feet away. “How did he get to me so fast?” she thought. She turned to say ‘thank you’ but he was already working again, and wasn’t paying attention to me.
“Are you okay?!” Jean repeated.
“Um, I think so?” I said, sitting up and scratching the top of my head quickly before brushing leaves from her hair.
“You think so? You’re either okay or you’re not” Jean held out her hand for her, and pulled her to her feet.
“I…um, well I guess I’m okay” she nodded, then looked over at Alexander again. Why did he even bother to save her if he was just going to ignore her?
“God, are you alright?” Henry asked, running up to Constance and looking her over.
“Yes, yes, I’m fine” she assured him.
“Alright” he nodded, then got back to work; raking leaves and putting them in a trash bag.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Connie? You look at little pale” Jean pressed her hand to her friend’s forehead.
“I always look pale” she covered, pushing at her wrist and shooing her away so she wouldn’t get in trouble.
“Oh dear! Are you okay?!” Ms. Widow asked, suddenly worried.
“Yes, and no thanks to you,” Constance stated acidly. “Alexander saved me while you were off talking to the people in the ground! I thought you said this place was safe!” she was yelling now.
“It was, and still is, Miss Marie. Do not raise your voice at me.” the woman glared at her, and shoved the rake back into her hands.
“Could I go work over there?” she asked, pointing to the statues.
“Would you like to trade in your rake for a sponge?” the teacher held out cleaning supplies for the tombstones.
“Sure, why not?” she said dully, taking the sponge out of the woman’s hand and setting the rake on the ground.
“Very well then” Ms. Widow turned to supervise Henry and Jean.
Constance started on one of the bigger statues, it only had one arm, the other one must’ve fallen off sometime before. She scrubbed over the name, Diana Constance Marie. She looked closely at the statue, it looked just like her. Suddenly a crow landed on the arm that was left, Constance backed up, and the bird leaned forward; as if texting how much more weight the arm could hold. More crows flew forward, and started pecking harshly at Constance’s arms and shoulders. She let out a soft yelp, waving her arms like a crazy person. She kept taking steps back, and tripped over another headstone; she lay sprawled on the ground staring up at the crows perched on top of it.
She looked up in time to see Alexander throwing himself at her, knocking her out of the way as that huge branch came crashing to the ground. His body hit her hard, throwing the air from her lungs as she hit the ground. The branch connected to the one that just fell came down with it, Alexander covered her; the debris hitting him instead.
“Connie! Are you okay?!” Jean shouted, running over to her.
Alexander got into push up position and was immediately standing. He didn’t even offer to help her up, he just walked back to where he dropped his wake almost 40 feet away. “How did he get to me so fast?” she thought. She turned to say ‘thank you’ but he was already working again, and wasn’t paying attention to me.
“Are you okay?!” Jean repeated.
“Um, I think so?” I said, sitting up and scratching the top of my head quickly before brushing leaves from her hair.
“You think so? You’re either okay or you’re not” Jean held out her hand for her, and pulled her to her feet.
“I…um, well I guess I’m okay” she nodded, then looked over at Alexander again. Why did he even bother to save her if he was just going to ignore her?
“God, are you alright?” Henry asked, running up to Constance and looking her over.
“Yes, yes, I’m fine” she assured him.
“Alright” he nodded, then got back to work; raking leaves and putting them in a trash bag.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Connie? You look at little pale” Jean pressed her hand to her friend’s forehead.
“I always look pale” she covered, pushing at her wrist and shooing her away so she wouldn’t get in trouble.
“Oh dear! Are you okay?!” Ms. Widow asked, suddenly worried.
“Yes, and no thanks to you,” Constance stated acidly. “Alexander saved me while you were off talking to the people in the ground! I thought you said this place was safe!” she was yelling now.
“It was, and still is, Miss Marie. Do not raise your voice at me.” the woman glared at her, and shoved the rake back into her hands.
“Could I go work over there?” she asked, pointing to the statues.
“Would you like to trade in your rake for a sponge?” the teacher held out cleaning supplies for the tombstones.
“Sure, why not?” she said dully, taking the sponge out of the woman’s hand and setting the rake on the ground.
“Very well then” Ms. Widow turned to supervise Henry and Jean.
Constance started on one of the bigger statues, it only had one arm, the other one must’ve fallen off sometime before. She scrubbed over the name, Diana Constance Marie. She looked closely at the statue, it looked just like her. Suddenly a crow landed on the arm that was left, Constance backed up, and the bird leaned forward; as if texting how much more weight the arm could hold. More crows flew forward, and started pecking harshly at Constance’s arms and shoulders. She let out a soft yelp, waving her arms like a crazy person. She kept taking steps back, and tripped over another headstone; she lay sprawled on the ground staring up at the crows perched on top of it.
