My Motorcycle Guardian

I started awake to a gentle hand shaking my shoulder. "Hanna? Hanna wake up."

I groaned and batted away Rachel's hand. "No..." I moaned weakly.

"Hanna, Miss Pave is at the window."

My eyes snapped open.

"And it's your turn to open it."

Groaning, I sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. I blinked at Rachel, who smiled apologetically. She gestured to the window to her left and I finally heard the gentle tapping coming from the glass.

Our class didn't seem to hear nor notice, for they continued to talk carelessly with each other like they didn't have a worry in the world.

Sighing, I rose to my feet and stumbled to the window. As I walked, I drew the eyes of my fellow classmates and they hurriedly scrambled for their seats, knowing what was coming.

I yanked up the blinds and unlatched the window. It swung open and our teacher rolled through. The class fell silent. Miss Pave was probably the youngest teacher in our school, and her youth and agility was probably one of the reasons she was still able to climb through the window of our second story building unseen by the principal.

I mean, not that this was an uncommon occurrence. She usually showed up late to class. Just...through the window. No one knew why, but the mystery was half the fun.

"Thank you Hanna, " Miss Pave said, beaming as she straightened her leather jacket and smoothed out her blonde hair. I just gave her a tired grin before slipping back into my seat. She looked out across the small sea of watching faces and sighed. "Sorry guys. Traffic."

Rachel and I exchanged doubtful looks. Some kids behind us started to exchange their bet winnings on what excuse she would use today.

One by one, we began to pass up our work sheets she had assigned us yesterday to do today while she was gone. I glanced down at my own and grimaced at the puddle of drool in the corner. I wiped most of it off and stuck it at the bottom of the pile, handing the stack to Miss pave with an innocent smile.

"Thank you, Hanna. Now, can anyone tell me where we left off in The Odessy?" She set the worksheets down at her desk before turning back to face us. She frowned at our silence. "No one?"

"They were at that witch chicks place!" Someone called out from the back of the class.

Miss Pave rolled her eyes as the class giggled. "Thank you, Jay, for that wonderful assumption."

The class snickered and I joined Miss Pave in rolling my eyes. I went to raise my hand but Rachel beat me to it. "Miss Pave? If I may, we left off with Odysseus and his men approaching Circe's island." Rachel said, sitting as straight as a ruler. I internally scowled. Did she have to sound so much like Herminone freaking Granger?

"Yes!" Miss Pave cried. "Thank you, Durman. For that accurate answer." She shot a meaningful look back in Jay's direction and the class giggled again. She powered up the projector and the page we left off on flickered to life. "Who wants to read first?"

Before anyone could volunteer, the door to our class burst open and we all stiffened. Mr. Newman filled the door frame in all his mighty principal glory. He was scowling, and I felt the blood leave my face.

"I see you finally care to show up, Miss Pave?" He snarled.

Miss Pave paled but offered him a feeble smile. "Mister - Mister Newman! Can I - How can I help you?" She casually leaned against her desk. I grimaced. Miss Pave - bless her - wasn't the Drama teacher for a reason.

The class was silent, waiting with bated breath to see what would happen. Mr. Newman narrowed his eyes and reached back out the door out of view. "If you can't learn to arrive on time, Miss Pave, " he spat, " - then at least learn to control your students." Mr. Newman threw someone into the classroom.

Noah Johnson stumbled and rammed into Miss Pave's desk, scattering our papers. Instantly, his friends leapt to their feet. They hesitated, however, at a cutting look from Miss Pave. I seized the edges of my desk and squeezed tightly. Beside me, Rachel sucked in a gasp. Noah was bent over the desk, motionless.

"I caught him fighting again in the boys bathroom."

After a long moment, Miss Pave placed a hand on his back and faced Mr. Newman. Her eyes now burned, not with tears, but with a fierce protectiveness. "Understood, Mr. Newman." She muttered. Mr. Newman nodded gruffly before turning to leave. But Miss. Pave wasn't finished. "Mr. Newman?" She narrowed her eyes. "Don't ever touch my students again." Miss Pave spoke so calmly, so casually that you'd never think she was one chastise away from fainting just a moment ago.

The class held our breath as Mr. Newman eyed Miss Pave with a venomous glare. Without a word, he turned and left, slamming the door behind him with a bang.

I exhaled and slumped back. My heart rammed against my ribs hard enough to leave a bruise, and I knew I wasn't the only one. "Jesus H. Christ, " Rachel breathed, clutching at her chest. I cast her a thin smile before glancing back at Noah. He slowly peeled himself from the desk and straightened, wincing. His inky hair hung in loose locks around a ugly bruise on his cheek. I frowned. Where had that come from?

My class was still too shocked to move. Mr. Newman - despite that fact that he was probably the worst principal imaginable and probably was on all of our hit lists - had just surprised all of us by throwing a student into a desk. He yeeted Noah, I couldn't help but think. I swallowed back a snort and slipped from my chair. Crawling on the ground, I began to pick up the scattered papers.

"Petition to kill Mr. Newman!" Jay suddenly exclaimed, brandishing a piece of paper through the air. "Sign up early and you can have a say in his execution method!"

And just like that, the tension was lifted. Chuckles rippled through the class room and a fleeting smile passed over my lips. But Miss Pave was still focused on Noah. She spoke to him gently, her brow furrowed in concern. He brushed her off with a shake of his head. "I'm fine, " I heard him mutter. I slid another paper back onto the stack, pretending like I wasn't totally eavesdropping. "It was just a fight."

"Go to the nurse, Noah, " Miss Pave urged. "Get an ice pack. Lay down. Something."

Noah scoffed and rolled his eyes. Limping to the door, he slipped from the room and the class fell silent again.

I tidied the stack of worksheets and slipped them back on Miss Pave's desk. Crawling back to my seat, I clambered up and smoothed out my hair. Some of the messy blonde strands seemed to have escaped my pony tail.

Miss Pave sighed heavily and took a breath. Opening her eyes, she whirled to face the class and beamed. "Alright!" She chirped, clasping her hands together. "Who's ready to start reading?"

-

"How do you think she gets him to listen like that?" Rachel muttered. I shrugged and hugged my binder closer against me. We weaved our way through the crowd, following the flood of students towards the cafeteria.

Rachel continued, tossing her pale gold hair back over her shoulder. "I mean, he never listens to any of the other teachers."

I glanced behind us to see Noah surrounded by his friends. Jay was animatedly retelling the events that had taken place the class period before, and his audience listened with gaping mouths. Noah just walked silently in the middle of them, glaring ahead with an unreadable expression.

"Drug dealer, maybe?" I mused.

Rachel smacked my shoulder. "Be serious, Hanna!"

I rolled my eyes. Ever since freshman year, it became apparent that Noah took crap from no one. The only teacher he seemed to listen to was Miss Pave, who in my opinion, was the best teacher we had.

"Maybe he just really respects her?" I shrugged. "I mean, all our other teachers suck."

"You know what also sucks?" We both flinched as Calvin Baker wormed his way between us, throwing an arm over each of our shoulders.

"Bug off, Baker, " I scowled, squirming.

He ignored me and continued, a cocky smile plastered to his lips. "You girls this Friday, if you wanna swing by my house party for a fun time."

I gagged. Rachel wretched. "Not interested, " I spat, shoving him off.

"Don't knock it till you've tried it!" Calvin jogged after us and I rolled my eyes towards the ceiling. Dear Lord up in heaven, keep me from putting this rich bastard in his place.

"Calvin please, " Rachel gave him an apologetic smile. "We're not interested." So for the hundredth time, stop asking, you pervert.

Calvin wrapped an arm around my waist and yanked me close against him. The crowd of students just parted around us, not bothering to urge us on as Calvin practically stopped in the middle of the hallway. "I got a pool table, a big flat screen, come on, " he gave me a squeeze and grinned. "It'll be great."

I narrowed my eyes. Rachel glanced from Calvin to me, her eyes wide and alarmed. "I said - "

"Hanna - "

" - not interested!" I shoved him hard. Calvin staggered and crashed into Noah and his gang, and instantly, the hallway froze.

Oh shit.

Noah pushed Calvin away, scowling. "The hell?" He spat. Oh man, I internally sang. Noah was pissed. Calvin was gonna die.

Calvin blanched. "Sorry man, " he squeaked. He reached out to brush off Noah's jacket. Noah knocked aside his hand. "It was an accident, I swear."

Noah narrowed his eyes further, then slowly looked towards where Calvin had toppled from. I tensed as his eyes locked onto me. Great, now I was the one going to die.

"What'd he do?" His question took me by surprise. I blinked.

"Pardon?"

Noah rolled his eyes and seized Calvin by the arm, keeping him in place. "What'd he do?" Noah asked again, giving Calvin a little shake. Compared to Noah, Calvin looked like a scrawny freshman. It would have been hilarious if we didn't all know just how far Noah was willing to go in a fight.

I swallowed and looked around. Everyone was watching and waiting with eager eyes. They wanted drama. They wanted gossip. Some were already recording. Rachel stood beside me, practically quaking under all the stares.

I shook my head. "Nothing, " I muttered. "It was an accident." My stomach churned. God, I hated Calvin's guts. I wanted Noah to pummel him to a pulp and leave his remains out on the burning sidewalk for the ants. But the last thing I wanted - the last thing I needed - was drama or for my mom to be called in for another sexual harassment case.

For a long moment, Noah held my gaze. Finally, he nodded and released Calvin. He scrambled away into the crowd like a frightened rabbit and the hallway was zapped back into motion. I clenched my jaw and grabbed Rachel's hand, yanking her along.

We didn't speak for the rest of the journey to the cafeteria. It went unsaid between us. Another tally on our list. Another name to look out for. Another "he said/she said" situation - that would have undoubtedly end in nothing - evaded by a lie.

I hated it.

-

"Hammy! Ray-Ray!"

A smile broke out across my face and I rolled my eyes. Rachel grinned as we beheld our idiotic friend flagging us down from across the cafeteria.

CJ began to jump up and down, waving his arms in the air like he was trying to stop a train.

This, I decided, was the reason I won't loose my shit about Calvin. Together, we broke into a sprint and closed the distance between us in seconds.

"You're back!" Rachel cried, throwing her arms around his neck.

I crashed into him a second later, nearly toppling us to the floor. "Don't ever leave us again!" I groaned, squeezing him.

CJ laughed and batted us away. "Jesus, I was gone two days!"

Rachel buried her face in his chest. "Never, ever, ever leave us again." Her voice was muffled by CJ's hoodie.

Once we released CJ, the three of us collapsed onto our lunch table, falling into our respective seats. The table was a small circle in the far corner of the cafeteria, giving us a feeling of privacy from the rest of the student body. It was just the three of us, but we didn't mind. I sure as hell didn't.

"So what was the diagnosis?" I asked, digging around in my lunch box for my sandwich.

"Samantha has a fever, Savanna has the flu, " CJ explained. He watched Rachel and I unpack our lunches with hungry eyes. His grey hoodie was dirty and rumpled, signs that he had slept in it and his brown curls ran untamed around his head.

Without a word, I shoved my lunch box across the table. CJ dove upon it with a grateful wail and started hunting for food. I just chuckled. I doubted he had much time to eat the past two days since he was taking care of his sick baby sisters. Twins, no less.

While Rachel chastised CJ on table manners, I propped my chin in my hand and let my eyes wander around the cafeteria. Everyone had their own respective groups and tables, everything was orderly, and most importantly, everyone kept their distance. Sometimes, the circular lunch tables reminded me of tiny islands in a vast ocean. Each island had their own tribe, and even though some of the tribes were friendly with each other, there was constantly a wall between them, however invisible it may be, it was always solid and present even when we weren't at lunch.

That was the problem with living in a rich neighborhood, I supposed. Everyone just befriended whoever their parents told them too and they were too terrified to get too friendly with anyone else.

I glanced two lunch tables down and spied Noah. His friend group seemed just as isolated as we were. They sat huddled together, only talking with each other and completely ignoring the rest of the cafeteria.

Noah didn't seem to be in anymore pain, which was good. He talked with his friends, shamelessly raking his hand through his black hair as he laughed at something Jay said. Jay was the class clown, or tried his best to be, at least. He usually was just written off as the school player. And I personally didn't mind, as long as he kept his distance.

Noah suddenly looked up and locked eyes with me. I jolted, caught red-handed. He furrowed his brow in a silent question, probably wondering why the heck the school outcast was creepily staring at him like a thirsty cheerleader.

I awkwardly waved and prayed he didn't think I was some sort of fan girl. The corner of Noah's lips tugged upwards before he turned back to his table.

I sighed in relief and faced my friends again. Rachel and CJ were now having a mini food fight and I rolled my eyes. No wonder why we were social outcasts. We acted like children.