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“But you have an idea?” he presses.
“No. No, I don’t have any idea,” I lie. “So, if that’s all?”
“Protecting people who’ve wronged you isn’t brave, Asia, it’s cowardly. Tell me who did this. Tell me who hit you,” he says looking directly at my chin and the fading bruise that’s clearly not as well covered as I’d thought.
“I fell out of bed,” I shrug.
“Like Monk escaped Oceanside and got mugged?”
I don’t answer. I’ve learnt that sometimes it’s better that way.
Mr Carmichael sighs, then motions to someone behind me. “This needs to be cleaned off. Bobby has the stuff you’ll need to do that.”
“Here we go,” Bobby says, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. He dumps a bucket, a scrubbing brush, gloves and some cleaning solution by my feet then looks at me and winks. The filthy bastard.
“You want me to clean that off even though you and I both know Ididn’tdo it? How the fuck is that fair?”
“It isn’t,” Mr Carmichael retorts. “But do you know what else isn’t fair? My job, thisschoolbeing on the line because not one person is brave enough to speak up.” He’s angry, real angry. I get it, but this is just the way it is. He, of all people, should know that.
“No oneis going to talk. You know the score, Mr Carmichael. You know if you want retribution you have to deal with it yourself. That’s the rule of the street. It won’t change no matter how much you want it to. You took the law into your own hands. You understand how it works, don’t you?”
“I want it to be different, Asia. I couldn’t save my brother, but maybe I can help save some of you?”
“Saveus? You know as well as I do, that’s an impossibility. Wake the fuck up, Mr Carmichael.”
He grits his teeth reigning in his anger before sighing heavily. “I’m not an idiot, Asia. Iseewhat’s happening and itwillstop.”
I bark out a laugh. “This is a school filled with criminals,delinquents,” I spit that word out like the dirty thing it is. “You’re going to have a battle on your hands trying to get this group of arseholes in line. Poke the lion and it’ll rip you to shreds,” I retort. Refusing to give him any more of my time, I bend down and pick up the rubber gloves, forcing them on my hands.
“Not on my watch, Asia. Things are going to change around here. I’ve been way too lenient,” he mutters, almost to himself. Then to Bobby he says, “Once this is cleaned off, make sure you escort Miss Chen to my office. There’s a few more things we need to discuss before the day is out.”
“It would be my pleasure,” Bobby responds.I bet it would.
“Fuck this shit,” I grind out under my breath.
“Oh, and Bobby,” Mr Carmichael says, stopping by his side.
“Yes?”
“When I’m done with Asia, you and I are going to need to have a discussion.”
With that Mr Carmichael strides off leaving Bobby shitting a brick. Serves the fucker right. I don’t like him. I hope he gets fired even if that does mean no more trips to the Tower.
For the next couple of hours, Bobby alternates between perving over me and pacing up and down whilst I scrub the wall clean. By the time I’m finished my arms are aching and my back is sore, any evidence of the tag all but gone.
“Good job, Asia. Scrubbing seems to be your forte,” Bobby says, laughing, his gaze raking over me greedily. He steps towards me, leaning in a little too close as he bends down and picks up the bucket, spilling a little of the cleaning solution as he does so.
“Back off, perv,” I snap, sidestepping him. “Haven’t you got a story to put together so Mr Carmichael doesn’t fire your arse for being an incompetent prick?”
He laughs again but with less bravado this time. “You just keep scrubbing and let me worry about that,” he smirks, a puff of foul-smelling breath floating over me. I gag, pulling off my gloves before throwing them on the ground just as Camden rounds the corner. He’s smoking a spliff like he hasn’t got a care in the world. He looks between Bobby and me but doesn’t even bother to hide the fact he’s smoking a joint on school grounds.
Leaning against the far end of the wall he nods to Bobby.
“Put that out,” Bobby grunts.
“Or what? You’ll snitch on me?”
“Yes.”
“Like fuck you will. Imagine what Mr Carmichael would have to say about how you’ve been turning a blind eye around here. Back off, old man,” Camden retorts, scowling.
To my surprise, Bobby does just that. He backs up with the cleaning equipment.
“I thought you were supposed to be escorting me to Mr Carmichael’s office?” I ask him, not particularly wanting to leave with him, but not willing to be left alone with Camden either. Lesser of two evils and all that.
“You’re not quite done. Reckon you’ll be finished in say… ten?” he asks, glancing at Camden for approval.
“That’s about right,” Camden agrees, pulling on the last dregs of his spliff before stomping it under foot. Bobby nods, gives me one last leery look, then walks off leaving me alone with the one person I really don’t want to deal with today.
