• Don’t Panic on My Contradiction, I’m Just Calling 911


    WHACK! A ruler slammed down on a thick wooden desk and a sleeping brunette girl jumped her eyes wide and slightly glazed from her previous state of slumber. “If you are tired Ava then why don’t you go to bed at night?” An old woman screeched. She bent down and stared at the girl. Ava kept her mouth tightly shut in fear of telling her teacher to shut her mouth and continue with the lesson. “Answer me brat!”

    “Excuse me Ms. Ericson,” Ava began gritting her teeth, “I apologize for falling asleep in your class. I, however, have no answer for you.”

    Ms. Ericson slapped the ruler on her desk again and stormed back to her podium. “Go down to Mr. Miller’s office and explain to him why I have sent you down Miss Root!” The old woman quickly scribbled up a pass for the sleepy teen and slapped it down in front of her.

    Ava looked up into the old woman’s brown eyes with her gray eyes. “Why would that be?” She asked.

    “Go!”

    Ava rolled her eyes and picked up her books, bag, and pass without another word and made her exit from the classroom picking up a few snickers along the way. She shut the door soundlessly behind her and crumpled the white note. Ava couldn’t help it that her parents were two workaholics who just happened to reproduce twice as much as the average American.

    True, she was the middle child of thirteen kids, but it wasn’t as though any of her brother’s were going to actually watch the younger ones. That would be like taking away their oxygen or something. In the end they would be devoured in a single bite.

    Her eyes followed her feet as they dragged her to the principal’s office. On her way up she tripped over a few stairs and even fell down a flight, but it hadn’t caused any harm so she had no reason to actually care. Sighing, Ava stopped in front of Mr. Miller’s door and grabbed the knob. He should be expecting her by now, so there was no need to knock.

    She twisted the freezing knob and pushed open the door. His swivel chair turned and he grimaced at her. “What a shocker! Ava Root from sixth period, Ms. Ericson’s class. For a freshman you sure have been up here more than most seniors have.”

    Ava rolled her eyes and threw the note at him, plopping herself down in a chair. “The old bat has something against me, dude, no doubt.”

    Mr. Miller sighed and tried to smooth out the note. “Don’t call her an old bat and stop calling me ‘dude’. I am your principal, Mr. Miller.”

    “You’re also my neighbor and have known me since I was so tall. I’ve known you all my life. To me, Mr. Miller, you are dude. Alright dude?”

    He shook his head and read through the note. “Fell asleep again?”

    “No, I talked back too.”

    “Why doesn’t it mention it on this note?”

    “Because the old bat already wrote the note before I ‘talked back’ to her. Honestly, she deserves it. I’m passing her class, heck man; I’ve got the highest grade so why can’t I sleep in her class?” Ava groaned standing up and walking over to the plant by the window. She began to play with it leaves waiting for his response.

    “Because it is rude to sleep and class and you know that. It’s called respect, something you don’t obviously have.”

    “Nope!”

    Mr. Miller sighed again and stood up. He walked over to the teen and smacked her hand.

    “Ouch there Mr. Miller. Do that again and I may have to call the board and say you’re abusive.”

    His eyes narrowed. “Listen Ava, I understand that you are up until three most nights because your brother’s are to busy living a senior life and you’re parents are too busy working. I don’t know how many times my wife and I have to offer, but we’ll come over and help you. We’d be happy too.”

    “I don’t need you’re help.” Ava growled.

    “Is that so?”

    “Yeah, in fact, it is so. How about you back off?” Ava was getting angry now. “Look. I came and explained. She isn’t letting me back into class so I’m grabbing my crap and getting out. I’ll see you later Mr. Miller, the principal.”

    Ava walked back to the chair and scooped everything up in her arms, storming out of his office. The man could help but watch one of his students and neighbors storm out of his office in an angry fit. He sat down on his desk and began to rub his temples. Ava was such a sweet girl before this year, why had she changed so much?

    • • •


    Ava slammed locker eleven shut and put the lock back on, slipping on her coat and picking up her bags. “Oi! Ava!” A voice shouted in the empty hallway. She turned, searching for the voice to find Koori Johnston racing towards her.

    “Eh?” She uttered, turning back towards the door. Koori was in all of her classes except sixth period and that irritated her a little.

    “Get kicked out again? Damn old bat.”

    “You haven’t the slightest,” She began. Then something clicked. “Core, what exactly are you doing out of class. I’m pretty sure the brightest kid in all the state would be in class. Wouldn’t he?”

    “Not when he’s skipping out on it with you, would he?”

    “I got kicked out idiot.”

    “Contradiction.”

    Ava glared at him. Okay, so the boy could be both a blessing and a curse. “Well where’s your stuff? We have homework, remember.”

    “I’m going home with you. If you think I can walk into my house at two, you’re crazy. My parents would kill me!” He explained, pushing her towards the door. His blond, almost white looking, hair fell into his deep green eyes as he pushed her out. Ava held in a laugh.

    “Guess you shouldn’t skip then.”

    “I guess not.” He agreed, opening the door, trying to bow like a gentlemen. Ava ran out and gathered a pile of snow in her hand, shaping it into a perfect snowball. Koori walked out of the set of doors and slowly shut them. Something cold and wet slithered down his back and he turned, his face greeting a snowball.

    The laugh Ava had been suppressing was finally set free. Koori grabbed a handful of snow and shaped it, throwing it at Ava. She held her arms in front of her face in defense and began to run out of the parking lot and across the field, Koori not too far behind.

    The battle had continued until Ava had walked through her front door and slammed the door shut on him. In all truth, they had never really hung out. Well, it was never just him and her. More like him, her, and another six people. They weren’t strangers but they weren’t close friends, so him just telling her he was coming over was a little off in her mind.

    He pounded on the door and Ava laughed. “Oh? So you want in, huh?”

    “Yes! Let me in!” He yelled, pounding harder.

    “I don’t think I want to after that snowball fight you started.”

    “You started it!” He yelled.

    Ava thought about it for a minute before opening the door. “Oh yeah.”

    “Oh yeah this!” He laughed, dropping a snowball on her head. Ava jumped and Koori stepped inside the house, closing the door and locking it behind him.

    “Wow, cold!” She whispered, shaking her head. They both kicked off their shoes and Ava led him to the living room. “So why exactly did you skip?”

    “Well,” Koori said, falling down to the white carpet and sprawling himself out. “Ever notice how you and I never hang out one on one?”

    “We don’t? Really?” Ava asked, sarcasm dripping off her words.

    “Hardy har har. I’m laughing so hard I think I should use the letters ‘L’ ‘M’ ‘A’ ‘O’.” He groaned, turning onto his side and resting his head in his palm, his green eyes following her as she sat down on the couch.

    “Please don’t. I think I’ll have to hit you afterwards if you do.” Ava explained, leaning forward and placing her head in her hands. “Continue please.”

    “Well, you know you are something people call ‘interesting’ and when people are interesting people tend to want to get to know that interesting person. So guess what you’ve won?”

    “You doing my homework?”

    “Try again loser.”

    “A vacation to Anchorage, Alaska?”

    Koori glared at her and sat up in an Indian position.

    “Oh come on! Please! I’d like to go visit my cousin’s up there! That would be awesome!” Ava said, peeking through her fingers at his glare. She couldn’t help but smile.

    “That sarcasm of yours may be funny at times, but in others it’s a bad trait you need to drop.” Koori pointed out, standing up and walking towards her.

    “Speak for yourself.”

    Koori grabbed her hands and pulled them away from her face, his just mere inches away. “I just did.” He said. He pulled away and kept her wrists in his hands. Ava’s heart began to race; she could feel it thumping in her chest.

    “Why do you get kicked out of her class anyway?”

    “Uhh,” She uttered, thinking about it. Lack of sleep was the most common answer. Her thoughts began to wrap around all of the reasons she had and her heart began to beat even faster. Thoughts of school flooded into her brain and her heart was beating so hard it hurt her.

    “Ava?” Koori asked.

    Ava felt as though she was chocking. She couldn’t breathe. Her sight was becoming fuzzy and she was draining of color her once fair complexion becoming paper white pale. She could hear Koori calling her name, but every time the sound became distant. She didn’t have a clue as to what was going on, but she did know she didn’t like it. She began to shake within Koori’s grip.

    “Ava!” He screamed. “C’mon, Ava, talk to me!”

    Ava opened her mouth, trying desperately to say something…to say anything. To just breathe would even suffice at this moment. The only thought she had running through her mind was, “Please don’t let this be the end.”

    Koori watched the girl in front of him crumble. He didn’t know what was going on but it seemed bad. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone dialing 911.

    The last thing Ava heard was Koori’s voice before everything blacked out.

    • • •


    Beep. Beep. Beep. Where the only sounds flooding into her ears. These were not the normal sounds of her house, so her conclusions were that she was either in a twisted realm of heaven and hell or she was in a hospital and something told her it was the latter of the two.

    Her head was pounding and her chest hurt a little but she managed to open her eyes anyway. She was in a hospital. Ava groaned and she heard feet shuffling into the room. “Ava?” The familiar voice of Mr. Miller asked.

    Ava’s removed her oxygen mask and replied, “No, Amy Lee.”

    “Who?” He asked.

    “Nevermind.” Ava sighed. “What am I doing here?”

    “Panic attack.” He explained.

    “Koori?”

    “Is getting food. Now be quite, you should rest.”

    “Crap, a sappy movie ending.”

    Mr. Miller sighed and exited the room. Ava looked around, looking for a family member of any kind. It didn’t shock her that the nurse had left her a note from her parents. It said that they would be in to see her when they had left work. It was in plain sight so luckily she didn’t need to pick it up.

    Ava took a deep breath a closed her eyes, listening closely for Koori’s entrance. Not to long after she had gotten what she wanted. Koori walked in and sat down next to her, putting his food down on a table and lightly tapping her hand. “You awake?”

    “No,” She groaned. “I died.”

    “Don’t joke like that. You may have.” He growled.

    His anger shocked Ava. Never once had she seen that boy angry. She opened her eyes and turned to him. She smiled at him weakly and he returned it. “Sorry.”

    “You have to admit, you must be pretty happy I came home with you. Otherwise your little siblings would be freakin’ out right now.”

    “I guess.” She sighed. Ava turned her head towards the window. “Just so you know, it’s your fault but I forgive you.”

    “Right.” He laughed. “Get some sleep. The one on one we’ll do later. Only we’ll do it the right way. Without the ambulance.”

    “Right.” She whispered.