Tiffany

The first punch I delivered to his nose. A solid straight right. I felt the warm satisfying feeling of fleshy cartilage rupturing under my fist. He hadn’t expected it and stumbled back several steps holding his hand on his face as his eyes teared up and blood flowed down his white jacket. I lunged forward and struck him with a left hook that sent him to one knee. I wound up and with all the force I could muster kicked him directly in the jaw. He fell onto his back practically unconscious and I stomped on his face until he was barely recognizable.  Huffing and puffing I stooped over with my hands on my knees glaring at my cadre of companions until I regained my breath.

“This is what happens to those who inform on us. On me.”

I looked at them for a long few seconds and then turned my back.

The recess bell rang. 
           “Go. Now.”

They silently filed out from behind the caretaker’s shed. My mittens and boots were covered in blood. I quickly covered Cameron up with some snow and an old tarp. I rubbed the blood from my mittens on the doorknob then buried the mittens in a snow bank. Then I walked through a puddle to wash the blood from my boots.

When I got to class and everyone was still taking off their winter clothing. Chatter filled the room and Ms. Ritchie didn’t notice my late arrival as she was helping the moron Cindy undo her zipper.

I sat calmly at my table as Ms. Ritchie conducted attendance. Of course she noticed who was missing.

“Has anyone seen Cameron?”

Everyone was silent. Several of the girls in the corner table giggled about something unrelated. Of course my companions stared at the ground.

“No one? No one has seen Cameron?”

Ms. Ritchie told the office over the intercom. She was worried but had no choice but to continue with class as usual. After several minutes I innocently approached Ms. Ritchie during craft time.

“Miss… I think I know where Cameron is.”

I saw genuine concern in her eyes.

“You should have said something earlier. Tell me where you think he is.”

“…Well I would rather go to the office… I’m scared Miss.”

“Okay.” She hesitated. “Go ahead.”

I savoured my time walking down the empty hall alone. Craft time was always so noisy. The vice-principal was Mr. Roblin. He let me into his office.

“Thanks for coming. Ms. Ritchie says there was something you wanted to tell me about?”

“Did you find Cameron yet?” I asked as I averted my eyes sheepishly to the ground.

“No… no we haven’t. Is there something you want to tell me?”

I continued looking at the ground

“It’s okay,” he said sweetly, "you can tell me." 

“Well… ” I said slowly looking up from the ground, “I saw Mr. Bill talking to him.”

“Mr. Bill? The caretaker?”

“Yes. Mr. Bill. Sometimes Mr. Bill and Cameron have candy in his shed together. Today they were having candy in there and Cameron didn’t come back to class.”

Mr. Roblin looked at me speechlessly for a moment and then picked up his phone. As he dialed a number he thanked me and sent me back to class.

At lunch I chewed my sandwich and watched through the lunchroom window as the police put a handcuffed Mr. Bill into their cruiser. The rest of the children chattered mindlessly.

After watching the cruiser drive off I took out the note I intercepted from Ms. Ritchie’s desk this morning and read the broken hand writing again.

           Dear Ms. Richy

           There is something I have to tell. All that bad stuff that is happening around here that is on the news we are the ones doing those bad things. We did them cause we were having fun but now I don’t feel good about doing these bad things. We are planning on doing something very bad and I’m scared. It’s not fun anymore. I can’t tell any one because I’m scared. Tiffany says that if we tell she’ll hurt us. please help me I don’t want to do these bad things anymore but please don’t say it was me who told.

I smiled and put the note back in my pocket. I brushed my hair from my face and tied it back again with my mother’s old ribbon. I put up my hand for the lunch lady.

"Doris will you please open up my milk?"

She peeled open the carton and gave it to me. 

"There you go Tiffany!"

"Thank you Doris!"

I finished my lunch and waited for class to start again.

Thanks for always listening diary. 

Until next time,

Tiffany