Now What's Gonna Happen? (sequel to What the Hell...?), chapter 7

After history, we had music. Seems the principal-Mrs. Rumar-had given me the same schedule as Nick's.
"Sweet," I laughed when I noticed.
"But seriously," he said, closing his locker. "Why are you here?"
"I transferred," I said, rolling my eyes. "Have you gotten dumber?"
He glared at me.
"Look," I whispered. "I can't tell...or show...you here, in front of like, 900 kids. I'll show you back at my place, okay?"
"Fine," Nick shrugged, and we headed off to room 119.

"Good morning class!" the teacher, Ms. Bruggs-or Julie, whichever-said. "I see we have a new student! Do you play an instrument, Miss...?"
"Ugh," I groaned. "Please, PLEASE call me Kay."
"Alright, then Kay," Ms. Bruggs laughed. "Do you play an instrument?"
"Piano and guitar," I answered, glancing around the room.
"Would you mind playing both for us, then?"
"Sure, I don't care." I stood up, and walked over to the piano. "Any requests?"
"Your specialty!" Nick hollered from the back.
"Got it!" I grinned. My specialty was "Jesus of Suburbia". I sang along as I played, and everyone either was clapping or had their jaws dropped when I finished.
"We got ourselves another Green Day fan, then?" Ms. Bruggs smiled.
"Yep," I smiled back. I liked her. She's cool.
"Now for the guitar," she said. "Acoustic or electric?"
"Mmm..." I said, thinking. "I'll take electric." I took the V she gave me and once again asked for requests. I got about 5.
"We'll just see your skills for this class," Ms. Bruggs laughed. "Go ahead." My first request was "Sunday Bloody Sunday", then "Soldier Side", "Welcome to Paradise", "Face Down", and "Jesus of Suburbia". I finished with "We Are the Champions", and everyone sang along. Then the bell rang, and we all got dismissed.
"Can we have every class like that?" Nick said as we walked to third period, math. "But I don't know if you'll like Mrs. Thodes, though. She creeps me out."
"Why, is she worse than Yolers?" I laughed.
"Oh God, no," Nick shuddered, remembering our 8th grade teacher. "He...he had mental issues. Everyone knew that. I wonder if he's still torturing kids."
I laughed. Mr. Yolers was a living TERROR. He would go around and look at us, and if we sneezed, he'd get so mad at whoever did it, the kid always burst into tears. But for some reason, me and Nick were his primary targets. Mr. 'Terror' Yolers didn't approve of guys and girls being friends, and for years, Nick's been my best friend next to my girls. I'd known him since we'd been in diapers, so it made sense we were close. Like one time, he got mad at me for just LOOKING in Nick's direction and hit me. None of the kids liked that much-especially Nick-and retaliated. A couple kids held him back, and Nick punched him in my self defense, seeing as how Mr. Yolers had hit me so hard, I was knocked out. Needless to say, Mr. Yolers got fired for harming a student, but we all think he moved out of state and to a new school. Some like to think he's dead.
"She's not as bad as him, but, well, you'll see," Nick said, opening the door to room 316, the math room.
"Good afternoon," Mrs. Thodes said. "Oh? Who's this lovely young lady, Nicholas?"
'English,' I thought. I replied, saying, "I'm Kay Armstrong, but call me Kay, since Armstrong is my last name."
"Alright then, Kay," Mrs. Thodes said. "Lucky you. You're all getting re-seated today." The class groaned, but everyone packed and went up to the front of the room. Soon, only four of us were left-me, Nick, Josh, and Miranda. I didn't like Miranda one bit. She gave off one of those snobby airs.
"Kay, you sit next to..." Mrs. Thodes said.
'Not Miranda, NOT Miranda,' I thought.
"Miranda," Mrs. Thodes decided. "And boys, take the desk in front of them." I sighed, and went to my seat. Nick sat in front of me.
"Um, new girl, move," Miranda hissed to me.
"Why?" I asked, continuing to unpack my books. We were getting a few looks now. "Just because you're pretty and shit you think you can push anyone and/or everyone around? Well guess what? I don't take orders from someone my age unless I respect them, and I most certainly don't respect you."
She looked REALLY pissed off, and sat down in the other seat with a huff. "You'll wish you didn't do that," Miranda hissed at me again, tapping one of her stilettos on the tile floor. I just smiled at her and looked up at the board.
"Sorry, chica," I said, writing the notes down in my notebook, "but I'm not afraid of you. I've been to hell and back, and you can't be worse." She looked taken aback at my comment, then started working herself. Meaning she started playing with her nails.

CAFATERIA
"Lunchtime!" I said happily.
"Don't forget about Miranda," Nick said, grabbing his lunch tray and heading off towards a table. I followed. "Her group's got power around here, and she'll find a way to make your life hell."
I stared at him in astonishment as we sat down. "How the hell can you say that? After all that's happened to me, how the HELL can you say that?"
"A different kind of hell," Nick said, starting to eat.
"You...disgust me," I hissed at him, grabbing my food and went to find another table to eat at.
"Um, excuse me, Kay?" someone asked, tugging the back of my shirt. "You can sit with us."
"Thank you so much," I sighed, sitting down next to her. This was definitely the loner table. No, not loser, loner, people who did their own thing and were pretty much shunned for it. "So, who is everyone?" I introduced myself, and then everyone else did. The girl who'd tugged my shirt was punk, and her name was Christie. Amanda was punk too, but she liked to be called Rebel. "Amanda's a prep name," she said when I asked why. Beryl was a little nerdy-in a good way!-and was brilliant. And then there was Jem, or Razz, as she liked to be called, who was the caring, girl-next-door type, but had TONS of attitude. And, they all like Green Day.
"Wait a minute here," Rebel said, swallowing her last bite of pudding. "Kay Armstrong? As in THE Armstrongs?"
"Who do you mean?" Christie asked, and Beryl lightly knocked her on the head.
"Hello, Chris?" Beryl laughed. "Who's the lead singer of the world's greatest band?"
"Oh, you mean Billie Joe!" Christie said. "God, I'm so stupid!"
"Naw, you're just gifted, in a different way than the rest of us," Razz said.
"Okay, but keep it on the down-low," I whispered, not wanting anyone else to hear us. Their jaws dropped, and I think they were waiting for me to start laughing and tell them it was all a joke. When I didn't, even Christie realized I was serious. "Please don't tell anyone about him being my dad, okay? Please."
"Of course," Rebel said, and everyone nodded in agreement. "But one day, we've gotta meet them."
"If your parents will let you, you can come over after school today," I laughed. "But I'll warn you: I've got to go pick up the kids from school."
"You mean Joey and Jake?" Razz asked, smiling.
"Yea, and maybe Stella," I said, "if Mike's too lazy to get up."
"Well, I see you found where you belong," I heard Miranda say. "No surprise, it's with the social rejects!" Her group started laughing at her 'joke'.
"Oh HA HA, YOU'RE DEAD," I sang, grinning evilly. "AND I'M SO HAPPY!" Miranda's eyes widened and her friends took her arms and led her back to their table.
"Nice," Rebel said, punching me on the arm. "I never thought to use the song that way."
"When you've been through what I have, you learn VERY quickly to come up with a comeback using anything you know," I laughed.

After school ended, me and the girls piled into the car, and I went to pick up the boys. I got Jake first, Christie adored him. They got along really well. Then I went to Joey's school, but he wasn't out there waiting.
"I'll be right back," I said, getting out of the car and heading over to where a large group of kids were gathering. Rebel jumped out of the car and joined me.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" she asked me. I nodded. We shoved our way through the crowd, and what I saw flew me into a rage. Joey was struggling to get out of the grasp of two boys bigger and stronger than he was, and a third boy was beating the crap out of him.
"LEAVE MY LITTLE BROTHER ALONE!" I yelled, and tackled the boy who was punching him down. Rebel knocked the other two out, and brought Joey back to the car. I had the one boy-Ralph-pinned to the ground.
"What're you gonna do, little girl?" he sneered. "Tell me to be a good little boy and run home to Mommy and Daddy?"
"You...little...shit..." I growled and punched him square in the nose. "You, ANY of you, DARE touch my brother again," I snarled, standing up, "will get much, MUCH worse than this." I pointed down to Ralph, who was curled in a little ball, clutching his nose, but no blood. I'd broken it without it bleeding. "Now ya'll get outta here." Every kid there went running to their car or to the opposite side of the yard to wait for their car, even Ralph. I walked back to the car, and sped to the house. I lifted Joey up, and hurried in.
"Kay? Joey!? What on earth happened?" Adie said, rushing over. "Oh God, why's Billie gone when we need him?"
I just ran by, everyone right behind me, and went into one of the bathrooms, and got him propped up so I could get him cleaned up with Adie's help.
"Ow..." Joey moaned. "Where am I? Wasn't I at school?"
"You WERE, Joey," I said, wiping some of the blood off his face, while Adrienne tended to his arm. "Me and Rebel got you outta there before they could do a whole lot of damage. You're safe."
"That kid...Ralph..." Joey said, shutting his eyes. "I don't know why he hates me. I mean, I never did anything to him that I can remember."
"Joey," Adie said, looking up at him. "I'm surprised you don't know why. Your name is enough to tell some people who your dad is."
"Oh," Joey muttered. He opened his eyes and looked at me. "But I still don't get it... Why was he beating me up?"
"Joey, Joey, Joey," I said "Some people just hurt others because they have nothing better to do, even if that person never did anything to them."
"...Joy, now I get it," Joey semi-laughed. "People are jackasses just because they feel like hurting other people, because they don't want to hurt themselves."
"Something along that line," Razz laughed.

Billie Joe came home an hour later, just as I'd finished bandaging Joey up. The rest of them were in the living room either talking or playing video games. Adie was making dinner.
"Joe, what happened?" Billie Joe asked. Rebel and Beryl-who'd been prank calling people-quickly shut Rebel's RAZR, and she shoved it in her pocket. "Huh? Friends of yours, Kay?"
"Oh. My. God," Beryl muttered. "Damn you, Kay, why must you live here?"
I grinned. "I have my reasons." I jumped on the stair railing and slid down, and landed right on my tailbone. I squinted one of my eyes. "OW."
Billie Joe helped me up, but was laughing his head off all the same.
"It's not-OW-funny, dammit-OW," I said, grabbing his shoulder and shoving him once I was standing up. "Damn you and your rockstar ways." I limped over to the freezer, grabbed an ice pack and a hand towel, limped back to the couch, laid down on my stomach, and flipped the ice pack on. "Don't bother me 'til Mom's done with dinner."
"Whatever," Jake said, killing Christie in the game they were playing.
"Arg!" Christie cried. "You killed me AGAIN, Jakob Danger Armstrong!"

BILLIE JOE'S POINT OF VIEW
"Kay," I hollered over to the couch. She snored.
"Dad, Kay's snoring like Tre again," Jake complained.
"Jake, Tre's worse. TRUST ME, I should know. I've been stuck in a tour bus with the guy. PLUS Mike."
"Do I get a hello or not?" Adie said, setting dinner down on the table.
"Save the best for last," I grinned and scooped her up and kissed her. I heard Joey and Jake make disgusted sounds, and the girls sigh. "What was that for?" I asked as I set Adie down. "Am I not allowed to kiss my wife?"
"We can't help it," Christie pouted.
"Speak for yourself," Razz snorted.
"And what's wrong with my husband?" Adie defended.
"Razzy's a psychopath and so is Tre, basically," Beryl laughed
"Yeah," Rebel laughed. "Beryl's the only one who DOESN'T have a crush on one of you guys. With us, it's Razz on Tre, Chris on you, Billie, and me on Mike."
"How comforting," I laughed, pretending to be creeped out by that remark.
"I smell food..." Kay muttered, waking up.
"Ms. Accident Prone's finally up," I laughed.

KAY'S POINT OF VIEW
"SHUT IT, Dad," I groaned. I slowly got off the couch and walked over to the kitchen.
"Kay, seriously, you alright?" Rebel asked me.
"No, Reb, I'm not," I snapped. "Goddamn, I can't even sit on my rear."
"...I'd offer mine, but it's too sexy for you," Razz taunted.
"You implying I'm not hot?" I defended. "Daddy, am I not hot?"
"...Do I really have to answer that?" Billie said, looking a bit uncomfortable.
"No, but I will, and I think she's pretty damn hot," Nick said, opening the door and coming in, Josh and another boy I didn't recognize right behind him.
"I'll second that notion," Josh said, raising his hand. The other guy nodded, staring at me.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Billie said, getting angry. "Don't you dare check my daughter out in front of me!"
"Dude, Billie, chill," Nick said, putting his hands up. "She asked, we answered."
"Yeah," said the guy I didn't recognize.
"Who're you?" I asked him.
"I'm Jonah," he said. "And don't call me a Goth because I wear black. Plus I'm single," he added, raising his eyebrows up and down.
Okay. I did NOT like this guy. Apparently Dad didn't either. Or the girls.
"Why the hell you here, Jonah?" Rebel glared at him. Jonah glared back.
"Because Nick invited me to join him and Josh," he retorted. I looked over at Rebel and figured it out.
"Um, okay," I said, tucking my hair behind my ear. "So...what about you, Josh? And Nick? Why are you two here?"
"Well, I just tagged along," Josh said, looking around the room, and walking over to Beryl when he spotted her. Beryl looked delighted.
"I have my reasons," Nick muttered, looking sideways and down and putting his hands in his pockets.
I sighed. "This is about earlier, isn't it?"