The Orange Houses Chapter 33

TAMIKA

• At school the day of the hanging, Mik gets a text from Gale that he can't make it to school today because he's sick. Bummer.
• Before she can even text back, she's gagged from behind and shoved in the janitor's closet.
• When she opens her eyes, she gets a text saying "Sha gonna smiley you."
• She's knows that's not as happy as it sounds because a smiley is when you get a cut from ear to ear.
• When she tells the principal, he instructs her to stay in his office until she gets picked up from school—that way Shanelle won't bug her anymore.
• After school, Mik does as she's told, but when she gets to the principal's office, his secretary tells Mik someone set a cherry bomb off in the toilet so the principal's dealing with the police.
• Mik heads out and notices Shanelle's posse of three has multiplied, and now there are thirty people hunting her down.
• They have box cutters and stare at Mik with big, menacing eyes.
• Shanelle grabs Mik and pins her. She complains that Mik stole her man and turned her crew against her, but Mik doesn't think any of that's true. Just then, Jimmi shows up. He explains that Shanelle's posse was swarming the woods, so he helps Mik get away from Shanelle and then tells her to turn her hearing aids off for a second.
• That way, she can't hear the screams and loud noises.
• Mik does as she's told but she feels so dizzy and sick from all the commotion that she passes out.