Goal: Get story straight Conflict: Principal Disaster: Suspended
The announcement on the loudspeaker told him to report to the office immediately. Saad wasn’t in class so he had no one to pass a knowing glance to, not that it mattered like he thought it would. It didn’t take long for word of the fight to filter through the halls of NACI like a contagion.
When Happy got to the principal’s office, Ram was just walking out. In prison, they would never let a snitch and a made guy cross paths so close to each other. This was egregious.
It was surprising he could still walk given the beatdown he’d gotten on the weekend, but he had a proud strut in between his winces. He’d also been crying and didn’t seem embarrassed enough to wipe the sticky strips from his cheeks.
Happy sat down in the 2x3 chair array in front of the overworked secretaries as students came in to pick up things they’d forgotten at home later dropped off by their mums and called home to parents about their child’s allergic reaction to the community lunch.
Saad was brought in by the community resource officer, holding his shoulder and tossing him into the room like a cereal box into a shopping cart.
“OK, we need to get our stories straight,” Happy said.
“Bro, this ain’t a TV show. Just don’t say shit about us and take the time,” Saad said.
“But, I didn’t do anything,” Happy said
“That don’t matter. None of us did shit and they’re going to drive over us anyway,” Saad said.
Happy couldn’t believe this.
“Frick and frack are smoking up at Olive, but they’re already suspended. They’ll probably give em a hi-bye when they come back next week. That’s when they suspend you again as soon as you walk back in the doors. They don’t give you a chance around here when you’re from the hood,” Saad said.
The Ms. Wiltinghead called Happy into the office. Ms Grant was in there as well. In middle school he could’ve relied on his homeroom teacher to vouch for his aptitude, but Happy hadn’t had a chance to prove himself to Grant as he’d been busy proving himself to the gang. She was too stupidified to try to impress, but now he realized his fatal error and he was no more redeemable than the thugs he’d thrown his lot in with.
“What happened?” Ms. Wiltinghead asked.
“I tried to stop them,” Happy said.
“Bulllshit,” the principal said.1
Happy was taken aback, he asked what she meant.
“I know you’re all working together. I know you’re in their gang now. What is it? The Young Gunz? Ram told me everything. That you’ve been bullying him since school started,” Ms. Wiltinghead said.
Happy sat up straighter.
“I thought you’re not supposed to give up your sources,” Happy said.
“You and I both know who brought you in here. And thats’ fine. If any of you mouth breathers lays a hand on that kid again, I’ll put the cuffs on you and ship you to Kingston myself. I know a couple of guys at the new Division 21 who like to beat up little Indian kids,” Ms. Wiltinghead said.
Happy gritted his teeth in response to Ram’s trickery. He’d been thoroughly out-maneuvered.
“I’m going to be suspending you for 2 weeks,” the principal said.
Happy started crying uncontrollably.
“Please, I’ve never been in trouble before, you can check my record,” Happy said.
“And now this will be on there, so you know never to try this kind of shit again,” the principal said.
Footnotes
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meant to be funny. ↩