Looking for Heaven

Chapter Nine

Mrs Hannifin, the principal of Justin's school, was a rather severe looking woman. She was tall and thin, with a tight face and thin lips. Her eyes always looked out through a small pair of green-framed glasses. Her hair was always neat and impeccable. Buttons in their proper place, collars down, grey hair pulled back into a bun at the back of her head. If you saw her sitting still, you would think she was an exhibit in a wax museum.

She was now sitting behind her perfectly laid out desk. Hazel, Justin and Monty were seated (in that order) opposite. Sitting beside but a little away from Mrs Hannifin was a short, portly little man with a kind, moustached face. He was wearing a blue shirt and dark trousers. Justin thought he was a policeman just by the look of him. And when he looked at the two of these extremely contrasting characters, he was reminded of Jack Spratt and his wife, only in reverse. The corner of his mouth lifted up an unnoticeable amount.

Mrs Hannifin looked like she was about to talk but she paused to push a notepad into a parallel line with the edge of the desk. There was no room for disorganisation on her desk. Then she turned to the three people in front of her and looked at them seriously.

"As you know," she began in her usual slightly drawling speech pattern. "We have a zero tolerance policy regarding bullying in this school. Once we have a statement, we will contact George King's parents and ask them to meet us." She acknowledged the man beside her for the first time. "This is Officer Reilly; he will be helping us with the legal and procedural side of things."

Officer Reilly beamed. "I'm happy to help." He had one of those faces that always seems to be perpetually happy and bright.

Mrs Hannifin gave him a slight smile without moving her lips more than necessary. Then she turned and looked directly at Justin. "So, can you tell us about what happened?"

He felt slightly uncomfortable in her gaze and he squirmed gently in his seat. "I- I..."

"C'mon honey," said Hazel, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "You've come this far."

Monty leaned over. "This can be over," he whispered.

Justin twitched his head. "But will it be over?"

"I assure you we will do all in our power to make sure that King is properly punished for these acts," responded Mrs Hannifin.

He thought for a moment. It didn't make any sense to come here and not say anything. It might be worth a shot. "If it'll stop... I'll tell you."

She smiled again, wider this time. "Thank you. Officer Reilly, are you ready?"

He poised a pen held by stubby little fingers over a police notebook, the flip cover ones like you see in the movies. It was surreal to see one in this context. "Yes. Go ahead son."

 

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling it slowly. "Well," he said slowly. "It started a month and a half back."

"Can you remember the date?" asked Officer Reilly.

Justin stared at him for a moment. "Does that matter?" he replied. It came out a little more snarky than he had intended. Officer Reilly nodded slightly, as though used to such answers.

"We'd like to have all the information we can. If you can't remember-"

Justin jumped in over him. He could remember. That memory would never leave him. He might be able to suppress the others, but that first incident would forever be engrained in his mind. He remembered everything about it. He even remembered how insignificant it seemed to him at the time – nothing to be worried about. If only he knew then...

"The 16th," he said quickly. "A Tuesday. It was slightly overcast. I entered the school at 8:32am and he came after me at 8:45." He paused for a moment. "He was walking towards each other in the hall and as he neared, one of his apes whispered something to him. He looked at me. He was grinning. He took a big step and shoved me very forcefully into the wall. That's how it started."

"Very good," murmured Officer Reilly as he took notes in shorthand. "Keep going."

Justin just went for it. He dived deep into his memories, pulling out every detail, no matter how painful it might have been for him. Every punch, every threat, slur, cut, bruise, tear, every waking nightmare he had suffered at the hands of that gargoyle.

For two hours they sat there as he spewed out his story. Officer Reilly's pen was flying across pages as Justin quickly revealed things he hadn't even told his parents the first time around. His audience was saddened, but this quickly gave was to shock and sheer disgust.

His parents sat either side of him, their eyes brimming with tears. Even Mrs Hannifin seemed to soften and her face wore an expression of horror. Her hand even covered her mouth. When he got to the part where King had carved a homophobic slur into his back, she closed her briefly and he thought he could dimly see the sparkle of moisture around the corners of her eyes.

Justin seemed to get out of breath as he neared the end of his story he slowed down and his breaths were heavier. His lungs felt like he had just run a marathon. When he finished he slumped back in his chair and rested his chin against his chest. He had done it. He had told them everything. Apart for one detail. He couldn't tell them. Not now.

There was silence. Funny, how much silence there was around him these days. His mother was clutching the arms of her chair and his father had his clasped on his stomach. Officer Reilly was shaking his hand and wincing. Mrs Hannifin was sitting bolt upright, clenching and unclenching her fingers. They eventually settled on top of one another. She cleared her throat and looked at him again.

Her voice was low and gravelly when she finally spoke. "In... all my years of teaching... never have I heard of more disgusting behaviour! I have seen many things, but this takes the cake. This is absolutely horrendous! He will not get away with this, I can assure you!"

"It's vile," breathed Officer Reilly, his face fallen and grave. He probably didn't expect what he had just heard.

"What can we do?" asked Hazel. She sounded like her throat was dry.

Mrs Hannifin's face hardened even more (if that was possible). "First of all, I'm going to suspend King and then I'm going to arrange a meeting with his parents." She looked at Hazel and Monty in turn. "Can you there?"

"Of course we can," replied Monty.

"Certainly."

A terrifying thought occurred to Justin and he raised his head. "Do I have to be there?"

"Not if you don't want to. We won't make you," Mrs Hannifin answered. He let out a sigh of relief. Then her face seemed to melt like wax into a much softer expression. Even her face were kind as she looked into his. He had never seen her like this. "Listen, I understand how hard it has been for you and I'm so sorry this hasn't come to light before, but this will not go on, I swear. This school is supposed to be a safe place and I will make sure it is."

She smiled gently and he smiled back.

"Will George be at the meeting?" asked Hazel.

"I'm going to ask his parents to bring him. But whether or not he does come is another story," she said shaking her head. "But, they will hear everything that Justin has just told us. They'll know what their son has been doing."

Hazel tried to express her thanks, but she couldn't make any sound. All she could do was throw her arms around her son.