Holland Road | Mumford & Sons Fan Fiction

Chapter 15

xChapter 15x

Friday, February 15, 2003

8:25 A.M.

King's College School, Dean's Office

My heels click impatiently under my chair. My fingers are freezing in the stale lifeless air of the waiting area office, so I shove my hands in between my thigh to warm them.

"What d'you think's gonna happen to us?" Ben speaks for the first time since we sat down.

"No clue," I say, now quickly rubbing my hands back and forth on my pants to create a little warmth by friction.

"You don't think we'll get in trouble, do you?"

"I mean, we didn't do anything wrong. I don't think..."

"Well, you did skip last class yesterday to go all the way across the city."

I stare at Ben with wide eyes after he says it. "Shit."

The office clerks head peaks around the corner. "Marcus Mumford?" she asks.

Slowly and shakily, I rise from my chair. I feel a hand pat my arm and look to see Ben give me a reassuring smile. It takes much effort just to move my feet in the direction of the lady because they feel like they're stuck to the floor with super glue.

Walking into the office, I'm greeted by the blinding daylight shining through a giant window, a sharp contrast to the dimly lit hallways. The air smells of coffee and old paper.

Standing behind his desk, Dean Smith is shuffling through a filing cabinet. His eyebrows are furrowed in concentration, searching for whatever he's looking for. Finally, with a click of his tongue, he pulls a Manila folder out and lays it on the big mahogany desk.

"Please sit," he says, glancing up at me from his wire rimmed glasses. His tone of voice is a lot less harsh than I was anticipating.

I shuffle over to one of the two wooden chairs parked in front of the desk. Then, hesitantly, I lower myself down, resting my hands in my lap. My right legs starts bouncing rapidly as a nervous habit. It drives my mum crazy, but half the time I don't even notice I'm doing it.

"Mr. Potts has already given me his side of the story. I just want you to keep a level head and explain to me exactly what led up to the fight."

"It wasn't a fight," I start defensively. "He came at me and-"

"In order," he cuts me off, "From the beginning."

"He just saw me out with his girlfriend the other day, and then he started calling out at me in the hallway this morning..."

"Okay, much better. Continue."

"And he was really mad, so he just, uh, came up to me and punched me," I tell him.

Dean Smith crosses his arms over his chest and leans back in his chair. "Maxwell tells me he saw you out during school hours. As in you were skipping class." His eyebrows are raised, waiting for me to reply to what he just said. But I'm so scared I can't think of anything to say. My mouth has gone completely dry.

After a deep sigh, Dean says, "I'm going to let you off this time." My body immediately loses the tension that's been held in since I walked in the room. "Mostly because I've never had problems with you. But also, partly, because I think getting punched in the stomach is punishment enough." He laughs; however, I don't think it's that funny.

"Thank you, sir," I say quietly. He nods to me and points his thumb to the door.

As quickly stand and begin walking to the door, I hear my name called from behind me.

"Marcus?" he asks. I turn to find him going through another filing cabinet. "Stay in front office area. I called your father to have him come pick you up. I explained to him everything that happened. Should be here in the next 5 or so minutes."

x x x x x

My dad and I walk silently out of the front door. It's times like this, when my father doesn't say a thing, that I get the most scared. What could he possibly be thinking? I'd almost rather him be berating me than to have him say nothing at all.

I climb into the passengers seat as my dad walks around the car before getting in and shutting the door. We sit there is more unnerving silence as he starts the car and peels away from the curb. Then, once I can hardly stand the silence anymore, I speak up.

"Dad, I know you're mad, but-"

"Mad?" he says, puzzled. "You think I'm mad?"

"Well, I skipped class," I rush out, now full of my own confusment. "Why wouldn't you be?"

"Marcus, Marcus, Marcus," he says, shaking his head. I just sit there, staring at the road ahead, until he speaks again. "I'm not mad, just disappointed."

Not mad, just disappointed. They might as well be the same thing. "Is this just some phase?" he continues. "I really don't know what to do with you at this point."

More silence. I wait the entire way home for my dad to tell me how terrible a son I am, how I'm not doing as God would want, how I can't seem to do anything right. It never comes. More and more and more silence. Nothing.

{A/N}

Finally here, it took a while sorry oops lol

How are you guys? I feel like I never ask you that. I hope you are okay. I am fantastic thanks for asking... c:

*giggles uncontrollably from irrelevant IRL stuffs that no one know about except me and maybe like one other person on here idk*

Thank you dolls for reading, liking, stuffing, oh yes, and thinging. I would like to just warn you there are 20 chapters total, just 4 left...

Uh oh.