When Our Nights Collide Volume 1

Chapter 4: Laying the foundation

War is decided, not by the battle itself, but by the preparations done before the final battle.

It was after the Math class I had following P.E. when Ms. Winsley came for me. She didn’t announce it, but before she did I already knew why she was here and who called for me.

“I need to bring you to the principal’s office so we can settle this case.”

“Yes Miss.”

Without any needless chatter we quickly walked to our destination.

The main building where my classroom was had three floors, and on the third floor was the principal’s office. There was literally nothing else on the third floor except for the principal’s office. Coming up from one of the two staircases that led to the third floor, I quickly spotted a single door on the right of the corridor. Ms. Winsley first knocked twice on that door and waited until a strict and dignified voice reached us.

“Enter.”

Inside the principal’s office were three people. The woman, appearing to be in her late 40s, with short hair that had a few streaks of grey and wearing light makeup was the Principal, Mrs. Holly Stevens. She sat in a leather chair behind her desk, with a window behind her. When we entered, she shifted her gaze away from the two guilty parties that remained standing despite the couch behind them, to us.

“You must be Ms. Florence.”

“Yes, Mrs. Stevens.”

As soon as she spoke to me, I unconsciously straightened my back and kept my hands by my sides due my nervousness.

“Putting aside the fact that you used that camera without permission from the school, I must applaud how you handled the situation. It pains me to know that the faculty was unable to help you before you had to take matters into your own hands, but I am glad to have you as a student at this school.”

The way she praised me without much change in her expression reminded me of my mother, but I wasn’t as tense around her. I didn’t know if she knew the true mastermind behind my bullying or if she only knew about the incident yesterday and today, but for now I thought of her as a potential ally.

“Thank you.”

“Now then, before I decide their punishment, there’s no mistake that these two, Vanessa Sterling and Adriana Drake, vandalized your locker without your permission, correct?”

“That is correct.”

“Then you two shall be suspended for two weeks.”

“Wait, Mrs. Stevens-“

“Do you think I will allow excuses?”

Against Mrs. Stevens, the two could do nothing but whimper and tremble. It seemed like a bit of an overreaction considering that this was the result of their own actions, but I knew why they acted like this.

‘Looks like it’s true.’

After recalling what I had heard about these girls as well looking through the messages they posted in the class chat group, I discovered that both of them were raised by strict single mothers. Corporal punishment may not be smiled upon, but that didn’t mean it didn’t happen. Furthermore, like I had experienced as a child, there were many ways of punishing kids that would make them rather take the beating.

“Mrs. Stevens, do you think you can let them off with just a detention if they pay for the damages?”

Though I enjoyed watching the two of them squirm, now that I had confirmed how much they feared getting suspended, I chose to commence an alternate section of my plan. When I offered to lighten their punishment, everyone in the room looked at me in confusion.