Teenage Diaries

Relations

"Look child, I cannot help you." Principal Duvall said and I gaped at him. What did he mean, he could not help me? He was the principal, for God's sake!

"Sorry?" I uttered and he shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but we're going to have to let this matter go. You yourself said that the prop work was going nicely. What's done has been done." He said and I stared at him in disbelief. He avoided looking at me in the eye and took a pen from the desk and began scribbling something on a notepad.

"But sir, you said that you would suspend the culprit!" I said, the volume of my voice raising by a decibel.

"Did I?" he chuckled. "Okay, child, it's time for you to get back to your work."

I got up. He raised an eyebrow at me.

"Sir, I am not going to let this matter go. She has done it and she deserves to be punished. If you won't take the right action, I'm going to have to go to someone who will." I said quietly. He chuckled again.

"Child, I am the principal." He laid emphasis on the last word. "Off you go now." He shooed me away and I stomped out of the door, ring in tow.

I stomped out of the room in anger, making sure I shut the door with a bang. How could he do this? He was the principal for God's sake! I had never thought that the person with the highest authority in this school would be unjust.

Crap. He had the highest authority in this school.

Who could I go to now? And why had he changed his mind when I had mentioned Wendy's name?

I pocketed the ring, determined not to let this matter go, and ran to the room where Ryan and Andrew were working.

"The principal won't suspend Wendy." I announced as I entered. Andrew, who was chatting with Ryan happily stopped mid-way and gaped at me, while Ryan stood up and came over.

"Why?" he said, not meeting my eyes but breathing heavily.

"I don't know," I said, shaking my head. "First he was all, I'll suspend the person blah blah, and the minute I said Wendy's name, he changed his attitude." I explained and Andrew raised a finger.

"Maybe she's related to him!" Andrew proclaimed and Ryan and I scrunched up our noses after hearing this. Wendy, with her glamorous clothes and shoes and make-up plastered face related to short, wiry and bald Duvall? I couldn't see any relation.

"Just think of it," Andrew continued as the Ryan resumed working. "Principal Duvall isn't usually like this. He is a just person. But he would only bend the rules a bit if someone related to him was concerned, eh? Maybe he is her father!" he yelled.

"Um, no. Wendy's last name is Van Pelt." Ryan said.

"Maybe that's just a cover." Andrew said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Maybe we're being too far-fetched." I replied.

He hung his head and continued painting the object in hand. I too went near and picked up something to fix.

We worked intently for the rest of the periods before lunch, stopping only to take short breaks or fetch something. We talked about stuff, but the only thing in my head all that time was the principal's weird behavior change. I was determined to get to the bottom of it.

When the lunch bell rang, I dashed to the cafeteria to find Jake and Zach sitting on our usual table, laughing over something. I bought some lunch, and then clutching my food tray, went over to them and sat next to Jake. They both told me hi while Jake squeezed my hand and they resumed talking and laughing. My mind was soon off things for a while as I sat and talked and laughed along with them.