Sweetheart

104

"So I looked further into Natsu's 504," Miss Mikazuchi started. "And--"

"Why do you even have access to that?" Mister Justine interrupted.

"He's one of my students."

"Woah," the health teacher gasped, "seriously? I didn't even know he was enrolled in a psych course."

"This is exactly what I was talking about the other day," Mister Justine complained. "He doesn't give a shit. Nobody can tell me that he was ever really trying."

"He tries in my class," the math teacher defended. "He even stayed past the detention slot to finish a worksheet."

"Completing a coloring worksheet is far from productive," the English teacher threw back.

"It is productive. He was able to practice derivatives."

"Also," Mister Fernandes brought up, "people with ADHD often concentrate better when given a task like coloring to focus on."

"Why do you even care?" Mister Justine scoffed. "He's not even one of yours."

"That may be so, but that doesn't mean that I can't have his best interests in mind. Besides, I've had to deal with my fair share of antics that took place during lunch and outside of school hours."

Mister Justine just rolled his eyes, grabbed his lunch, and sat in the corner of the teacher's lunch room.

"Freed--"

"When I can see actual effort, then I'll reconsider. But we all know that won't happen."

"Does that mean that you're declining being in the meeting once he comes back?" The health teacher guessed.

"There's no need for me to be there just to say that he does absolutely nothing."

-------

Noticing a presence, Natsu looked up to see Kelia opening the door to his room. She set her bag down and filled up a cup from the water pitcher that sat on his table.

"How're you feeling today? Any better?"

"Uh, my shoulder is killing me."

"Not surprising."

"Miss Labelle," he hesitantly spoke, "do you know how long I have to stay here?"

"Until they give you the all clear. They don't want to release you too soon in case of infection."

Natsu nodded slowly, seemingly accepting the answer, even if it wasn't desirable. Kelia seemed to be holding something back, so the salmon haired boy tried to push.

He was met with a long silence before she finally revealed, "Tyler is pleading not guilty--"

"How the fuck can he think that he could possibly get away with this," Natsu sarcastically commented. "Oh, I know," his voice dripped with bitterness, "it's because he's such a respected and believable, perfect person that could do no wrong. Fuck him."

"I completely agree. It's absolute bullshit. But this means that you'll probably have to go to trial."

"Wonderful," he mumbled. "Just what I fucking need."

"That's one of the things I wanted to talk to you about. The second one has to do with your meeting once you get back to school."

Natsu huffed, expressed his aggravation towards it, and turned back to his toast.

"The school would like to get your teachers together and work out a plan. They were given the official diagnosis from Melanie, and I gave them the information from the courts regarding your situation."