II. Body Of Iron (Unedited) ❌️ ORIGINAL

Fourteen - Principal Gibbons' Help

Emmi's POV:

I sat at the front of Principal Gibbons desk, waiting for an answer to my problem. He was looking over the photos we had given him and pondering what he should to do reprimand Claire. I was nervous, knowing this could possibly get me into more trouble with her than before, but I also knew Gibbons would actually help me. Maddox stood behind me, his fingers digging into the muscles of my shoulders and neck, while we waited.

My eyes darted to the clock and first block was already thirty minutes in. I was sad I was missing English, but it gave me more time to put on a fake smile and pretend like everything was okay to my random classmates who knew nothing about me. I looked back to our principal and the sunlight coming from his window behind him, hit his light hair just right that it made him look like a model. His jaw tightened as he thought and he finally looked at the two of us.

"The only thing I can think of that is appropriate for now is detention. She hasn't harmed you in a way like Zachariah had, but it has still harmed you in a mental and emotional way." Principal Rivers explained.

I nodded, "Yes, sir."

"How long will Claire have detention for, sir?" Maddox asked, tightening his grip on my shoulders. I winced in slight pain and he let up. "Sorry, Butterfly." He whispered.

"It's okay," I whispered back.

"Well, I would say a week is reasonable. But, if it continues to happen, even when she is in detention, then I will think of a different solution. I want my students to be safe and happy. It can't be that way if certain students are being mean to others at a severe level." He put the two photos in a file on his desk and smiled, "I will have Claire come into my office next and I will discuss her reasonings for the bullying towards you, Emmi. Now, my secretary will write you passes for being late and you can go off to class." He dismissed.

I got up from the comfy chair and we left for the secretary. She handed us passes and Maddox walked me to class. He kissed me on the cheek, said he'd see me after class and then left to his own class.

I walked in and Ms. Rivers took my slip. She dismissed me to sit down and I went to sit by Jamie. "Where were you?" She whispered.

"Calvin's office and then Gibbons' office. Trying to figure out how to deal with Claire." I whispered back as we scribbled down notes from the whiteboard. "I'll explain it more after school."

Jamie nodded and kept quiet after that. She knew I wanted to do well in my advanced placement classes, so she wrote me a note instead and I took a look at it after Ms. Rivers had given us time to start our semester long author research projects.

Before I could even reply to her note, the classroom door swung open and an angry looking Claire stepped in. Her eyes went straight to me and my classmates all looked in my direction, curious as to why my bully was even more upset with me than before. I hid behind my large English textbook, but I heard fast feet coming my way.

Ms. Rivers had stepped out of the room for a moment, so it was the perfect opportunity for Claire to get me in class. She slammed my book down and gripped my upper arm so tight that I whimpered. "You have no right to have me on a five day detention, Emmi Fischer. You need to learn how to take a joke or two. I'll get you back for this, Emmi. Just you wait." She hissed.

I looked at her, trying not to show my fear. I wasn't afraid of her, but her actions triggered me. I counted back from ten a few times in my head and my exterior became hard. I clenched my jaw and narrowed my brows, "You think those photos of me "cheating" were a joke? Do you really believe you can take Maddox back just from dumb photos that aren't even true? Maddox will believe me over you any day of damn week, Claire!" I spat.