Immaculate

The Storm

Sang's POV

I felt sick, my stomach was rolling over and over, my palms were sweating and my hands were shaking.

I took a deep breath and pushed the door open, stepping into the main office area.

"Can I see Mr Hendricks, please?" I asked the woman behind the desk. She looked doubtfully at me, her eyebrows drew together and she folded her hands on the papers on the desk.

"You want to speak to Mr Hendricks, do you have an appointment?"

"Appointment?" I echoed her words in surprise. She made it sound like I was at some professional office, the doctor's or the dentist or a lawyer, not just wanting to see the principal of my school.

"Delores, is there a problem?" came a voice behind me that made me spin on the spot. My heartbeat increased and I was pretty sure my face lost all it's colour. I had to get this together, I had to make this work. I opened my mouth to speak but the woman behind me got there first.

"No, Mr Hendricks, Miss Sorenson was wishing to speak to you."

"Of course, thank you, Delores," he said smoothly, his eyes shining behind his thick glasses as he looked down at me. "Come along, Miss Sorenson, follow me."

I dutifully followed him down the corridors until he opened his office door for me. I went in and waited, my hands clenched together in front of me.

"How can I help you?" he asked as he moved through the office and sat down.

"I um..." My voice failed and I wanted to kick myself. He indicated for me to sit down and as I sank down, every rehearsed line, every word I had prepared completely escaped me.

"Sang, you look concerned, is there a problem I need to know about?"

I nodded stupidly and cleared my throat. I was going to blow the whole thing, like the fool I was.

"I went with them," I blurted out and I saw his eyes sharpen.

"You went... with them?" he repeated my words, but I knew from his face that he knew what I meant. I nodded stupidly and licked my lips. Get it together, Sang!

"They're going again, this morning, now," I groaned and ran a hand down my face. There was no way he was going to fall for that. It was over, my ability to articulate a few simple sentences had....

"Sang, I know you've found this hard. I know you consider them to be your friends, your only friends in this school, but honestly, they've been holding you up. They are holding you back. You're doing the right thing, Sang, I'm very proud of you."

He was buying it, he was actually buying it. He had stood up and was coming towards me. He crouched down at my level and for once, I was not repulsed by his nearness, I was too stunned that maybe this was working. He placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Sang, just this once, this one thing, you need to take me now. You need to think very hard and give me the directions... better yet. Come with me in the car now, maybe we can catch up with them and follow them. This is very important that we catch them..." I nodded and then nodded again.

"I'll show you," I croaked and he smiled at me warmly.

"I knew you'd come through for me, Sang. You're a survivor, come on, follow me."

I got to my feet, my bag in my hands as I followed him from the room and through the still empty corridors. I was in half a daze when I heard a whisper in my ear.

"Well done, Miss Sorenson, well done."

I drew in a shaky breath, thankful that it hadn't crashed and burnt as I thought it had.