Sector City

Chapter 5 ~Julie~

         The minute I put my pen down I know I aced the test. English is one of my better classes. While I wait, I glance around the room and realize I'm the only one done. Miss Jackson is grading papers, so I look over my test to be sure I answered it all correctly.
        By the time I've finished that, everyone else is done with their tests. When the bell rings, Miss Jackson tells us we can leave them on the desks and go to our next class. I get up and grab my backpack.
       "So... What's next?" Asks Lilly.
          And I realize she is talking to me. "Oh! Uh, I think we have..." I start but am interrupted by David.
        "Math," he says jumping up from his chair. 
         I shoot a glare at him, "Yeah, that. In room 228." I turn away and start toward the door. Before I reach it I hear a crash and Blair starts laughing. I turn my head and see her looking at Lilly who is picking books up off the floor. I walk back over to help, and the trouble starts.
                          ~
         I am sitting on the edge of the bench outside the principal's office, my knee is bouncing up and down so fast I know I'm not controlling it.
       I'm in trouble. Again. My time at the principal's office has been split between two main problems, anger mismanagement and ADD struggles. I'll leave you to guess which one this fits into.
        Blair is sitting a few seats away from me and glares at me. Her arms are crossed over her chest and her dark brown braid is draped across them. Her ankles are crossed and tucked under the bench like a true lady, but her face tells a different story. Her right eye is already swelling up. The school nurse walks in and hands Blair an ice pack glancing at me angrily, Blair takes it and presses it to her eye.
        I try to hide a smile, she is going to have a black eye for sure. I turn away and bite my lip. I feel bad for Lilly. She is now having to go through her classes by herself. I hope David helps her out at least to the third class. It's on days like this that I'm glad for the 15 minute break between the second and third periods.
        The principal's secretary walks in and calls my name. I get up and follow her into the office, while Blair glares at my back with her one good eye. I try to decide what I'll tell the principle when he asks what happened. I rub my knuckles and feel again the rough contact with Blair's eye. I smile softly. It felt good to prove my strength.
      Then I see the principle and my smile disappears completely. His face is stern and I know he isn't happy. I decide the best approach is truth and remorse. As I sit in the chair in front of his desk, I fold my hands and drop them in my lap. I keep my eyes on the floor. 
        "Julie," Mr. Daniels says, almost like a growl.
         I look up slowly, with what I hope is a remorseful expression, and ask, "Y..yes, sir?" I fake a stutter
"Julie, did you hit Blair in the eye?" He asks bluntly.
          I bite my lip and slowly nod my head looking at the ground. I see him move in the corner of my eye. He walks around his desk and stands in front of me. I flick my eyes up then back to my feet.
        "Julie..."he starts then looks down at me, "You must be disciplined. What do you feel is the best punishment for this?"
         I look up shocked that he would ask me, I decide to try my luck, "Well the- the thing is she kind of started the fight." I say looking him in the eye.
        It's the truth and I think he knows it. He slowly nods at me and asks"Why don't you tell me the whole story?"
          I nod and start at the beginning, "Well, what happened was I was leaving the class and Blair started laughing. I turned to find out why and saw she was laughing at Lilly. She had bumped her, and poor Lilly dropped all her books I went to help her out and Blair started making fun of me, calling me names like 'Artsy' and 'Goody-two-shoes.' I nearly lost it and once Lilly was headed out again I went to confront Blair. She was still laughing about it. I marched over and tried to give her a talking to and she told me to shut up." There was more name calling than that, but he didn't need to know every word spoken.
         "So, you punched her?" He asks gesturing toward the door and Blair behind it. 
          "Not right then, no. After she told me to shut up I decided to get the teacher and Blair tried to stop me by grabbing my shoulder." I look into his eyes and continue slowly and clearly enunciating every syllable, "I hate it when people touch me. Especially my shoulders. So out of reflex I spun around and punched her."
         He stares at me. Doesn't say a word or move a muscle. All he does is stare into my eyes.
         "It's the truth!" I say, "You can ask David or Jenny Kay if you don't believe me. Or anyone else in that room for that matter."
           If you've never been stared down by a principle, then you don't know what fear is. I had told him the truth, although not completely word for word, and I hoped he would see that. Finally he nods.
           When he does a huge flood of relief came rushing out, and with it the breath I had been holding in without meaning to. He believes me.
            He walks back around his desk to his chair and sits. "Julie, I think you're telling the truth. However you did punch her." He clears his throat and has what I think is a coughing fit. When it is gone he continues, "and although she might have deserved it, there will have to be some punishment. Likely a write up, but I will not be sending word to your aunt."
          I hadn't thought until that minute whether Aunt Anne would find out or not. "Oh gosh! Thank you! I'd be in so much trouble and she wouldn't want listen to the whole story. So thank you!" I say before I can catch myself.
He looks at me with what could be humor. "You may go get Blair."
         I stand up and walk to the door. I open it and beckon to Blair. She gets up, and still holding the ice to her eye, walks into the room.