Cool Kids [p. parker] || SLOW UPDATES

THIRTY-THREE

"Will do. I'll help you skip if you want, just text me."

"Thanks, man, I might take you up on that. Bye."

"See ya, bye."

+++

The car ride was awkward as hell. Sharon Berry tried to talk and make conversation and to ask how her only child was doing, but Nick had no intent on talking to her unless his life depended on it. He stayed on his phone and played a game the entire ride to school, and when Sharon made a comment about terrible drivers to him, he would either give a short hum or grunt in response, not even turning to look at the blonde woman. The moment she parked the car in Midtown's parking lot, he quickly got out and didn't bother waiting for her as he rushed to the double doors. He stopped once he was as inside, though, and waited for her. He had a feeling they needed to go to the office, and his mom had no idea where it is. She's only been in the building a handful of times.

"The office is this way," he said once she caught up to him, and pointed in the direction before walking.

Sharon made sure to stay by her son, and Nick wished she wasn't. It wasn't because he was mad at her for leaving – he was somewhat over that – but rather because it was so awkward between them. They haven't spoken properly in months, let alone see each other, and neither had any idea how to act around the other. Nick kept his hands balled up in his pockets as he walked and kept himself from glancing over to his mother, eyes trained ahead of him. His eyes caught sight of Anita first, who's eyes widened at spotting them; the he saw Marty, who's jaw dropped and made a move to rush over but Nick gave a look that stopped him in his tracks as Olivia turned to look, a worried expression coming across her features when her blue eyes saw Nick and Sharon Berry. He didn't catch sight of Harry or Gwen, but as he passed Flash he gave him a tight lipped smile to seem normal. He didn't see Richie or Ethan or Monty, either. Not even Peter, which he had mixed feelings about. With a heavy sigh, Nick stopped by the office door and silently motioned to it with his hand, letting his mom enter first.

"Mrs. Berry," the principal greeted the blonde woman, and stood up from his desk, hand going out to shake Sharon's. "And Nick, I'm glad you both could come. Where's Mr. Berry? And please, sit." He motioned to the chairs on the other side of the desk, and the two Berry's sat down, Nick holding his backpack in his lap, basically hugging it.

"Important and mandatory work meeting," Sharon replied. "And what exactly is this meeting about? Dan just told me it was something important that at least one of us needed to attend."

The principal sighed and shifted in his chair. "It's about Nick."

The aforementioned teen looked up from staring at a black mug that held pens and to his principal. "Me?" He asked, suddenly worried.

The man nodded. "Yes. Within a month you've gotten into two fights with Frank Wentworth, and it's only the start of the school year. Also, his grades are already dropping, and that's the case for some students; they slack and get lower grades at the beginning and get better as the year goes on, but we have records from last year and other previous school years that shows he doesn't start slacking until the second half of the first semester. It's just apparent to us that he's gotten more violent since last year, and doesn't seem to be working and doing as well, either. It might be too early in the semester to truly say that, but I'm, along with his teachers, are worried so we wondering if you, Mrs. Berry, could help us understand."