Lovely Parker

I drove my car into the parking lot of Catherine Morrow Private Secondary School. Once I was parked, I hesitated to leave the safety of my car, I didn't want to face this conflict again. Reluctantly, I pushed myself out of the car and entered the school. I stepped into the principal's office, only to see a raven-haired woman in her mid-thirties, wearing a white blouse and a navy-blue pencil skirt sitting in front of a thirteen-year-old, red-haired boy in a white long-sleeved shirt and a black sweater vest over it. The boy turned to me with a guilty face, a black and blue bruise took over his left cheek. Before I could ask what happened, the raven-haired woman spoke.

"Mr. Hendrix, please sit," she gestured at the seat next to the red-haired boy.

"Mrs. Gibson, what's the problem?" I asked calmly as I sat in my seat, though I was concerned for the boy – my son.

"I want to talk to you about Hugo," Mrs. Gibson answered. "He has gotten in another fight."

I looked at Hugo with disbelief, meeting his forest green eyes for a second before he looked away.

"Hugo, is this true?" I asked my son.

"Abel punched me first," Hugo mumbled.

"That is no excuse. We do not tolerate violence at this school," Mrs. Gibson told him and looked at me. "This has been the fourth fight this year and it's not only that, he has skipped class several times and he is constantly talking back to his teachers. This behavior is not acceptable."

"Mrs. Gibson, Hugo does not mean for his irrational behavior," I assured her. "We will work on it."

"I hope so," Mrs. Gibson said. "I will have to let Hugo off with a three-day suspension but, if this continues then I will have to expel him."

Hugo scowled.

"Hugo, go get your stuff ready while I talk with Mrs. Gibson," I told him, and Hugo shuffled out of the office.

"Mr. Hendrix, Hugo has great potential that I rarely see him use. I understand if he feels out of place in his classes, what with a thirteen-year-old in a classroom of seventeen-year-old students but, I surely hope he doesn't throw away what could be a big opportunity for him. Hugo is a gifted boy, Mr. Hendrix," Mrs. Gibson explained.

"Thank you, Mrs. Gibson," I stood up and shook her hand. "I will make sure Hugo works on his behavior."

I walk out the door to see Hugo with his backpack. We stayed silent for the ride home, when we arrived home, Hugo stomped to his room before I could speak with him. I followed Hugo to his room and gently opened his door, Hugo was perched on his bed, staring out the window.

"Hugo," Hugo ignored me. "What happened today? Why did you get in a fight?"

"It doesn't matter," Hugo mumbled.

"Yes, it does," I exclaimed. "Hugo, if you continue having fights, skipping class and misbehaving then you'll be kicked out."

"I don't care."

"Well, I care and so would your mother."

Hugo turned and glared at me. "Well, she isn't here."

"She would still want you to use your potential," I assured him. "Hugo, a lot of schools want you, Harvard, Yale, Princeton."

"I don't care. I don't care about those stupid preppy schools," Hugo raised his voice as he paced around his room. "What's the point of any of this, nothing good would come out of it."

"Hugo, that isn't true, something good will always come out of something bad."

"So, you're saying that it is good that mom is gone."