Metanoia.「skephalo」

09 | Too much.

The floor under Zak's feet collapsed.
His sight became dizzy and unfocused.
He felt the third panic attack of the day incoming.

'Fuck, fuck not now. Not now or they'll get suspicious. They'll ask more questions.'

Darryl softly squeezed and caressed his hand with his thumb, he was also internationally panicking, and the short boy tried his best to stop the attack, and looked back up towards the three adults in front of them.

"Take seat." the middle woman proposed, his tone made it look like an order more than an invite.

One of the police officers walked towards the door and stopped right in front of it, blocking the exit.

'What the fuck is happening? I'm the fucking victim, whyare they treating me like a criminal?!' anxiously thought, letting go Darryl's hand (against his will) and sitting in one of the two chairs in front of the principal's desk.

"Carder," she leaned on the table, sliding a copy of the school journal towards the two boys. "mind explaining this to me?"

Zak found himself unable to move or speak, the panic he tried so hard to repress got back up more violent, pushing the short boy on the edge of a crisis.
Luckily, Darryl instantly noticed it and turned his head in the redhead direction, ready to defend the little one.

"Zak got targeted by-" started, not able to continue the phrase.

"I said Carder, not Noveschosh." she harshly said, cutting him off giving him a disappointed glance.

The blonde boy looked down at the floor excusing himself.

"As he was saying," started to explain Zak, his voice was shaky even after trying to relax with several deep breaths. "I got targeted, let me add 'once again', by those freaks of the school journal. And obviously, none of what's written in this article is real. Me and Darryl were going to ask you to do something about the writers without involving the police, since we have are not interested in a denunciation." his voice clearly cracked on the last word, making him even more anxious.

After a long stare from the principal and both the policemen, she layed against the back of the chair, shaking her head.

"Officers." she sighed, allowing them to act.

The one behind her, also the most intimidating between the two, took a step forward, taking and opening a file that was laying on the desk.
Before reading out loud what was written on it, he glanced at Darryl, who was barely breathing, with a severe look.

"Noveschosh, you have to leave the room." ordered, signaling with a nod of the head at his colleague to let him out.

"W-what?" muttered in reply, looking at him and then at Zak, who was clearly panicking at his statement.

"We are going to discuss personal stuff about Carder situation, you can't stay here." explained him, glancing at the Junior.

Darryl looked worriedly back at Zak, who didn't move his eyes from the floor while biting his nails, still shaking. He got up against his will and walked towards the door held open from the policeman, and got out followed by him.

The short boy struggled breathing, everything around him was spinning and he just lost the only thing that kept him sane.
Clearing his throat to catch the Junior attention, the officer reopened the file he was still holding and started talking.

"Noveschosh, I have to supervise you. You're not allowed to talk to anybody or go anywhere without consent." explained the officer, suspiciously looking at him from head to foot.