Jewelled and Wild

Chapter 6

When he picks up, Mr Winther's voice is full of contained frustration. Like he wants to yell at Mr Banok but doesn't want to get fired. He believes that this is straightforward. I disrespected him. First by being late, then by refusing to explain to him. And to top it all off I'm not wearing uniform. Mr Banok is becoming more exasperated the more annoyed Mr Winther sounds. He sighs and puts the phone down while Mr Winther just continues rambling about how disrespectful it is that I don't even bother wearing the uniform everyone else has to wear.

"You can't explain this to me, can you?" he's almost desperate. Like he would do anything that wold stop this teacher from talking. But at the same time he recognises that I can't. He sighs again. Mr Winther is still talking as he picks up the phone and attempts to interrupt him. It takes a few tries, but eventually he's listening. "Would you be able to send over another student from Sapphire's class. They should be able to help us sort this out and allow you to continue teaching." I start to worry about who Mr Winther is going to send. There isn't anyone in my class that actually understands what is going on.

"Oh - Of course." Mr Winther hangs up abruptly, hopefully to chose a student who can hopefully help sort out this mess. We both sit uncomfortably waiting. After a few seconds Mr Banok decides to go back to whatever he was doing before I interrupted him. As soon as his attention is taken off me, I bring my knees up to my chest. I'm still sitting that way when the lady from the office knocks tentatively on the door frame. I immediately drop my feet back to the floor.

"Sorry to interrupt," she starts. "Daisy is here to see you. She said Winther sent her." the principal nods absent-mindedly. Placing the papers on the desk as he does so.

"Thank you, Rose. Send her in please." Rose turns and leaves the room. Seconds later Daisy enters.

"So you were late to class, not wearing uniform and didn't respond when he asked for an explanation. Does that sound right?"

I nod while Daisy responds, "Yes mister," Banok's attention is turned to her again. "I tried to tell him that she's mute but he wouldn't listen." The three of us sit in silence while he seems to be thinking of a solution to the situation.

"What about the uniform? Is that going to continue to be a problem?" Daisy glances at me, I just stare at my shoes. "I take it that it will be." There was a pause, "I'll see what I can do, I should be able to get you a uniform in a few weeks." I know my face is burning even though I can't see it. I don't need handouts.

I watch Mr Banok shuffling his feet under the desk. Daisy is fidgeting beside me. The principal clears his throat, "Well girls, the period is nearly over. Why don't you two head off to break early? Make sure to get anything you need from your lockers." With that he returns to the work he needed to be doing leaving us to let ourselves out of his office.

"Didn't Miss Heron want to see you?" There's a scuff as my shoe slides to a stop beneath me. My head bobs in response to her words. My brain races, searching for an excuse. I'm obviously too slow as she reaches for my hand saying, "She'll be in the art room. I can walk there with you." My muscles all pull tight at the contact, screaming at me to run. But somehow I know she's safe, that she won't hurt me.

She's dragging along towards the art room and her mouth is running a hundred miles an hour. I wasn't taking any of it in, it was just nonsense words. She seemed determined to fill the space my silence left hanging over the empty corridor. Luckily it wasn't very far to the art room and Daisy stopped her ramblings to tiptoe up to the door.

"There's a class in there still. And I left my things in Mr Winther's class." While I found her constant talking slightly uncomfortable, it was better than this silence. I gently tug my hand from hers and gesture vaguely towards the lab rooms. She seems to take that as a sign she can leave as she starts to walk hesitantly in that direction, looking back over her shoulder several times. Until one time when looking over her shoulder she walks smack into a locker door.

It's two steps back before I strike the wall. Glancing at the phone I can see there's still a good five minutes before class is going to be finished. I plug the headphones in and the world fades away.