Undead

One day. (338)

"Okay, well what did he say?" I ask.
She shakes her head. "I'm not a snitch."
Ruth throws her hands into the air. "Then why are we here? This needs to stop, she needs to be punished! My son is sitting here with a black eye and a broken nose because of her."
I scoff. "Keep your panties on lady. It's just a bloody nose." I roll my eyes.

"She still hit my son. TWICE! He deserves an apology."
"And he'll get one when he tells us what he said to provoke Kara." Carl compromises.
"This is nonsense!" 
"When I got involved I thought the problem would dissolve but it only escalated. I don't know what to do! During their tantrum I told them to get a grip-"
"-And apparently she didn't mean around his neck!" Kara shouts.
"Zip it Kara!" I warn her.

"This is ridiculous!" Ruth comments again. 
"Fine then, we'll go home. I don't want to be here any longer than I have to be." I quote Kara and I feel her eyes on me.
"No, there should be a punishment."
"For BOTH of them." Mrs. Anderson finally interjects.
"What? No! My boy did nothing."

Tyrone sighs and sits forward in his seat.
"I made fun of her one-eyed dad. Can I go home now?"
The room falls silent and awkward. I glance at Carl but he seems unfazed. Maybe once this would've bothered him but he seems numb to it now.
But clearly Kara isn't as she stands to her feet.

One one hand, I'm totally frustrated about what to do here. This whole situation has been going on far too long, it's become a joke, and on the other hand my heart squeezes and I didn't think I could love my daughter more. Unfortunately she inherited my impulsiveness and sharp tongue but her intentions were pure. She didn't want a fight or even to start one for that matter. She just got angry because she was defending her dad. 

"And I told him if he made fun of my dads eye, I'd take his!" She finally replies but her voice comes out cold and sharp, sending shivers down my spine.
"Woah." I whisper to myself.

The teacher stares at the both of us and Carl and I just look at each other. She's six for Christ sakes, how could she threaten someone this good...I mean, how could she threaten someone?

I begin to feel a headache as I feel my own heartbeat in my ears. I rub my temples soothingly, I must be more frustrated than I thought.
I sigh and finally walk over to a furious Kara, who is still standing on her feet with her fists balled at her sides. I grab her shoulders and usher her back into her seat.

"Okay, so, the kids hate each other. What do you want to do about it ?" I sigh, even my voice sounds hoarse and tired.
I rub the back of my neck and try desperately to ignore the growing pain in my head, it's making me feel sick.
Mrs Anderson shrugs. "They're both a distraction to the other children. Expulsion?"
"No!" We all say in unison except from Kara who's face lit up instantly from the suggestion.

"There has to be a way past this. I know you're trying to tiptoe around the truth but you don't need to spare our feelings just tell us what's on your mind." I coax.
"Fine." She sighs. "They are both lovely kids when they're separated but something always draws them together and all hell breaks loose. They're both mature for their age and sometimes that isn't a good thing. Not for the other children at least. They're scared of them, they're scared of their fights. It's not often Kara starts the fights but she is always the one to end them, in one way of the other. I will not tolerate that behavior anymore. As for Tyrone, quite frankly, he's a bully-"
"HOW DARE YOU!" Ruth spits but Mrs. Anderson holds her hand up to interrupt her before she continues.
"Kara isn't the only person he picks on and I've noticed this for a while now but I won't turn a blind eye any longer. If you all of you don't have a solution for me by tomorrow evening then I will no longer have them in my classroom." She finalizes.