When troubled teen Jonah is forced to a new school, he encounters the headstrong Annie who seems fixated on making things right. Will her kind tenacity break through and put Jonah on the recovering path to friendship, love, and music?
Jonah sat there wishing to be anywhere else right about now. Actually, there were probably plenty of other places he'd also rather not be, but his head hurt and he was thirsty and didn't feel like dealing with such B.S. at the moment. He wanted to be napping in his bed. Sadly, instead he was sitting across from the school principal who was about to lecture him about how horrible he was.
"Your mother will be here soon," Principal Johnson began, not an ounce of pleasantry in her voice, "but I wanted to talk to you first." She was a tough woman, which was pretty much a prerequisite of her job title. She took everything seriously and seemed particularly alarmed to be having such a meeting with Jonah so soon after the semester started.
She continued, "I want to make clear we will not tolerate this kind of continuing behavior. I will not have you starting fights in my school."
"I didn't start it," Jonah interjected. His arms were crossed and he was leaning back against the wall.
"Several witnesses say you threw the first punch."
"As if that's all that starts a fight. That guy came looking to mess with me." It was true. At least to him. If that dumbass hadn't come up to him, Jonah would have minded his own business and gone to lunch like the hundreds of other students. The principal, however, didn't seem satisfied with his defense.
"You must exercise restraint. Someone egging you on doesn't give you a free pass to throw punches. And even if you didn't start it, you definitely didn't end it."
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The knocking at the door came as a sort of savior to spare Jonah from yet another stern verbal lashing. He would've been grateful if it wasn't for who was going to be joining them. The elderly secretary poked her head in the room to announce that Darla Mathias had arrived. When she came in, Darla shook the principal's hand from across the desk, her wavy brown hair falling over her shoulder as she reached out. The two had no need to introduce themselves since they had been acquainted over the summer after conducting the school transfer to Brooksburg.
"Sorry I'm late," Darla offered.
"No worries. Thanks for coming in to meet with me."
Jonah slid over as Darla joined him on the bench opposite the mahogany desk where Principal Johnson sat.
"Of course, it's nice to see you again." Darla replied. "Though I wish it was under different circumstances." She glanced over and gave Jonah a very dirty look. Jonah had been avoiding eye contact with his mother from the second she walked in. He already knew the exact look she wore on her face. One that gave him extreme guilt.
He'd have a harder time talking back now that she was there, but he had little to say regardless. Save for the fact he didn't start the fight, he had nothing else to argue about. He rarely did in these scenarios. He always owned up to his actions and the punishments that came with them. His impulses often led him to do stupid things; he never cried innocence though. He didn't lie much either; no real reason too. He may have been casted the part of the pariah and he was fine with not pretending to be anything else.
