"Jackson, what happened?" Mark said as he sat down by his son.
"A group of bullies jumped me, I didn't throw a single punch I swear." Jack held up his hands defensively.
Mark was surprised, Cole almost never talked about his school life, he had to pry just to find out what subjects that he liked, and this was the first time he had heard anything about bullies. Maybe this is what the Doctor was talking about when he mentioned brain damage and bruises all over his son's body. His sons was different somehow and he couldn't think of a different explanation than that or when the doctor mentioned how when you have a new death experiences it changed your priorities.
"Are you all right?" Mark asked.
"I will be fine, I have had worse."
That was not what Mark wanted to hear, his anger boiled. Who would dare touch his son! He was now glad he got the call to come down here. "Don't worry son, I will take care of this. Can you tell me a little more about what has been going on?"
Jack opened his mouth to talk and that moment Ymza summoned them to her office. "Ah, Mr. Do."
"Actually it's Deaux," Mark corrected.
"Yes, whatever. Please bring your son and come with me to my office." Yzma held the door open to an office that was saturated with purple.
Jack winced from the pain when he stood up and by the obvious look of concern on his father's face; he knew that he had heard it.
** ** **
"Two weeks! Don't you think that is a little excessive?" Marks jaw fell open at Yzma's punishment.
"Yes, Jackson openly assaulted one of our prized students without provocation. We do not take those lightly, even more to the point: one of the students Jackson attacked injured his hand defending himself." Yzma, didn't bat an eye, but it was obvious that she was enjoying herself as she punished Jack for something he didn't do.
"Ms. Yzma, please be reasonable. How will he keep up with his studies to graduate?" Mark pleaded.
"Reasonable? I assure you that I am being 'reasonable'. If not for your son's violent behavior and assault on the student body, the vandalism, and damages involved, we could have avoided all this. If not for your sons dying need for attention, that I am sure that he doesn't get from home, he wouldn't need to make a spectacle of himself. We are all lucky that Mr. Westergard is choosing to spare us all the legal ramifications of this afternoon. I think considering all accounts I am being reasonable Mr. Do." Yzma said seriously with a hint of mocking joy behind her eyes.
Jack's blood was boiling, he had only been in here twenty minutes, and everything she said made a mockery of him. Every statement made him the bad guy, for some random stupid reasoning, and made Hans Westergard a saint. It was obvious that she was on Mr. Westergards payroll somewhere with how highly she spoke about that scum. Even now, she continued to praise Hans and his accomplishments, and his father generous support and donations to the school.
On...
And on she went...
Hans this...
Mr.Westergard that...
Jackson bad...
Hans good...
It was the same thing...
Over...
And over again...
Finally, Jack had had enough! His actions only reflect on today but he knew from his memories from Cole. That Cole had only wanted to be left alone and had always stayed out of the way when he could. Jacks blood boiled over at her blatant attack on Cole, and Jack.
"That is enough, I am sick of this!" Jack stood up unable to control his anger any longer. He had never needed to control his anger before, he had lived three hundred years of solitude unfamiliar with a verbal argument, even in France he had never had a full argument with someone but that was due to his nobility mostly.
"Jackson," Mark was shocked again at Jackson's behavior.
"No dad, you need to know the truth." Jack looked at Yzma accusing her with his stare. "Hans is a" Jack let out a string of profanities in both English and French that would have made Mr. Hook blush. "I was in the hallway minding my own business, and Mor'du slammed me against a locker while Hans started to threaten me. And because I wouldn't put my face between Mor'du's fist and the locker I get accused vandalism and unsolicited assault. The only thing I did was trip Drago when he came for me and shove Hans when I told him I wouldn't be his punching bag anymore. Hans isn't a model student, he is a bully and his father is a bully with money. Yzma is in his pocket and Hans can do anything he wants. He gets his pleasure out of dominating students and beating the crap out kids because they are different or defenseless. I'm sick of this, I can't even come to school without worrying about coming home with bruises. If anyone tries to do anything about it Mr. Westergard makes them go away. Well I am no longer going to stand for this. And I dare you to punish me for sticking up to Hans, and know that it only proves how corrupt you are if you do." Jack slammed his hands on the desk and stared Yzma down' and tried not to say anything else that would get him into even more trouble.
Yzma stood up and slammed her hands on the table, and met Jacks stare, "that's it, four weeks, how dare you speak to me that way. Get out of my office!" Yzma's face burned and she pointed toward the door.
Jack stormed off, he didn't even remember his father was with him until he felt his father put a hand on his shoulder.
"Do you have everything you need?" Mark asked.
"I don't even care, I am done with this place!" Jack was fuming.
"Jackson Cole Deaux!" Mark spoke to Jack sternly. That cooled Jacked temper as he looked up at Mark timidly. "Do not use that tone with me. Go grab your books and your car and I will meet you at home and if you are not there when I arrive, you are grounded! Do you understand?" Mark had his hands on his hips, which made him look even more threatening than Yzma.
Crap, I should learn to control my temper, it is going to get me into even more trouble. "Yes dad, I will see you at home." He responded timidly as he heard the office aides giggling by their computers, he hadn't even known they were there until now. Great, the news of him yelling at Yzma was sure to get around school before he even left the campus. He hid his face and slipped out of the office.
While walking down the hallway he noticed Elsa again, a jolt of pain seized his heart. She was at her locker again grabbing a book out of her locker and sticking it in her bag. It occurred to Jack that after the disturbance he had probably stopped her from getting what she needed. He took a picture of her casually with his phone trying not to be obvious, which made him feel like a stalker. However, if he was going to make it through however long he was going to be here, he was going to need a reminder of why he was here in the first place. After putting his phone away, he tried to make it down the hallway to his own locker without being noticed by Elsa, the only person there.
"Hey, Cole."
Jack pretended not to hear her, he heard the locker slam shut and footsteps chase after him.
"Cole, hey, wait up."
Jack turned around to see Elsa jogging toward him.
"Hey listen," Jack watched as she used her free hand to sweep the hair behind her ears. It was too cute for him to handle. "I just wanted say that I am really sorry about abandoning you to Hans and his goons. My boyfriend can be overly protective, and he wouldn't let me do anything. Even though I wish I could sock that little cur, Hans, in the teeth just about every time I see him."
"It's all right, I understand. Hans can be a giant douche, and I wouldn't want to get you sucked into that." Jack said not meeting her gaze.
Elsa laughed, it was still the most beautiful sound that he had ever heard. Too bad she couldn't be his.
"Alright, was there something you wanted to talk to me about before Hans interrupted?" Elsa asked shifting her bag on her shoulder.
I wanted to ask you out. "No, it really doesn't matter anymore." Jack sighed.
"Ok then, I'll see you in Mr. Darlings science class on Monday then."
"Actually you won't."
Elsa looked confused. "Why not?"
"I got suspended for starting a fight and vandalizing the school, then when I tried to explain what happened, Yzma suspended for even longer."
"That's not fair, grr I hate that women she is so cruel." Elsa growled.
"It's ok I will figure something out." That was when Jack got a great idea. "While I am gone can you take notes for Mr. Darling's class and send them to me?"
"Sure, let me see your phone."
Jack handed her his phone, he could not believe that worked.
"I just can't believe that happened to you, you never even threw a punch, there is no way you started a fight." She mumbled while typing her number into Jacks phone. "There," she handed the phone back. "Send me your email and name, and I will get those notes to you one way or another."
"Thanks Elsa, you're the best." Jack was elated, he had gotten two gorgeous girls numbers today, maybe High School wasn't so bad.
"You are welcome, I will see you later then." Elsa began walking off, "Oh ya, and it was really cool how you stood up to Hans, I just wish more people would."
Jacks face cracked a smile, she had seen him stand up to Hans. Maybe today wasn't the worst day of his life.