•••
Despite how much Henry enjoyed trash-mouthing the Fennler's, he had only actually met half the family. Needless to say, when he finally met the aforementioned 'faggot' and 'lazy-ass' brothers, he hadn't expected such a strong reaction from Rosemary's eldest brother of all people.
"He'd be the reasonable one wouldn't he?" Patrick had murmured beside him as they sat in the principal's office in two of the three chairs prepared for them, Patrick's body practically falling out of the tiny chair he was slumped in. Sat closer to the door, Henry stared motionlessly at the door before rolling his shoulders in annoyance.
"I don't fucking know!" Henry snapped at him, folding his arms angrily. "But I don't think Jude would-" He stopped as the pair both heard shouting from the outside corridor. "-fuck"
The door was slammed open and Henry jumped slightly, unaware of how close he was leaning to Patrick as he stared at the raging bull that filled the doorframe. "Mr.Fennler!"
"Nate calm down!"
Nathaniel's sleep deprived eyes landed on the two boys and without a second thought he walked forward and grabbed Henry. "You little fucker!" His hands wrapped around his shirt, Henry was pulled onto his toes as the principal and David came running in behind him. Henry's face twisted in a mix of fear and anger at being manhandled by someone whom looked like Patrick and Belch's lovechild, though he pushed aside his fear to try and shove at his hands. They didn't budge.
"Nate put him down!"
"Let go of me you fucking cunt!" Not prepared for the brute strength he only ever received from his father, Henry was pushed backwards towards his chair which he missed completely, tumbling back to hit his ribs on the seat.
"Mr.Fennler!" The principal pressed him back, away from Henry. "That will do"
"What kind of a man picks on a girl half his size?" Nathaniel spat at Henry in anger before he looked at Patrick's amused face. "You-" His eyes widened in shock, "-what the hell are you doing here?!"
Patrick was as confused as the principal whom was glancing at Nathaniel in concern and confusion. "Mr.Fennler?"
"I've seen this prick before, along our street" He turned to Patrick angrily, "Watching our house and looking for her" Patrick placid face hid the internal vibrations of his heartbeat which felt as though they where shaking his entire body. He was always so careful when he stalked around Rosemary's house, how had he been seen?
Henry looked at him in slight surprise though quickly darkened his expression once again as he sat back onto his chair. "Mr.Fennler it seems quite a stretch to assume Mr.Hockstetter was watching your house and not simply walking past it"
From the doorway, Mrs.Hockstetter stood quietly until she awkwardly cleared her throat, drawing the attention from her son. "Mr.Simmons...." She greeted the principal, uncertainly glancing at the two other men she didn't recognise. "What seems to be the issue?"
Patrick didn't bother to acknowledge his mother, instead opting to slither his fingers over the casing of his lighter which rest at the peak of his jean pocket.
"Thank you for coming Mrs.Hockstetter" He led her inside and was moments from shutting the door when a hand clamped on the frame from the outside. Like Nathaniel and David, Oscar Bowers was still in uniform and wore an expression of complete content at having been called to the school for such an immature matter.
"Butch" Mr.Simmons greeted Henry's father with sympathy, firmly shaking his hand as he brought him inside. Neither Mrs.Hockstetter nor David missed Henry's instantaneous reaction to his father's presence in the room. The former arrogance and confidence he'd held himself with diminished in a second, his tense shoulders folding inwards fearfully and his eyes lowering to the floor as he smouldered under his father's inhuman gaze.
"Hector" Butch stepped inside the office and shut the door, crossing his arms across his wide chest and atop his slightly overlapping stomach. "A fight I'm assuming?" He glanced upwards at Nathaniel and David's unfamiliar faces, frowning. "I don't believe we've met"
Nathaniel stepped forward, anger rolling off him in waves. "You his father?" Jutting a finger at Henry, Nathaniel opened his mouth to continue but was hastily interrupted by Mr.Simmons whom cleared his throat.
"Mr.Fennler I understand you're anger towards the situation however I must ask you to restrain yourself for the duration of this discussion" Placing a hand on his bicep, David gently tugged his elder brother back slightly, sighing as the principal sat at his desk sharply. "Thank you"
"Pardon me Mr.Simmons, but what seems to have happened?" Mrs.Hockstetter asked quietly, clutching her purse tightly.
"Patrick and Henry where both directly involved in an assault made against another student this morning" Patrick's mother let out a quiet gasp as Henry glanced at his father, instantly wishing he hadn't as his father stared him down in unmatched fury. "It occurred just under an hour ago and was witnessed by multiple students whom claim..." Pulling a board across the table, he picked it up and flipped a page over. "Patrick and Rosemary where seen conversing for several minutes in the hallways-"
"Rosemary?" Mrs.Hockstetter interrupted, clutching at her hands in an uncomfortable mix of anxiety and nervousness. ""Wh-Who is that?"
"Our sister" David said calmly before Nathaniel could spit anything out at her. "The nurse said she would be joining us after her neck was...taken care of" His choice of wording left Mrs.Hockstetter shaking slightly. There was a reason Patrick's father was more inclined to attend the meetings outside of his wife's obliviousness, the dominant issue being Mrs.Hockstetter would find something within the situation to take the blame away from her only child.
"Anyway..." Mr.Simmons cleared his throat in irritation. "Patrick and Rosemary conversed for several minutes in the hallways before Henry joined them, there was a brief verbal altercation between Henry and Rosemary, resulting in a physical attack from Henry" Mr.Simmons glanced briefly at the two boys, Henry of whom held himself quietly whilst Patrick stared without fault, guilt or remorse for his actions. "Henry held Rosemary by her throat for several minutes before a teacher was able to pull Henry off her"
"Where were the teachers when he initially attacked her?" David asked irritably, "Rose passed out because she couldn't breathe, I feel as though it may have been longer then just several minutes" Mr.Simmons didn't like him already.
"The teachers where preparing for the morning classes Mr.Fennler. During this-" A knock on the door interrupted his train of thought as Miss.Weller poked her head into the office, a soft grin of optimism on her face.
"Hector dear?" Pushing the door open farther, Miss.Weller moved aside and Rosemary stared shyly at the three adults she was less familiar with. "I've cleaned her up, she'll be right as rain in a week, possibly two depending on the severity of her bruising" A thin hand placed on the small of her back, Rosemary was nudged into the office where she softly stepped towards the farthest chair, her head lowered until she walked past Henry's father.
She now understood why he was so submissive towards him.
"Pardon me sir" Her voice was soft, timid to say the least and her entire body was an image of frailty. Already Henry was clenching his hands fearfully, knowing how furious his father would be at having even touched her.
As if reading his thoughts, Butch sneered at his son as Rosemary stepped past Mrs.Hockstetter to sit beside Patrick in the farthest chair, her knees tucked together tightly and her sweater covering her hands atop her lap. "The fuck where you thinking Henry? She's barely half your size!"
"Sh-She..." Henry found himself incapable of defending himself, only pinching his eyes together tighter. Patrick had become avidly aware of how close Rosemary sat beside him, her shoulder brushing lightly against his upper arm. As he glanced down at her, she gently nudged her hair aside and he barely got a glimpse of the gauze pinned around her neck.
"She's about two head shorter then you, that's what" Nathaniel growled and Butch sent him a sharp glare.
"He's my son, not yours. So shut it"
"Well excuse me for finding hard it hard to shut it when your obviously undisciplined son is attacking my younger sister!"
"HOW DARE YOU YOU LITTLE SHIT" Mr.Bowers angrily yelled at Nathaniel, whilst Henry and David stared in shock. Henry's father was in Nathaniel's face in an instant and as if acting purely upon natural instinct he shoved at Butch Bowers. From there, everything descended into chaos.
"Mr.Fennler! Mr.Bowers!" The principal hurried around his desk to intercept the confrontation while Mrs.Hockstetter stared in shock, shrivelling away from the aggressive behaviour. Henry stood for a moment, prepared to help his father.
When Patrick looked to the fight, Rosemary was staring straight at him. He stared back at her, transfixed by her giant eyes. Without breaking eye contact, she pulled something from beneath her jacket and slipped it into Patrick's pocket.
"What?" He mouthed to her subtly as Henry sat back down once again.
"Less you want more summer school, leave it" She glanced at him, smiling slightly, "Trust me" She whispered, her voice a beautiful melody in his ear as he laced his fingers atop his stomach.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Mr.Simmons yelled as both men where separated. "Both of you can get out of my office now!"
"I ain't fucking leaving until this shit is sorted out!" Butch yelled at him, moving away from Nathaniel angrily. "What're we talking? A week? Two weeks? What?!"
Signing, Mr.Simmons moved in front of his desk to address the trio of teenagers. "First we need to clarify just what happened" Folding his hands in front of him he stared at Rosemary kindly, an action neither Henry nor Patrick would notably never experience. "Rosemary? Can you please explain to me the events leading up to this incident in your own words?"
It was then and there that both Patrick and Henry finally understood exactly how good Rosemary was at lying.
"Well..." She cleared her throat slightly, "I was talking with Patrick at my locker this morning and Henry saw us after a few minutes. He started saying some hurtful things to me and I told him to leave me alone, but he lunged at me" Henry was staring at her, his hands clenching the seat so tightly his fingers hurt.
"Is this true Henry?" Mr.Simmons asked in a disturbingly calm voice.
"She provoked me sir"
"Regardless of what she allegedly said, you do not deny that you approached her and attacked her after speaking?" Henry felt his father's eyes burning into his skull as he numbly nodded, his eyes on the ground. "And what is Patrick's involvement in all this Rosemary? Was he simply an accomplice?"
"Oh no-" Patrick glanced at her uncertainly. "Patrick was trying to help me"
The room went unnaturally silent. Henry and Mr.Simmons where both gaping at her, as was Patrick's mother.
"I-I beg your pardon?" The principal spluttered.
"Henry was obviously very angry, so Patrick stood beside me and tried to calm him down. After a moment Henry..." She cleared her throat, glancing downwards as she nervously fiddled with her fingers.
"Henry what?" Butch asked angrily, falling to every word the small girl said.
"He pulled out a knife"
"That's bullshit!" He stood up furiously and lunged towards her once again, Mr.Simmons barely managing to stop him as he pointed at her angrily. "You know that's a lie!"
"Henry get back in the fucking chair!" Butch shouted and Rosemary watched in satisfaction as Henry visibly deflated, shrinking back slightly although his glare was still murderous.
"I was scared but, Patrick managed to take the knife away from Henry before anything else could happen" She glanced up at Patrick and smiled sweetly, an action that shocked both Patrick, his mother, and the principal. "He saved me"
'She can control anything' Patrick thought in shock, mesmerised by Rosemary's large eyes and gentle expression.
"Patrick?" Mr.Simmons snapped his attention back to the present and he stared at him in slight alarm. "Is this true?"
It wouldn't be until later that evening as he rethought the events of that day that he realised just how much power Rosemary had given him. He could betray either of them.
Call Rosemary a liar, plant some doubt into the principal's mind that maybe she isn't as reliable or trustworthy as he thinks.
Or
Further plunge Henry into the black hole he was already in and be rewarded for an act he didn't commit.
With a second of thought, Patrick dug into his right pocket and pulled out Henry's switchblade.
"Yes sir, that's exactly what happened"
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