Discipline

[Buko]

((Continued from A Single Piano))

A lone soul walked across the halls of the English Wing to the principle's office, Miss Wood was renowned for being one of the laxest principles -explaining the turning the blind eye to various skipping students-, the youngest principle (only being 33 years old in age) and much to the chagrin of the male troublemakers of the school: the most attractive principle (not hard when the competition consisted of 65 year old white males) in Southridge history. You'd think that this would comfort Blood Boy as he made his way to her office, but there was one thing that had gotten her stamped into his mind: she had been the staunchest opposition to his ability to wear a mask and much to the confusion to every other member of the staff: refused to call him by the well accepted nickname and instead adamantly referred to him by his full name, this being almost as confusing to him as it was to everyone else in the entire school.

As he opened the door and became acquainted with the very strong aroma's of hair-spray and perfume, his eyes narrowed as he looked at the principle, Miss Wood simply smiled as she, stared at him, he noted how tight fitting and overtly sexual her whole wardrobe was -which consisted of a form fitting black long sleeved shirt and a skirt that went up to mid-thigh-, most people where comforted by the principle's lax attire, Blood Boy was merely put off by this principle's black hair and smooth tan skinned.

"Nathanial Harris, please take a seat.", she smiled at him speaking in the utmost elegance as she signaled to a seat in front of her desk, while he hesitantly moved towards the desk he was put off by her kindness, because he knew no matter what that this woman held no mercy in her mind, no she was malicious and with her flowery vocabulary and kindness as a weapon she planned to incriminate him in the most humiliating of ways.

"Blood Boy.", he said calmly as he sat down and folded his hands unto his lap and this caused Miss Wood to laugh a bit as she got up from her chair, went behind his and started massaging his shoulders lightly.

"It's just one of those crazy things teachers do Nathanial, I'm afraid you'll just have to answer to it for the rest of the conversation," she smiled at him, "And if you're going to speak, I'd prefer if you could remove that ghastly mask of yours so I can hear you."

She said this lightly, but he could tell by the sound of her voice that this was not a question, but rather a demand and it was one he reluctantly obliged to as he unlocked the strap keeping his mask on his face and stared at the principle once more as she walked around lightly and faced him once more.

"So, I hear you became acquainted with Michael Hardy yesterday...", he lifted his hands interrupting her.

"Miss, if I may interrupt you, if you intend on punishing me we can skip the preface and just get straight to it.", he liked the sound of boldness this gave him, but it was quickly obliterated by the principle speaking once more.

"I think you should remember your place once more Nathanial, wouldn't want to metaphorically shove a marble down the throat of someone who merely has your best interests in mind.", this silenced him as she continued her discussion, "Now according to the tapes, which I have reviewed, you struck Michael first and then proceeded to attempt to gouge out his eyes and bite off his ears. If you had succeeded this would've been the second student you had sent to the hospital in the last year alone.", the smile never left her face as she winked at him now, "Assault is a very serious crime Nathanial and we do not tolerate it in the halls of Southridge High, I expected more out of a member of the top 30 students in the school."

This surprised him the most, he had always know that he was a good student academically, but the fact that he was in the top 30? This was probably flattery on her part, but as she continued her sentence, he felt at least a small alignment towards the principle.

"To put it simply Nathanial, we can't have people think you can get away with anything and thusly I have just gotten off the phone with the county and they think that in your case this is a perfectly fitting alternative to sending you to a specialty school this close to graduation and with your grandparents permission I have devised a punishment that will keep you in class and assure that this never happens again.", she smiled deviously at him.

"And what is this?"

"To put it simply, the superintendent himself has given me permission to remove you from all your electives and instead replace them with more advanced math courses, your new schedule starts on Monday, I wish you luck. It'd be a pity for the number thirty student in our school not to graduate due to the fact that he was two credits behind."

She sent him out, as he placed on his mask, her intention was clear and he somehow doubted that Michael would get a similar punishment. He remembered now that he would not get to hear Lauren's playing for the rest of the year as she had effectivally removed him from his music class and instead placed him in AP Calculus and AP Trigonometry -math being his worst subject- with the intent of keeping him friendless and off the graduation podium at the end of the year.

His mouth went into an 'o' shape as he went down the hall and began to whistle Falling Water once more.

((Continued in Sweet for Some and Painful for Others))