Normal

Consequences

TW: Crying, Yelling, Violence, Child abuse, Medication, Cursing

One Month Until Graduation

"I can't believe you, Virgil." My Father, looks at me, both angry and disspointed. The kind of angry that isn't loud, but it's terrifying.

"..'m sorry." I keep my head down, staring at my hands which are in my lap, fidgeting with my sleeves.

He scoffs loudly and gets up from the dining table, walking behind me and pulling on my hair, jerking my head to face him, making me wince audibly.

"You are seventeen years old. I should not have to be called home from work by your mother because a man visiting your school wants to press charges against you."

I cough on a sob as he lets go of my hair, pushing me back.

"If you had done that in six months time, when you're eighteen, you would be facing prison time for assault."

I don't say anything.
"Do you understand how serious that is?!"

"..Yeah." My voice comes out quiet and hoarse.

"Sorry?"
"Yes, sir." I say louder, wiping my eyes with the palm of my hand.

"You'll be lucky to even graduate at this point. My own son, getting sent to a looney bin and then not even graduating highschool? Pathetic."

"I'm st-still gonna gr-graduate, Dad."

Then, the landline rings.
He grimaces at me and leaves the kitchen to answer it. As soon as he leaves the room, I start sobbing into my arms, head on the dining table.

What happened was, I spoke to Remus for a bit and stayed in the bathroom with him until breaktime, which was when a teacher found his way in and very violently dragged me to the prinipal's office by my shirt collar.

He yelled at me for a good five to ten minutes, but it's all a blur really. Something about disrespect, yada yada.

I don't like getting yelled at.

It's scary.

I also don't like being forced to shove my hand in a container of cold water, but here we are.

Mr Manning kept me in his office for about half an hour before Dr Sanders' talk finished, and then brought him in.

--

"I want to hear an apology from you, Virgil. Now." My headteacher says, glaring me down.

I look to the man sitting with Mr Manning behind his desk.

"I th-think he owes me an a-apology."

"And why is that?"

"Because h-he forced me t-to do something that I-I was clearly uncom-comfortable with!"

Thomas raises his eyebrows. "I don't recall you objecting."
"You grabbed my wr-wrist and shoved in it w-water!"

He leans forward to me and speaks. "I mean this in the most genuine way I can, Virgil. But you are not helping your case by being violent and aregumentitive. This is only going to be used against you when you're assessed."

"I don't n-need your advice on th-this. I can handle it myself." I spit back harshly at Dr Sanders.

"Sorry, advice on what?" Mr Manning asks.
"I just happen to know that Virgil has an upcoming psychological evalutation in a few weeks."