Inferno Part 2

~65~ What Is Up With This Kid?

Ellie's POV

It's my second day back at school and it's been pretty quiet. Around 2:00 Lance comes into my office.

He gives me a small smile. "Um, this is a little awkward, but I need your help."

I just put my supplies down on the cot, and nod silently.

"Dylan is in trouble."

Why the heck is he telling me?

"Ok?"

I called down to Mason, but he's in the middle of presentations this hour. He asked if you could take over until school is out."

I sigh. "Yeah. What did he do?"

He motions for me to follow him to his office.

When I get in, Dylan is sitting down. It's such a good feeling that this isn't my child. I don't have to feel like a failure when he does something wrong. Or embarrassed that he misbehaved at school. It's a pretty nice hat to wear.

I go in and sit down in the chair next to him. He won't look at me.

"Look at me" I say softly.

He immediately does. I'm totally shocked that he did what I just said, but I school my face to hide it.

"What did you do?" I ask sternly.

He sighs and shakes his head. "I don't want to tell you."

"Too bad" I say sharply.

"It's embarrassing" he mumbles.

"Too bad" I say again.

He sighs, looks at Lance, then looks back at me.

"I peed in a bottle and gave it to some loser. Told him I had an extra Mountain Dew."

Holy Cow

"Did he, um..."

"Yeah, he drank it" Dylan says, rolling his eyes.

"DYLAN!!"

Dylan says nothing, he just looks at his hands.

"I've got to throw the book at him for this one" Lance says darkly.

"Be my guest" I say, thoroughly and utterly disgusted.

Once Lance gets done telling Dylan what he's in for, Dylan looks at me.

"Can you talk to Mason, please?"

"About what?"

"Can you convince him not to have Taylor...." he's so embarrassed and upset, he can't even finish the sentence.

"Nope" I say, leaning back in the chair and closing my eyes.

"Ellie, please. It was supposed to be funny." He begs.

"Oh yeah, which part? The part where you lied to someone, or the part where you tricked someone into ingesting something so grotesque, that my stomach is now queasy?"

He sighs and shakes his head. "Please?"

"No Dylan."

Dylan slams back in his chair and crosses his arms, full-on pouting.

"Would you like me to take him?"

Lance looks at the time and then nods. "If you wouldn't mind. I have a meeting in five minutes."

"Sure" I say as I stand up.

"Let's go, young man."

He sighs as he stands up and follows me to my office. When we get in, he just stands there awkwardly.