Anxiety Attack

Chapter 29

Eli's P.O.V

I stared at Finley as she stared back at me, eyes wide with an emotion I couldn't decipher and suddenly our eye contact was broken by a teacher roughly grabbing my arm.

"Come on, Sanders," he said.

I shook my arm free from his but followed him. I wasn't sure how he knew who I was; I'm guessing he asked some students because I didn't have the faintest clue who he was. He led me straight to the office and sat me in a chair outside the principal's office.

"You're in a heap of trouble," he said sternly.

I shrugged. Honestly, I didn't care.

"You might get suspended," the teacher pressed.

I shrugged again. This was the first real fight I'd gotten into, so I highly doubt I'll be suspended.

"How are you taking this so lightly?" the teacher cried, throwing his hands up.

I shrugged again, kind of enjoying how aggravated he was getting. His face was turning funny colors as he got more and more irritated with my behavior.

"Kids these days," he muttered under his breath. "I swear, if I was principal-"

"I can take it from here, Steve, thanks," a cold voice interrupted the teacher's rant.

I looked up and saw Principal Mason. He was a cool guy, big, probably a football player back in his old high school days from the way he always talks to the football team about their playing, and he's reasonably fair. I associated this with the fact that he probably was sent to his principal when he was in high school, so he sympathized with us poor delinquents.

Steve, I guess that was the teacher's first name, flushed, mixing his purple face from being angry with red, making it look like he'd gotten punched several times in the face. "Yes sir," he squeaked.

I snorted at that. Coward.

Just then, Principal Mason's eyes fell on me and he sighed. "Sanders, what did you do now?"

"He got in a fight," Steve jumped in. "He beat Trey Fuller up so now Trey's in the nurse's room right now," as he spoke, Steve shot me a nasty look.

I stuck my tongue out at him and he jumped back, a little taken aback that I was smarting off to him.

"Sanders, I swear I'll-" he threatened but Principal Mason cut him off. "I'll deal with Sanders, if you please," he said coldly. "I am the principal, yes?"

"Yes sir," Steve mumbled and he left. As he did so, he shot me a smirk, probably thinking that I was going to get in so much trouble for this.

I rolled my eyes and was quite tempted to flip him off, but I didn't want to make my situation worse.

Principal Mason sighed. "Sanders, get in my office."

I followed him into his office and sat in the uncomfortable chairs on one side of his desk while he got the big plushy one behind his desk. He sat down and sighed deeply. "Sanders, what am I going to do with you?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, sir."

Principal Mason surveyed me from across the desk. "Sanders, what exactly happened?'

"He was implying that he and a bunch of other guys wanted to-" my fists clenched just thinking about it. "To have their way with Finley Collins."

That made Principal Mason raise his eyebrows. "Ms. Collins?" he frowned. "Why was Trey talking to you about Ms. Collins?"

"Finley and I are friends," I explained, my throat tight as I couldn't add the 'girl' in front of friend at the moment.

"You're friends with Ms. Collins," Principal Mason stated, as if trying to believe it.