Black as Day (ON HIATUS)

Nima's Flashback- Part Two

"Nima," the principal said sternly. "You do realize that hitting another student is very bad, right?"

She sullenly looked down, swinging her legs.

"I am so sorry," her mother gushed for the thousandth time. "She's usually not like this at all!"

Nima looked over at Mark, who was snivelling in the corner. Wimp.

"She punched me!" He yelled suddenly, rubbing his shoulder. "Is she in trouble yet?!"

"Quiet down, Mark." The principal snapped. "You're in trouble too."

His mouth dropped open. "But- what did I do?" 

His mother hissed in annoyance. "Mark, listen to what the principal tells you to do!"

Mark crossed his arms, pouting.

"Now." The principal clasped his hands and leaned forward onto the desk. "Why doesn't Nima tell me just what happened."

She lifted her head defiantly, shooting a glare at Mark. "I was just talking with Rachel, when he just came over and pushed it down for no good reason!" Nima said, voice raising to a shout at the end.

"And then?"

"So I punched him."

"And was that the right thing to do?"

"Yes!"

"Why?"

"Because he was being an asshole!"

Her mother, Mark's mother, and the principal gasped in unison. "Nima!" Her mum shouted. "That is completely inappropriate! Why would you say something like that?!" She frantically turned to the principal, obviously flustered.

"I am so, so, so sorry! I have no idea where she picked that up! Must have been from one of those books for older kids that she's always reading; I'll have to pay closer attention to what she's doing, I-"

The principal cleared his throat. "Ma'am, it's fine. Although we do not tolerate such language in this school," here he glared at Nima, "I will let it slide for now."

Nima knew that what she had said was bad as soon as it had crossed her lips. But that didn't make it untrue. Still, she knew she shouldn't have been swearing.

"Sorry." She mumbled. "But not about hitting Mark. About the swearing."

Her mother sat back in her chair. "Nima, we will talk about this later." Her voice held untold threats.

Nima huffed in frustration. "He pushed down my tower!"

Now it was the principal's turn to look at Mark. "Yes, Mark, why did you push down her tower?"

Mark simply crossed his arms and pushed out his bottom lip. Nima scoffed silently and resisted the urge to roll her eyes. He was such a little wimp. And a meanie. "Mark." The principal's voice held a warning.

He let out a hugely exaggerated sigh. "I just wanted to see what would happen."

Nima's anger peaked. "I told you what would happen, I explicitly told you! Both Rachel and I told you that it would fall over!" Her hands clenched into fists. She could not physically comprehend how somebody could lack so much common sense.

Mark, instead of getting offended like she had expected him to, simply blinked slowly. "Ex-pli-cit-ly?"

Nima buried her face in her hands and made an unintelligible sound of frustration.

"Enough!" the principal suddenly exclaimed. "Mark. Do you understand that pushing down something that another student made is wrong?"

"Yes."