Don't Stand So Close To Me

Schools Out

Lyra rushes into the Principal's office, "Please, ma'am, I need to see the principal right away, ok please", Lyra says desperately through her sobs and intermittent sharp intakes of breath.

"Now, what on earth happened, dear?" The Secretary consoles her.

"I-just-need-to-speak-to-principal-please" Lyra's breaths were getting shallower but more intense.

"Ok, ok, my sweet, just wait right here." She says softly, hurrying from behind her desk to the office door, which opens before she gets to it

"Principal Higgins, would you mind sparing a few minutes for Lyra? She seems quite distressed." The Secretary asks as persuasively as she can.

"I've gotta deal with....actually, you know what...sure. This way, please." He sighs reluctantly.

Lyra stands in the Principals office and waits to be offered a seat before sitting down, still shaking and crying.

Principal Higgins eyes her with a grimace. Clearly, crying wasn't an emotion he was comfortable around at all, but honestly, neither was Lyra, she hated it, but it felt like she couldn't stop.

He links his hands together and leans across his desk towards Lyra, and asks softly, "So how may I help you, Lyra?"

Lyra tries her best to maintain eye contact but the shame running through her at the moment was so intense, "If I may, sir, I'd like to call my emergency contact and go home for the day. A class I was in brought up a subject that I found quite distressing, and as you can see, their opinions on which have made me very upset."

"I think I know what you're getting at Lyra. Mrs Poole called to tell me all about it. I'm more than happy for you to go home today if you feel that would help you best. I'll deal with Mr Munson." The Principal says with disdain.

"Oh no, sir, Eddie didn't upset me. On the contrary, he stood up for me." This might be the first clear sentence Lyra has spoken since she got here.

"He did, did he? Well, I was told he was disruptive and didn't listen to instruction, and after what you said..." He starts.

"No, sir. Someone wanted to debate a sensitive subject. I felt it might be aimed at me. There was some name-calling. Eddie just voiced the other side of the argument...dramatically...you know how he is." Lyra tries to avoid commenting on Eddie deliberately ignoring Mrs Poole.

Principal Higgins gives a wide-eyed knowing nod, "Indeed I do. Only too well." He rubs his chin with his hand and looks over at Lyra, "I have no reason to distrust you. You've done a great job settling in here, Lyra. Your grades are marvellous, and you are part of the school production. Eddie is very fortunate you got here before he did. Fiona can call home for you, and you can wait with her until they arrive to pick you up, ok?"

Lyra nods, "Thank you so much, sir. I really am trying my best here. Thank you for the opportunity." She quickly gets out of the chair and goes to see Fiona, who calls Phil.

As Lyra turns to take a seat, Eddie is already there. Looking up at her hopefully, "Hey", he says quietly.

Lyra offers him a small pained smile and a wave as she sits opposite him.

"I'm so sorry, Lyra. What happened back there was horrible. So way outta line," Eddie says regretfully like he'd done it himself.

Lyra shakes her head, "Eddie, what are you talking about? You didn't do anything bad. You stood up for me. Which, for your own sake, I'd rather you didn't do, ok?"

Eddie rubs the side of his face with his hand, Lyra is trying to read him, but he seems to be fighting with himself about something. "Ok, maybe I didn't do anything directly, but I think I'm partially responsible, in a way, but not really. Like I believe what I said in there, I don't think badly about you. Not that I think about you and those types of things. It's so complicated, I really want to explain, but I didn't want to have to because it involves other people and secrets and..."