I absolutely despise everything about school! My stupid, uncomfortable uniform; the boring, gray brick hallways; the messy whiteboards; the girls who stand in the halls and talk; the elitist staff; everything! But most of all, how damn pretentious those kids in student council are!
—
The woman in front of me donned a gray pantsuit, only slightly darker than the walls surrounding her. Bleach blonde hair tied up into a bun, glasses that sat far too low on her nose for her to see, chin resting upon her folded hands, and the cold blue eyes of a disappointed mother. That's the principal, Mrs. Cumberbottom. And she has a thing or two to say to me.
"Miss Dottie, do you know why I decided to keep you after class?"
"N...no ma'am." Of course I fucking know. Having a GPA of 1.27 in an elite school can easily warrant getting kicked out. How I haven't been yet is beyond me. But I'd rather let my principal think I'm ignorant, as she might be more merciful that way.
"I'm not sure when the last time you checked your grades was, but as of now you're sitting at a 1.27 GPA. It's your senior year and colleges are going to be seeking out the best. I'm sure you know that, right?"
"Yes ma'am. I'm sorry." No shit! I'm dumb but not that dumb, I recognize my grades are bad. God, she's so condescending.
"If you know, then I expect you to do better. Would counseling help? Mrs. Reeze is wonderful at helping you girls through hard times." Oh God. Not Mrs. Reeze.
"Oh, no, it's nothing like that!"
Suddenly, it's uncomfortably silent. Mrs. Cumberbottom is looking at me with antipathy. She sighs, and brings her head up from her hands.
"Well, if it isn't something like that, I'd at least like to get you a tutor...." Uh oh.
"Surely you know Miss Laura Vam?" UH OH.
"I had spoken to her beforehand, and she said she'd be entirely willing to help you with your studies, free of charge! Isn't that wonderful?"
She talked to her...without telling me?
I hate this bitch.
"Oh, really? That's great!" But I can't let her know that.
Mrs. Cumberbottom hums happily and proceeds to pick up the phone. She only types in four numbers, so I can tell she's calling someone within the school. Watching her fingers, I can see the numbers. 8-8-2-6. Mr. Ulock's room.
The Student Council room. I listen to her phone conversation with a smile.
"Mr. Ulock! Are you guys all too busy right now? No? Well that's a surprise! Ha ha ha!" She's laughing at her own joke. How embarrassing.
"Well, if not, I was wondering if you could send Miss Vam down. I have a student with me..." she looks at me and winks, "...who'd like to make some arrangements. It shouldn't take all too long." God, I wish I were dead.
"She can come down? Oh, how swell! All right, thank you so much! Yup, buh-bye, bye!" After that, she slams the phone back down with much more force than I'd recommend, and turns her attention towards me.
"All right hun, Miss Vam will be coming down in just a sec, alright? Let's sit tight for a second." Nodding with a forced smile, I try so hard not to let my homicidal thoughts show. Oh, how I wish this hag would die.
—
It takes about two minutes for that chick to arrive, which is a rather long time considering Mr. Ulock's room isn't that far. As she walks in the doors to the principal's office, you can tell she already owns the space. Standing at about 5'10", she's rather tall for a girl, and insanely tall for being half Vietnamese. Her hair is dark, long, and somehow flows perfectly as she walks. She wears a white headband--despite it not keeping her bangs out of her face at all--and her eyes are medium brown and sharp. She had a few moles on her face. I do too, but hers are charming, while mine are weird, I guess.
Mrs. Cumberbottom is fucking delighted. I try so hard to hide my rage.
"Miss Vam, I apologize for interrupting whatever it was you were doing, but I'm so glad you're here." What about what I was doing?
"Aw it's no issue! I said I was open to this, after all!" God, I hate her saccharine voice. It screams, "I'm an elite!"
Mrs. Cumberbottom proceeds to introduce me.
"This is–", but Vam cuts her off with false excitement.
"Ah, Dottie Ramos! Yes, I know you! We have ceramics together. Gosh, your pots are always so cute." The smile she wears...it doesn't fit her.
"Oh. Thank you. Yours are nice too." I've never seen hers. Looking at her is a pain, but she takes the compliment anyways.
I think Mrs. Cumberbottom is feeling left out (her favorite student has barely acknowledged her), so she decides to enter herself back into the conversation with a strained smile. I'm a bit thankful.
"It's so good to know you ladies already get along! Here Miss Vam, sit down and we can discuss the arrangements." She gestures to the only other open seat in the room–the one to my right–and Vam sits. It seems she makes an effort to look pretty while doing it, as she flattens her skirt, and tucks in her hair. How pretentious.
And so we discuss from there.
---
Note:
The cover art shall be edited in the future! Meow! But I had to get this outta my head lmao. I may also add chapter art if I feel like it.
Sorry that this chapter is short, this scene fits best on its own.
YOU ARE READING
Me and V
Diversos"Nothing about school is any good! Waking up early, going to bed late. Self-righteous teachers, useless counsellors. Homework, standardized testing. Gum under the desks, the weird kids that put it there. It's all terrible! But the worst of the worst...
