The Rowlet House

A human in the isles

"Thank you for meeting with me, Ms.Ketchum. I'm sorry I had to call you on such a short notice." Principal Oak took his seat across from Ash's mother at his desk. "But I'm afraid I just couldn't let this issue go much longer."
"What exactly could you not let go on much longer? I know my son, he's not a trouble maker-"
"You misunderstand, Delia. Ash here isn't in trouble."
Ash let out an embarrassed huff, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair as he did. "It doesn't feel that way.." he muttered under his breath, Delia giving her son a small look to behave. "Ash, please be nice." his mother sighed heavily, turning back to face Oak with a worried expression.
Ash could tell his mother was as anxious as he was, he was already noticing her starting to rapidly tap her foot. It was a nervous habit she always had during meetings like this. He hated it when people made her uncomfortable, it hurt him almost if not more than it did her. Delia meant the world to Ash, and seeing her worry about whatever the principal was so insistent about just made his own stomach begin to twist and turn.
Oak took a deep breath, exhaling heavily before he began to speak. "Ms.Ketchum, are you aware that your son doesn't really have any friends within the school?"
"Well.. yes. Ash has struggled to make friends here. He's had a couple but.. he hasn't really been lucky. I've been told the kids here don't really pay him much attention." His mother reached over and ruffled her sons hair, trying to give him a smile. "I don't quite understand why the kids don't hang out with him. Ash is a sweetheart with everyone he meets."
Ash felt his face flush pink at his mothers compliments, a small smile forming as he playfully moved her hand away. "Mom..."
"Well I can't really deny that your son is a really nice boy. I was also baffled by the fact he doesn't have many people
to go to here.. but that is why I've called you here." Oak began to rummage around his desk, pulling out papers and report cards he had been collecting for some time. He slid them to Ash's mother.
Ash's stomach dropped as he saw the grades on the paper, they were scarily low. His mother was already aware of his grades, but the nerves didn't seem to get that. He felt his queasiness only worsen as he began noticing many notes written from his teachers. All with some form of complaint about Ash. None of it was about him particularly being bad, but.. rather that they complained how he wasn't engaged. Some of the words he read went as followed.

'He's a strange little boy, I can never get him to understand what I'm talking about.'

'It's like he could care less about learning, he's always stuck in those comic books he reads so much.'

'I've tried everything, but he just can't seem to get anybody to work with him. He has loud excited outbursts and the kids just don't wanna be around that, and it doesn't help that I can't get him to pay attention long enough to even learn the lesson. I'm starting to think he's just unteachable. He's a good kid just- strange.'

'The boy can't get his head out of the clouds!'

'I'm sorry but if I have to try and reteach him one more thing, my heads gonna explode! Oak I can't handle him anymore, his antics are so wild and he won't sit still! I don't think he belongs in this class, hell I don't think he should even be going to school if none of the kids like him anyways.'

Ash felt his heart sink as he glanced at the notes his own teachers had written. It was like they hated him. And he didn't understand why. All he had done was try and apply himself the way he knew how, it was just so hard to focus. None of the stuff he was learning kept him interested. It was like anytime he tried to do anything productive, his brain would go blank and he couldn't understand the product.

Delia noticed her son reading the papers and quickly shoved them back to Oak. The principal noticed the twos hurt expressions and sighed "Ash's grades have been suffering, and from what I can tell.. he doesn't really have a clue on how to fit in around here. And I can understand, it's really difficult for kids at his age to get this kind of thing right. I struggled to fit in at his age too."