Principal

"We should put a pin on her chair. She'll sit on it, no doubt."

"I don't know, Jess. I mean, it's a little bit too much, don't you think?"

"Are you with me, or are you a chicken that's scared to have some fun?"

"You can call me whatever you want. This is too much."

"Coward. Just keep your mouth shut." I turned from Kevin and went to the teacher's desk while we were alone in the classroom. I knelt and put the pin inside the chair's cushion. I got up. Even though I knew it was there, I couldn't see it anymore.

The bell finally rang. Soon, the teacher entered the classroom.

"Good morning, everyone," she greeted us like she was the nicest person in the universe. No one replied. "I said good morning, everyone," she repeated, now annoyed.

"Good morning, Ms Flores." Our unified, fed-up tone didn't make her satisfied, but she let it slide.

The whole school didn't like Ms Flores, especially me. She had barely graduated from university, and this was, for sure, her first job in the school setting. She was drunk with the power she had over students. She used it more often than any other teacher in the school. Everyone was complaining about her, although no one did anything.

"Alright, sit down, please." She bent over to the computer, typed in her password, found the document, and then turned on the interactive board. She froze the screen and instructed us to write everything on the board. Afterwards, she opened a window.

I pretended to copy the text, except I watched her approach the chair every other second. Every time she went near it, a huge smile appeared on my face, and I quietly giggled. I enjoyed every moment of the tension.

"Ouch!" She jumped from her seat and immediately rushed outside the classroom. It was more pleasant than I could have ever imagined. I laughed under my breath. The whole class was in shock, including Kevin, though he was the only one who knew exactly what had happened.

All my classmates discussed what had just happened in low voices for a few short minutes. Then, the door opened in a sudden rush. There he was, a pumping vein next to his left eye. He slammed the door with force; everyone straightened up. My buttock muscles tightened. He went to the front; he looked at all of us, anger radiating from his whole body. Silence and fear were in the air. He stood there, saying nothing.

When he looked at me, his eyes widened. "Jessica Clarkson! With me!"

I got up and walked towards the exit. He walked from behind the teacher's desk and quickly caught up. When we left the class, I had difficulty keeping up with his pace.

Finally, we reached his office. He opened the door and slammed it behind me; I shuddered a little.

"Sit down." He pulled one of the six carefully tucked-in chairs under the oval table. He sat down and typed for several minutes on his computer. I was sure it was something in my record. He finally turned around on his adjustable swivel chair. His expression shocked me—he smiled.

"Where do we start, Miss Clarkson?" His voice was silky; it was what the school knew him for.

"Sir?"

"This was the first time someone in this school made me so furious. I don't like it. Did you like that side of me?"

"No, sir. I feared you."

"Then why did you smile in the classroom?" I turned my eyes to the mahogany carpet. I didn't know I was still smiling when Mr Harris was inside the classroom. I might have enjoyed Ms Flores' pain much more than I realized.