𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐘, ᵁᴺᴰᴱᴿᴳᴿᴼᵁᴺᴰ ᴿᴬᴾᴾᴱᴿˢ & ᴿᴬᴾᴾᴱᴿˢ

MISBEHAVING, 012

IN WHICH... THEIR DAUGHTER HAS BEEN MISBEHAVING IN SCHOOL.

Y/N HAD JUST FINISHED MAKING DINNER WHEN HER PHONE BUZZED.

She glanced at the screen and saw it was her daughter's school calling. Her heart did a little skip, but she figured it was just something minor. Maybe a reminder about the upcoming parent-teacher conference. Her and Keandrian's daughter, Nyla, was an angel at home, always polite, always helpful.

"Hello?" Y/N answered, balancing the phone between her shoulder and ear as she stirred the pot on the stove.

"Hi, Ms. Y/L/N? This is Mrs. Hernandez from Nyla's school. We need you to come in as soon as possible. There's been an incident."

Y/N frowned. "An incident? What happened?"

"Nyla got into a fight and was extremely disrespectful to her teacher. Can you come in right now?"

Y/N's jaw dropped. "Nyla? Are you sure you got the right kid? Nyla Y/L/N?"

"Yes, ma'am.."

She sighed, turning off the stove. "I'll be there in fifteen."

When Y/N arrived at the school, she was led to the principal's office where Nyla sat with her arms crossed, looking defiant. Her teacher, Mrs. Peterson, was there too, looking frazzled.

"Mrs. Y/L/N," the principal began, "Nyla has been fighting with other students and talking back to her teachers. This is very unlike her, but it's becoming a pattern."

Y/N looked at her daughter in disbelief. "Nyla, what's going on? Why are you acting out?"

Nyla just shrugged, staring at the floor.

After a long, uncomfortable conversation, Y/N took Nyla home. She was still processing everything when they got back. Keandrian was at the studio, and she dreaded telling him about their daughter's behavior.

A few hours later, Keandrian walked in, looking exhausted but happy. "Hey, ma. How was your day?"

Y/N sighed deeply. "We need to talk."

He raised an eyebrow. "That serious?"

"Yeah. Nyla been fighting at school and being disrespectful in school."

Keandrian's face shifted from disbelief to anger. "Our Nyla? That don't sound right."

"I know, but it's true. I went to the school today and heard it from the principal."

Keandrian shook his head and headed upstairs, needing to see for himself. He found Nyla on her iPad, looking as innocent as ever.

"Nyla, we need to talk," he said firmly.

She barely looked up. "What?"

He frowned. "Excuse me? What did you just say?"

She looked at him, eyes flashing with an attitude he didn't recognize. "I said, what?"

Keandrian's patience snapped. "You better check yourself. Why you actin' like this at school?"

Nyla rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath.

"What did you say?" he demanded, stepping closer.

"I said, 'mind your own business,'" she snapped, then quickly covered her mouth, realizing too late what she had said.

Keandrian's face hardened. He snatched the iPad out of her hands. "Oh, hell no. You ain't talkin' to me like that. You lost your damn mind?"

Nyla's eyes filled with tears. "Give it back!"

"Not until you learn how to act right," he yelled. "This ain't how we raised you!"

She started crying, and Keandrian walked out of the room, fuming.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

KNOWING KEANDRIAN, HE COULDN'T HAVE STAYED MAD AT HIS DAUGHTER FOR TOO LONG, BUT HE KNEW IT WAS THE RIGHT DECISION.

A few hours later, Y/N and Keandrian sat down with Nyla in her room. She was still sniffling, hugging her knees to her chest.

"Nyla," Y/N began gently, "we need to understand why you're acting like this. You know better."

Keandrian nodded, his tone softer now. "We love you, baby. But you gotta understand that what you did was wrong. Fighting and disrespecting your teachers? That's not who you are."

Nyla sniffed. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I did it."

Y/N hugged her. "We just want you to be your best self, okay? We're here to help you."

Keandrian nodded. "And that means you gotta talk to us. Let us know what's going on, so we can help."

Nyla nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Okay."

They spent the rest of the evening together, watching movies and cuddling on the couch. Despite the rocky day, they knew they'd get through it together as a family.