Broken Hands

97. Standing for the better and the worse

Grayson, Antoine, and Timothy were ushered into Hawthorne's office by two stern-faced staff members in brown uniforms. The room carried it's usual stiff air, its walls lined with towering shelves of dusty books that smelled of aged paper and wood polish. A large oak desk stood at the center, perfectly organized, with a nameplate that read "Headmaster Hawthorne" in gold lettering. Behind the desk sat Hawthorne himself, his steely gray eyes fixed on the boys with a gaze that could set anything ablaze.

The three boys stood in a line before him, their gazes varying—Antoine looked at the floor, his small frame trembling with anxiety; Timothy glanced sideways at Grayson, his expression pleading for restraint; and Grayson stood tall, his jaw clenched, refusing to break eye contact with the man in charge.

Hawthorne leaned back in his chair, his fingers interlocked on the desk. His voice, deep and measured, broke the heavy silence. "Do you three understand the gravity of the accusations against you?" he asked. "Disrupting the exam hall, causing chaos, disregarding protocols, and breaking school rules. This undermines the structure of this institution."

Grayson opened his mouth to speak, but Timothy stepped forward first. "Sir, if I may," he began cautiously, "Grayson was only trying to help. There was a situation—"

"Silence," Hawthorne interrupted, his tone sharp but calm. "I will hear from each of you in turn. Grayson, since you seem to be at the center of this, explain yourself."

Grayson exhaled sharply, trying to steady his temper. "I received a note during the exam, sir. It said Antoine was in danger. I tried to tell the supervisor, but they ignored me. I didn't have a choice. I had to act."

Hawthorne raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "A note? And you decided to disrupt the entire hall based on that? Why not trust the staff to handle the matter?"

Grayson's fists tightened, his voice rising slightly. "Because trusting the staff could've cost someone their life! The staff never trust us, and there would have been too many questions and speculations, Antoine needed help, and I wasn't going to sit around and wait for you all to decide if it was serious enough to intervene."

Antoine sniffled, "He's telling the truth... he saved me..."

Timothy nodded in agreement, stepping forward again. "Sir, I was there. Grayson acted because he didn't see any other option. He was trying to help Gilbert."

Hawthorne's gaze hardened. "Help? Or insubordination? You boys seem to think you can justify breaking the rules with good intentions. This is not a playground where you get to decide what's right or wrong. There are protocols for a reason."

Grayson's anger boiled over. He stepped closer to the desk, his voice cold and cutting. "Like the protocols you followed fifteen years ago, Headmaster?"

The room fell silent. The staff members froze, their eyes darting between Grayson and Hawthorne. Even Timothy seemed taken aback, glancing nervously at Grayson. Antoine stopped sniffing, his wide eyes fixed on the headmaster.

Hawthorne's expression didn't change, but a muscle in his jaw tightened. "You don't know what you're talking about," he said evenly.

Grayson didn't back down. "I know enough. I know that boys here don't feel like they're being given a second chance. They feel like inmates in a prison, serving time for mistakes they can't take back. You say this place is about redemption and last chance, but all it does is break them down further."

"Enough," Hawthorne said, his voice still calm but carrying a dangerous edge.

Grayson ignored him, his defiance growing. "You talk about discipline and structure, but where's the humanity? Where's the family this place is supposed to be? If this school actually cared, boys like Antoine wouldn't feel like they have no one to turn to."