Nicky Ruzek sighed as he finished the math sheet, he was in second grade and he hated school. Sure all kids hated school, but he really hated it.
It took all he had to sit still in class, his hands constantly fidgeting. His mouth always getting him in trouble, it was just so hard.
He stared at the clock on the wall, his parents would be walking through the classroom door any minute now, he was the only kid in his class who had to stay after school.
He was trouble, at least that's what he heard the teachers talking about when they thought he wasn't listening.
He chewed on the top of his pencil, "Nicholas...get that out of your mouth" Mrs.Harper scolded him, her eyes narrowed and her brow furrowed.
He sucked it further into his mouth, ignoring her demands.
She groaned, and pushed her chair back and marched over to his desk, "I swear.." She huffed as she yanked it from his mouth, "do you ever listen?"
"Nope" he retorted, he saw the anger flash across her face. He knew he pushed her too far, he instantly regretted it.
He did that a lot, it was really hard being eight.
Adam perched his sunglasses atop his head and waited in the lobby of the school, he spotted Kim coming up the steps.
He could tell by the look on her face that she was geared up for a fight, Kim hated Mrs.Harper claiming that she had it out for their son and should have retired ten years ago.
"Hey Darlin', how are you?" Adam asked as he placed a light kiss on her cheek.
She tossed her keys in her purse, "I swear Adam..one of these days I'm going to rip into that woman" she huffed, slipping her hand in Adam's.
"Settle down" he teased, "we don't know what he did this time" he told her, their boy had a knack for finding mischief.
"It was probably nothing..she hates him" it broke her heart to think that someone didn't like her little boy. She knew he was a handful, but what eight year old boy wasn't? Yes, he was a tad bit spoiled and they'd been working on that. He was the center of their universe and he knew it, he often took advantage of that.
Adam groaned, "Babe, she doesn't hate him"
Kim eyed him suspiciously, "Yea she does"
They pushed the door open, Adam sighed as he saw Nicky sitting with his head down on the desk. He saw so much of himself in the little boy, not in his looks but his behavior. Adam had been the typical class clown throughout all of his years in school and spent many afternoons in the principal's office.
"Hey son" Adam touched his shoulder, "sit up"
Nicky sat up in the chair, his bottom lip trembled as Adam glared at him, "Hi dad" he said meekly.
Kim quickly kissed his cheek, "Hey baby..you okay?"
Nicky hugged her, burying his face against her, "I'm sorry mommy" he cried softly.
"Enough with the tears Nicholas" Adam growled, it was the fifth time in less than a month that he'd been called away from work for an impromptu parent teacher conference and he was over it.
"But dad.." Nick tried to speak.
Adam glared at him, silently commanding him to stop talking.
"Mrs.Harper, what's going on?" Adam asked as he sat down on one of the desks, Kim sat cradling their son in her lap.
The teacher took a deep breath, "It seems Nicholas thinks it's funny to clog the toilets, and set all the chrome books to a Minecraft website..our technology department is still trying to fix it" she folded her arms across her chest, "not to mention his total lack of respect for authority, which to be brutally honest is quite shocking considering you're a police officer"
