Get Back Up

Chapter 2

I follow Mr. Crain down a long hallway. I knew where we were going, the Principal's office. This isn't the first time i've been there, a few months ago I went to get a reward. This I am sure will be a much different experience.

Mr. Crain points at a chair near the door, I sit down as he walks into see the principal. I wait for a good 15 minutes before he comes out and tells me I can go in now.

I walk in the room. It is blue colored, with a big glass window to look down at the grounds. There is a big desk, sitting at it is Principal McLeary.

"Please take a seat Miss David's," he says.

I do as he asks. I am shaking with nerves. He must notices because he smiles.

"Angela thee is nothing to be worried about, I just want to hear exactly what happened," he tells me.

"Well Principal Mcleary, I wanted to see if I could throw a baseball over the school. My attempt failed and I hit the window," I told him.

"Yes that is what i've heard," he starts, "But I don't believe that is the truth. Now Angela, I know you, and I know that you wouldn't do something this stupid."

The Principal isn't wrong. He does me, he goes to my church, but it was his church long before it was mine. He's been going since he was young, his brother is the pastor. We've been over to his house for dinner many times, and his kids are some of the ones I babysit.

"But sir, it was I who throw the ball. I broke the window."

He just looks at me for a while and finally says, "Now we both know that is not true."

I just stare at him, I don't know what to say.

"Angela, there are two options here, now you can keep saying you broke the window, in which case this will go on your record, and i'll be telling your parents what you did. Or you can tell me who really did it, and this will not go on either of your records, and i'll tell your parents you were only looking at for your friend."

"How do you know it's one of my friends?" I ask.

"So I am right, you didn't do it." Aww shoot, I see what he did there.

I think for a moment then say, "You promise you will do exactly what you said?"

"I promise," he says.

"Alright, it was Reign."

"I thought as much. Now Angela, this can't go unpunished, and because you were willing to take the fall for your friend, you will share some of his punished. 1 hour detention after school day will be all. As for Reign he'll have to come in an hour early for the next week and help in the cafeteria to earn money to pay for the window."

"But it won't go on his record, and he won't be expelled?" I ask.

"No. Not yet anyway. But Angela if he gets in trouble again, I can't make any promises."

"Of course Sir, I completely understand."

"Well you are free to go now. I do hope next time I see you it will be under better circumstances."

"I hope so Principal Mcleary," I say as I walk out the door.

So that is how I got here. I didn't want to be here, but I guess Reign is worth it. The next hour is one of the longest in my entire life. Detention is extremely boring, somehow I make it through though. At 4:30 I walk out of the school. I barely notice Eddie waiting by the door for me. I keep walking, but he follows.

After a few minutes I stop, with my back turned to him I ask, "What do you want Eddie?"

"I just wanted to talk to you," he says.

"Well I don't feel like talking," I say and continue walking.

"Fine don't talk, I will. Listen Angie I am really sorry. I shouldn't have said what I did. I was just angry. I didn't want to make you upset, I hate to making you cry."

I stop, take a breath and turn towards him, "Thank you for apologizing. But why were you angry? Was it because you got a B?"

"I guess I was angry, because I hate it when your right."

"Excuse me?"

"What's the one question you ask me that I never answer?"

I think for a minute, " Why do you keep putting your heart out to be broken?"

"Exactly. Well I finally have an answer, I just do. I want to have someone in my life who really cares about me, and I do want it to work out. But it never does because I don't have your patience to wait for someone good. But god I wish I did."

"Eddie, what's really going on?"

He hesitates for a minute, "Claire broke up with me a few days ago."

"Oh Eddie, I am sorry. I know you really liked her."

"Yeah, well it's over so I can't do anything about it. But that's why I got the B. I've just been distracted."

I don't know what to say. So I say nothing. We just stand there for a few minutes. Finally I look at my phone, it's almost 5 O'clock.

"Hey I gotta go, I need to get home."

"Oh yeah, right," he says like he just came out of a daze. "Wait a sec though," he says as he grabs my hand and steps closer to me, " Listen I am really am sorry about earlier. You and me, we are not like the others. We gotta stick together, right?"

"Yeah," I say with a smile.

"Good," he says as he leans in and kisses my cheek.

He lets go of my hand, backs away and starts walking towards his house , "See ya tomorrow Angie."

"See ya Eddie."