New Ways

NINE

Amery

I was getting nauseous at the amount of respect and support Sigrid was already getting in her very first meeting as a vice president. Don't these people know what she can and cannot do? Planning a budget proposal for the events of an entire university is not the same as coming up with a practice drill for a volleyball championship.

"So what do you say, Amery?" Derek Pinnacle, commissioner of the Student Well-being Committee gave me a prompting look. I noticed how everyone in the room was staring at me, waiting for an answer and probably wondering if I was even mentally present in the meeting as well.

"Excuse me?" I shook my head, trying to get myself back into the discussion. Damn this Sigrid, already occupying my head on her first day here. And not even in a good way, if I may add.

Derek started again, clearing his throat and his voice now projected louder than a few minutes ago. "My committee and I have agreed on the first ever LGBT anti-bullying campaign in Parmont. It lasts for a week and there will be fun games and activities during and after school. We will get external vendors to come and give talks about bullying and all. I'm sure this will be a very beneficial event for the LGBT population in Parmont and also provides the school with a platform to showcase the accepting nature of our environment to other—"

"We have no time for that," I cut him off, holding up one hand.

"But we do have the budget for that, Am," Jean-Pierre interrupted. "There was leftover budget from last year and if we don't use that for at least one beneficial event the board of directors will cut our budget this year and for the coming years too."

"We have Parmont's 20th anniversary event, remember?" I replied matter-of-factly, refusing to turn to face Jean-Pierre on the left because if I did, I'd have to face Sigrid too as she was sitting right beside me. That particular face will only aggravate me more.

Jean-Pierre refused to give up. He sighed, before adding, "But the budget for that is already included in the budget proposal. It just doesn't make any sense to add more to that-"

"You think so, Dupont? Mind giving me the exact figures for the total budget that we are going for this year, then?" I snapped, now forced to finally turn to face Jean-Pierre. His jaws clenched and from the side of my eye I saw Sigrid stiffened in her seat too. "Thought so too. Which brings us to the most important part of today's meeting. Why hasn't anyone spoken up about the proposal? School started on Monday and so far I've only received parts of the proposal from three, I repeat, three out of the ten committees we have here! It's only the first week of school, we just started new subjects and there isn't anything much to do yet! So who are you fools trying to kid?! The submission is on Monday so get your damn heads back in the game! I don't care what it takes for you to send in your individual committee proposals but I want them by the end of tomorrow or I will cut your budget myself by 50%!!!"

I glared back at Jean-Pierre, who was now lightly massaging his temples with his index fingers. He returned me a blank stare when he noticed that I was glaring at him.

"And you," I nodded my head at him, my features still tightened. "I suggest it's time for you to exercise your authority as the treasury president to get the budget done, not by trying to justify your own interests."

Silence occupied the whole room for a moment, before I turned back to face the others. Mr O'Neille looked calm at the other end of the table, even though I could sense that he was speechless at my unexpected outburst too. He had probably gotten used to it, as so the rest of the council. My curiosity probed me to check Sigrid's expression, whether or not she was frightened by my sudden fit of rage. She was the only one in the room who hadn't seen me in this state before and I really wanted to know how she was taking it.

But I had far more important things that had to be discussed and handled immediately before Sigrid assumes I was just as unqualified a leader as she was.

"So, anybody ready to start about the freshman ball next weekend?"