Crimson

Chapter 1: A New Beginning

? Perspective:

I tapped my fingernails against the cherry wood desk as I felt his pale eyes staring straight through my soul. The constant pouring rain outside left the ceiling dripping with water as a bucket sat on the floor to catch the runoff.

"Would you stop that?" he snapped.

I stopped tapping and looked up to meet his cold, heartless eyes. Principal Grant; the worst possible man to be given a job working within a hundred feet of children.

"Oh I'm sorry, is that annoying you?" I questioned sarcastically.

Principal Grant leaned forward out of his chair, hovering over his desk.

"Very much so" he scowled.

I cocked a brow as he began to sit back down in his chair. He looked down toward the paperwork on his desk as he began to fill it out. I sat back in my chair and stared up at the ceiling. Noticing all of the blotchy yellow stains that looked like coffee, I realized how great it was going to be not ever having to set foot in this sad excuse for a high school again. It was only October of my junior year and I had already managed to get myself suspended twice. Well, three times if you include today's fun activity. And we all know what that means. This had been the third school I've been to in my high school career, and I'm afraid this school just isn't the one for me. I looked back to Principal Grant who was still buried in paperwork. I couldn't help it. I was bored. I waited a moment in silence before I started to tap my pointer finger on the desk ever so slightly. At first it seemed he was trying to ignore it, but when I saw his jaw clench, I knew I had done my job. I grinned at the thought of me getting on his nerves.

"You won't be smiling when your uncle gets here. Shall I make you tell him the big news yourself?" he spat.

He crossed his arms and looked at me for an answer.

I shrugged my shoulders;

"I don't think that will be necessary. After all, I won't have to see you again. So it's a bonus for both of us."

I chuckled as his face distorted and he stood up.

"Why you little—"

"—Principal Grant" I heard my uncle's voice as he knocked on the open door and walked into the office.

I silently rejoiced that I'd finally be rescued.

"Ah yes, David, we meet again...unfortunately" Principal Grant sighed.

Whoa, they're on a first name basis already. I'm so proud.

"Please, take a seat" he gestured to the empty chair next to me.

Uncle David soon sat next to me, where out of the corner of his eye I could tell he was giving me a disappointed glare. I'm not sure if he's going to bother giving me the 'you have such a bright future ahead of you' speech, or the 'I've spent two years trying to raise you and I guess I've failed as a guardian' guilt trip.

"Now I'm sure you know that I didn't call you in here because Hannah has won some sort of award-"

"Ahem" I interrupted, not letting his petty insult slide.

Principal Grant rolled his eyes.

"As I was saying, it has come to my attention that Hannah has received another suspension—"

"Wait whoa whoa, what? A suspension? For what?" my uncle cut him off.

I slowly slid down in my chair, knowing that this was going to take a while. It wasn't long before I was twiddling my thumbs. Principal Grant stood up from his chair and walked over towards a nearby filing cabinet. Opening the second drawer down, he pulled a creme filing folder almost three inches thick. As he did so I noticed how thin the other folders were. They were practically empty, and mine was bursting open with papers and records...records of my detentions and suspensions...He pulled another random folder that wasn't nearly as thick as mine but also wasn't empty. Principal Grant walked back over to the desk we were seated at and dropped the two folders side by side in front of my uncle.