The boy sank back into the chair, the picture of nonchalance except for the fingers tapping incessantly against the armrest. He had a lean, lanky frame that was almost fragile looking in the eyes of the director, who sat down across from him.
“Mr. Walker,” he addressed the young man before him. There was no response, or an acknowledgement.
The director sighed and began again, “Mr. Walker, I know that you have no particular interest in being here, but I’m sure you’re quite familiar with procedures by now. They require you to give an account of the events as well.”
“No, they don’t, actually. They require me to apologize for my actions and use the level of my sincerity to evaluate whether or not expulsion is in order.”
“If you say so, Mr. Walker,” The director’s lips tightened, “but, I-”
“I notice that you didn’t deny it, sir. That’s a first,” The boy finally met his eyes with a knowing smirk.
The older man still didn’t have the heart- or energy- to berate the boy though. He was tired of these meetings that were occurring all too often lately.
“What has gotten into you, Mr. Walker? You are generally a well-behaved, high-achieving, respected student here except for…” He trailed off, at a loss for the right words that would get through to the boy.
That boy finished the statement for him, “Except for when I’m not.” One look at his face and it was obvious that wasn’t an insolent statement by intention, just another comment.
“Mr. Walker, you have hospitalized a fellow student in the latest of a series of an unprecedented number of incidents at our academy this year. Please, please be grateful that this is your last year, or else the administration would have finally sanctioned your expulsion at the meeting this week.”
He was taken aback by the sudden flare of intensity in the boy’s face that he couldn’t remember ever having seen there before, “Oh no… that couldn’t possibly be the reason for keeping me this long. Seeing as how it’s my last year, would you mind doing me a favor and telling me the real reason that these delays and excuses have been made in my favor for the last few years?”
The director shook his head, “I don’t believe you should, or would, want to know.”
“Excuses!” The intensity had flared into fire. The boy jolted upright in the seat and pressed his palms down on the table. The director stared down at the trembling forearms and listened to the ragged breathing through clenched teeth, until the tension left those hands and Kaito Walker’s breathing slowed.
“I’m sorry, sir, I think that I really should leave. I’ll be getting back to class now.”
He had just exited the door when the director spoke up, “I notice that you seem to have no intention of dropping the subject. At least, for now.”
A faint reply.
“Touché.”
The door clicked shut.
---
A dark-haired student strides through a school.
He is concealed among others by his uniform. He is marked by his tinted glasses.
He ignores the curious glances. He ignores the fearful. He ignores the vindictive and the pitying. He does not see them at all.
A passcard lies deep in his pockets. He has no interest in going to the hospital. Why in the world would he want to see the product of his own actions? Ridiculous.
