Superheroes Suck

Chapter 9: We've Got a Comedian on Our Hands

He was okay with Murphy.

That simple sentence play through my mind as he led me to the principal's office. I was struck by the simplicity of the words and the moment we had just shared.

Some of that wore off when I saw the way the secretaries glared as we passed them. Principal Roger's eyes never left us as he stood at the foot of the door to his office, beckoning us inside. I guess Thresher decided to call ahead.

Principal Rogers wordless ushered us in and had us take our seats, his eyes never leaving ours. Damn, Thresher must have told one hell of a story to get us in this deep before we even had a chance to explain ourselves.

The room itself smelled like peppermint and tears. Okay, so maybe it didn't smell like tears - I can't say I know what tears smell like - but this place is depressing to say the least. I don't think I remember ever being here for something this bad, then again I'm not here for doing something wrong.

"Do either of you have anything to say for yourselves?" His voice was dry and brittle and I saw any chance of walking out of here unscathed fall away.

Murphy kept his gaze square on him, his voice even and sure. "I don't think it's fair to judge this situation before we've had a chance to explain ourselves. You've obviously already chosen which side you are on this issue so maybe it would be better to bring an unbiased third party in."

"I am an unbiased third party." Principal Roger's voice thundered, offended at the notion that he had done something wrong.

"Then you shouldn't have preconceived notions about what happened based on only one party's point of view." Murphy argued sternly.

"Fine, then tell me exactly what happened Oliver." Principal Rogers straightened up ever so slightly in his chair and fixed his tie. "I can't make any decisions until I know the full story."

"My point exactly." Murphy seemed so confident as he spoke, as if he had all the power and it showed in the way Principal Rogers had begun to conduct himself. "Nova and I were both in class when Mr. Thresher caught Nova and I passing a note. Instead of giving us detention, something that I would agree was warranted, he began to verbally berate her.

"I had seen him do it before to her but, I had never had the courage to stand up to him. He's a teacher and I'm just a student, one whose grade is partially determined by being on his good side. I guess I just had enough today, and I told him to stop and he threatened me too, saying that I was going to regret it if I didn't mind my own business."

"Why exactly did you stick your nose into someone else's business?" Principal Rogers paused for a moment, seeing the error in his question and took a moment to reword it. "Why did you intervene if the situation was between Miss. Renier and Mr. Thresher."

"As I mentioned before, we both were passing notes so I was just as responsible as her. Not only that, but what Mr. Thresher was doing was affecting my class time. It isn't the first time he's done this and it certainly won't be the last. "

Principal Rogers seemed to see he was no match for Murphy. "Oliver, it seems you have done the majority of the talking here. Miss. Renier hasn't said a word since the two of you set foot in my office. I think it's about time she relay the story in her own words. Miss. Renier?"

"Alright." The attention on me, and my encounter with Thresher, seemed to have gotten to me. "It started the moment I walked through the door. Mr. Thresher commented on how I was late again even though I had a few minutes til the bell rang and other people were coming in at the same time. During his lecture, he caught Murphy and I passing a note between ourselves.