Linger

S I X T Y - T H R E E

"Well, Miss Ellis wasn't very cooperative. Let's hope you aren't the same." Principal Blakely let out a sigh as he took a seat behind his desk. 

I lifted an eyebrow at him from my spot across from him. 

"What brings you here, Miss Parker?"

I knitted my eyebrows at him. ". . . I was told to come here . . . ?"

"Ah." He slipped on his glasses. "Why is that?"

I paused for a moment. "Didn't Sasha tell you?"

"I'm here to hear your side. Not discuss other students." 

A sting of pang suddenly shot through my forehead. Although the nurse applied more than enough ointment, I couldn't tell if it was making the pain better or worse. I just wanted to go home. 

I lifted my gaze to see the principal still sitting in front of me. "What happens when one of those students pushes another student into the lockers?"

"Intentionally?" He looked up at me. 

"Yes." 

"To cause harm?"

I bit back my original sarcastic answer. "Yes," I sighed in reply, propping my elbow on the arm rest and resting my head against my palm.

"Well, that student will face necessary consequences." 

I nodded. "Okay." 

"Well . . . ?" He nodded at me expectantly. 

I gave him a confused look. "Well, what?"

"Well, what brings you here?"

The skin on the back of neck burned, making me squeeze my eyes shut. "I don't--I don't really want to talk about it." I ran my fingers over the bandaids on my forehead. 

"It is what we are here to discuss, Miss Parker." 

"Look, can we talk about his another time?" I winced, lifting my head to look at him. "My head is killing me. I can't even think straight." 

"Miss Ellis seemed to cooperate just fine." 

I furrowed my eyebrows. "You just said--"

"She had no injuries." 

"Yeah, 'cause she pushed me into the lockers." 

"Ah." He clicked his pen, scribbling in his notepad. "And what started all this?"

I shrugged. "It just happened."

"Things don't 'just happen', Miss Parker." 

"Okay, then it didn't just happen." I sighed, leaning my head against my palm again, hoping the throbbing would subside. 

"The faster you answer these questions, the sooner you can leave." 

I held my hand out. "I did answer the question but apparently it's not the right answer because you--"

"Now, who did this occur between?"

I gave him a look. He couldn't be serious. "Look. Can you just give me detention or whatever? It doesn't matter. I just want to leave." 

"We need to discuss this before deciding the appropriate disciplining, Miss Parker."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I knew hoping for any type of fair punishment from this school was no use. I may as well accept the punishment now. "Fine. Two girls fighting in the hallway . . . pushing and shoving . . . what's the punishment?"

"Who pushed and who shoved?"

I bit the inside of my cheek as irritation pumped through my veins. "It's hard to tell. Things got messy."