Only Once

Chapter Sixteen: A meeting with the Principal

Chapter Sixteen: A meeting with the Principal

Spencer stared at the board as his functions teacher spoke and scribbled things on it. It was all rather confusing as he had no idea what their unit was even about as he hadn’t been following along in the past lessons. He wasn’t even paying attention. Yet, despite his clear lack of understanding about what was going on, he was still taking notes.

Instead, Spencer’s mind was preoccupied with thoughts of the band. The previous night, Clay had texted him saying how he’d found out of some gig at a local pub and that they should do it. From what Clay had said, it was supposed to be all newcomer bands that would get to perform a bit and see the audience’s reactions. They wouldn’t get paid but if they were good than they might be able to play again at the pub. Everyone thought it was a great idea.

Spencer, however, was rather skeptical about it. The gig was in two weeks which wasn’t nearly enough for them to get good and actually sound decent.

“Spencer?”

His head snapped up to find the teacher looking at him.

“Yeah?” he said with a sheepish smile; had she noticed that he wasn’t paying attention? Was he going to make him answer a question in front of everyone?

“You’re wanted in the principal’s office,” his teacher told him and hung up the classroom phone. “Take your stuff with you.”

A chorus of “ooh’s” traveled through the class and Spencer rolled his eyes at their capriciousness as he shut his binder and stuffed it in his backpack.

“Wow Spence,” one of the annoying girls who sat beside him said.

Spencer felt his eyebrows go up. They never even acknowledged his existence, let alone called him “Spence”.

“You are so BA.” The other one squealed.

“Huh?” he had no idea what that stood for. Leave it to those two to come up with stupid abbreviations no one knew of.

The girl gave a flirtatious smile, surprising him in the process, and opened her mouth to speak but the teacher beat her to it.

“I’d appreciate it if you could leave my class without disrupting my lesson.” Their math teacher snapped.

While he walked to the principal’s office, he wondered why he had been called down. He couldn’t think of recently breaking any school rules and doubted he was being called down to get some special award. Spencer knew, however, that he’d be screwed if he was to get in trouble. Recently Joel had been throwing around hints of kicking him out. And he had a feeling that this might possibly be the last straw.

By the time he finally reached the principal’s office after walking down flights and flights of stairs, he was rather scared. 

Gulping, he tapped on the door gently and waited for an answer.

“Come in,”

He gingerly opened the door and stepped in to find Principal Roderick behind his large, mahogany desk and Stacey sitting in one of the chairs across the desk.

Shit, I really am in trouble. Spencer thought as he took a seat beside Stacey.

“Hello Spencer,” Principal Roderick pleasantly spoke.

But Spencer wasn’t fooled. The principal always started his meetings all nice and pleasant before he suddenly got mean.

At first it was silent and Spencer took the time to quickly examine his surroundings, seeing soon that everything was the same from his last visit. The blinds to the window were closed, the couch was unmoved and a picture of the principal's hot daughter was still on his desk.