Growing up McGarrett

The Office Again

"Mike Sam has something she needs to talk to you about", my dad said and looked at me. I sat there like a deer caught in headlights. My mind was going around in circles, my heart beating at a thousand beats a minute and I had lost the power of speech. "Yes Sam", Mr. Thompson said looking at me expectantly. Dad touched my arm gently and gave me a look of encouragement. "It's ok, go ahead", he said. Oh yeah, easy for him to say! Ok well here goes nothing. "It's about Ms. Higgins", I start, "I've been having problems with her since the beginning of the year". "Really", Mr. Thompson cut across me stiffly, "you are going to try to make excuses for your behaviour yesterday?" "I'm surprised at you Samantha and frankly Steve I'm disappointed that you would back her up on this!" I knew it. I knew he would think that. He wasn't going to believe me after the way I had behaved towards her. I slumped, dejected back into my chair, wishing the damn thing would just swallow me whole. But at the same time Dad sat up straighter in his and I felt him tense up. "Hang on a second", he replied to the principal, his tone was not a happy one. "Sam completely accepts that her behaviour yesterday was way out of line and I have punished her for that appropriately". My face is now on fire. Please, please let there be an earthquake, or a meteor blast or something to take me out of this room! Dad carried on oblivious to my embarrassment. "However if you had let her finish you would see that there was an issue with this teacher long before yesterday but Sam was too afraid to talk to anyone about it". He took a deep breath, I could tell he was trying to calm himself down. 

Mr. Thompson started typing something into his computer. "Let's see", he said, "your record for English class". Oh crap! "Grade average D and no less than four detentions". Dad didn't even flinch. I had only told him about one detention, now he knew the full extent of it. He wasn't giving anything away though. Mr. Thompson continued "I'm not surprised you have an issue with your teacher with a record like that!" He was pretty angry, even more than he had been yesterday it seemed. I felt the tears well up in my eyes and I tried to say something, to try to stick up for myself but I couldn't. What did it matter anyway he wasn't going to believe me. Then my dad stood up and landed the folder of assignments on the desk in front of the principal. He was angry and had his don't mess with me body language going on. "These are Sam's assignments, I would like you to read them, if after that you still believe that this is all my daughter's fault then we will discuss how best to address that". Great he's siding with them. "However", he continued, "if you realise that Ms. Higgins actually has an unfounded bias against Sam I will expect you to take appropriate action. I will wait to hear from you." With that he took my hand, said we were leaving and whisked me out of the office. 

Before I knew it we were sitting in the truck. It had all happened so quickly my head was spinning. Then I remembered the look on Thompson's face when Dad had said all that stuff and we walked out. His jaw was nearly hitting his desk! I start to giggle. "God Dad you were so cool in there, did you see his face?!" Then he looks at me and I stop giggling, he's still mad. "I'm glad you find this amusing because I certainly don't!" he snaps. "Four detentions Samantha? So three more times when you forged my signature and lied to me! So what's that, ten times in total? You expect me to laugh and cheer about that?!" I don't say anything back. Instead I turn my head to look out the window, fighting back the tears that I can feel coming. Here we go again! Doesn't he get it? I can feel his eyes on me so I defiantly cross my arms. "Have you anything to say?" he spits. I see red. Stupid, reactive, impulsive Sam is back and she is pissed off! "I HAVE LOADS TO SAY", I shout at him, "BUT IF I SAY IT I'll GET INTO MORE TROUBLE". "DON'T YOU DARE RAISE YOUR VOICE TO ME YOUNG LADY!" he shouts back. "WHY NOT? YOU'RE RAISING YOURS TO ME!" "THIS IS EXACTLY WHY I DIDN'T TELL YOU ABOUT THE DETENTIONS", I continue, "I KNEW YOU WOULD FLY OFF THE HANDLE. IT DOESN'T MATTER TO YOU WHY I DID SOMETHING JUST THAT I DID IT. YOU ACTED IN THERE LIKE YOU SUPPORTED ME BUT YOU ARE JUST ANOTHER BLOODY HYPOCRITE!" "That is enough Samantha", he cuts me off in a deathly calm voice, staring at me. I'm shaking but stare back at him, my anger still raging. I know his is too but he is so much better at controlling his emotions. Probably a good thing right now. 

He pinches the bridge of his nose and is about to say something when his phone rings. Saved by the proverbial bell! "McGarrett!" he snaps into it. "Whoa, who pissed in your cornflakes?" It's Danny. "What's up Danny?" Dad asks with a tired sigh. "We've got a case". "OK I've got Samantha so I'll meet you at the Palace." Danny said something else but dad hung up and buckled his seat belt. I took that as the cue to buckle mine. I guess our 'discussion' was over. Dad pulled the truck out of the school grounds. He shot me a warning look and said "this conversation is not over" as if he knew what I was thinking, "not by a long shot!" With that he turned on his lights and sirens and drove like a lunatic towards Five-O headquarters. Great, I can't wait for the next installment! Luckily I had the sense to say that to myself, not him!

Author's note
Hi everyone so sorry it's taken ages to write this chapter. I hope it was worth the wait.