Suzy of the house Miller

Chapter 6

            Suzy had never been to the Principal's office before. There was something about the threat of getting sent there that made the biggest troublemakers sit quietly. She never considered herself to be a troublemaker, yet here she was. She sat outside the office on the chairs lining the wall and waited. Cuddles sat next to her, sprawled out on a few chairs. His head was in her lap and he could feel her sadness and disappointment. The clock slowly ticked by on the wall and Suzy sat quietly in the waiting room, looking down at Cuddles' head and gently petting it. She heard the sound of a door opening, and she looked up to see another girl walk in and sit down next to her. The other girl seemed a few years older than her, with wavy blond hair. She reached into a backpack and pulled out a thermos, the type where the cap seemed to double as a cup. She opened it and poured some tea into it. It smelled rich and fragrant, like no other tea Suzy had seen or smelled before. The girl took a long sip and then turned to look at Suzy.

"So," She said, "What are you in trouble for?"

"It's a long story," Suzy said.

"I don't mind," The girl said. "It's not like I'm going anywhere. I'm Alexis, by the way."

"I'm Suzy, and this is Cuddles," Suzy said, looking down at his head.

"Nice dog," Alexis said. "Unique. Where'd you get him?"

"Anubis."

Alexis raised her eyebrows and took a long sip of tea. "I'd probably be more skeptical if he wasn't made of bones. Kinda hard to ignore."

"I was hoping he'd be able to help," Suzy said, "But it seems everyone just got scared."

"So what exactly happened?" Alexis asked. Suzy obliged.

That morning, Suzy had headed to school with her dad. Cuddles sat in the back seat with her, a large sheet next to the both of them.

"Now, Suzy," Her dad said, "Are you sure you want to do this? I know you said he listens to you, but I still don't think it's a good idea."

"If I can show people how cool Cuddles is, then maybe people won't be so wary of Anubis."

Suzy's dad sighed. "Alright, I won't stop you. If Anubis trusts you to do the right thing, I should too. Call me if anything happens, alright?"

Suzy nodded and got out of the car. It was still early, and most kids hadn't arrived yet. She gripped Cuddles' leash and took a deep breath before heading into the school. She made it into her classroom without anyone seeing her, and sat down at her desk. Cuddles sat down next to her chair, and she told him to stay still as she draped the sheet over him. She wanted him to be a surprise, to impress people as she revealed him for the Show and Tell. He stayed there still as a stone, waiting for Suzy to ask him to do something. They sat in silence for a while, waiting for the day to start. The Show and Tell would take place in the first hour, so they only had to wait a little while longer. Out the window, Suzy could see the school bus pull up outside the school, and the air filled up with the sound of children piling off the bus and heading inside, talking and laughing.

The door to the classroom opened, and people began piling in. They were all talking among themselves, some carrying other things for Show and Tell. Suzy felt something coming from Cuddles, an unrest. She figured that if Cuddles could tell how she was feeling, it'd make sense that it works the other way around too. Normally he seemed rather carefree and happy when he was near her, but now it was different. So many different sounds and smells, so many new people around that he didn't know. He seemed tense, and Suzy put one hand on him over the blanket to calm him. He seemed to relax a bit but was not comfortable here. Finally, the chatter settled down as the children got into their seats and the teacher walked in.