The Life of Nathaniel

Chapter 26

We get to math class and are taking our seats when the bell rings.

"Good morning class. Let's begin." The teacher says. I remember her to be Mrs. Springs. "Today will just be review for your test tomorrow." She walks around handing out review guides.

I look at the guide and then at Mackenzie, "Can I borrow a pencil again?"

"Of course." She reaches into her bag and pulls out a pencil, which she hands to me.

"Thanks," I take it and turn my attention back to the guide before me. I put pencil to paper and math to mind and I work on the packet.

When I had finished problem 10 out of 12, the phone rings. It draws the attention of everyone. Mrs. Springs answers the phone and I return my attention to the problems at hand. I had just solved the final problem when Mrs. Springs says, "MacKenzie. Nathaniel. The office wants you."

"Take our stuff?" MacKenzie asks.

Mrs. Springs nods and MacKenzie begins to put her stuff up. "Can I go too?" Aubry asks.

"Is your guide finished?"

"Yes." She says.

"Then fine." Mrs. Springs hangs up the phone. I grab the only thin I had, Mackenzie's pencil. I leave the guide where it was on the desk.

MacKenzie and Aubry finish getting their stuff together, and we leave the classroom and head towards the office. We walk in silence, having an idea for why we were being called down.

When we get to the office, we are ushered right into the principal's office. "Hello, my name is Mr. Royal, and you must be Nathaniel." We shake hands. "I've called you down because your mother is on her way in."

"She's my aunt. My mother's dead." I say.

"I'm sorry for your loss," he says, "I called her in, to talk about your continued attendance here. We would like it if you started to come to school."

We turn our heads as a knock draws our attention. "Sir, she's here and she seems angry." Comes over the intercom on his phone

"Let her in," Mr. Royal replies. The door opens and my aunt storms in, "Welcome, Mrs. -"

"What have they done? What was so important that you had to call me in?" She storms to the des.

"Well, straight to the point. Your daughter is doing spectacular." Mr. Royal says.

"And the other one?" She points at me.

"Your nephew is doing fantastic -"

"Why did you call me in?" Her face changes to a darker red as if it was a cartoon.

"So we can talk about enrolling your nephew in our school." Mr. Royal was clearly trying to calm her down.

"He doesn't need public schooling. I'm homeschooling him." My aunt says, standing in front of the desk with her hands planted firmly on the desk. We were trying to not draw attention to ourselves by standing off to the side.

"What about your daughter? Why dont you home school her?" Mr. Royal says, exposing a flaw in her argument.

Knowing that her lie was exposed, she turns to a more aggressive strategy. "Where do you get off with telling me how to raise my family?"

"If you do not calm down so we can talk, I will have to call security to force you to calm down." Mr. Royal had easily pressed a button on his phone while he was talking.

"Are you threatening me? Are you really threatening me?" After having been hit many years prior, I was well aware of what motions my aunt did before throwing a punch. Her hands clenched. Her arms visibly tensed. Before I knew what I was doing, I rushed forward.