The Rise of Poison

Chapter 6: The Principal's Office

       After the agonizing long walk to the Head Master's office, the boys sat down on uncomfortable metal chairs beside each other in Ms. Zyke's spacious office. Ms. Zyke sat on a black swivel chair behind her dense redwood desk. She held a lavish inkwell pen that was about to ink all over two white referral forms. She tapped the top of the pen on her chin a few times before she asked, "Who started the fight?" 

        The boys looked at each other. Yuuto opened his mouth to confess to the affray, but Kenta stopped.

"I did, Ms. Zyke." 

She raised her right eyebrow and leaned forward, writing down what Kenta said. 

Yuuto looked at his friend with wide eyes. Why would he do that for me?

"Hmm, look, even if you did cause the fight. They will still put the blame on Yuuto. I know some of the members of the board.  They are not very fond of Reborns."

She sighed and put her pen down on the table. A soft click sound came from the pen hitting the table.  

        "But Ms. Zyke, you saw with your own eyes me beating the heck out of Yuuto," said Kenta

        "Kenta, watch your language!"

        "Sorry, Ms. Zyke." 

         "Ms. Zyke, what would happen to me if I started the fight," asked Yuuto. 

        The room fell silent as she tried to remember the law for Reborns.

 "Because of the new laws the king has issued for Reborns, Yuuto would be faced with a criminal offense. He would be arrested even if he lost the fight. Hopefully, the Board of Discipline will let this be a school issue and not a military one. But since you two are now adults, the military police will most likely take this case. Plus, from the looks of both of you, Kenta looks more beat up than you Yuuto. Your wounds are healed, so you don't have any evidence to show that Kenta started it." 

        Yuuto looked over at Kenta. His heart fell when he saw how beat up he was. "Damn, I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to take things that far. Kenta, how ya feeling?" 

        Kenta hung his head down, clasped his hands together, and sighed, "I'm still in a lot of pain, but other than that I feel fine."  He looked up at Ms. Zyke.

        "Hmph, well on that note, you two will be suspended for the next two days and cannot go to the Graduation Ceremony by the end of this spri." 

        Both boys were surprised by how extreme the punishment was.  Graduating meant everything to a senior. The school year consisted of four semesters that ended every sixteen weeks. At the end of each semester (fall, spri, sum, and wynter), a final was given to students to test what they learned during the course. For seniors, they have the opportunity to graduate four times during their senior year. Between the spri and sum semesters, students have sum break that last for four weeks. They also have a wynter break between the fall and wynter semesters for four weeks. There is also a short spri break. 

  "Ms. Zyke! Are there any other punishments? We're seniors! We have to go," said Yuuto. 

        Kenta sighed heavily and sat back in his chair crossing his arms. 

"Ms. Zyke, why can't we attend the Graduation Ceremony? Look, I already forgive him!" He leaned over and gave Yuuto a huge tight hug and a quick peck on the cheek. 

        "Hey," wiping his cheek, he said, "Was that necessary?"

        "That was absolutely necessary!"

 He let go of Yuuto and sat back in his painful metal chair. 

        Ms. Zyke shook her head."Because of our No-nonsense Policy, you two will be stripped of your ranks. You will no longer be second and third rank students. You two should have known about that policy." 

        "Maybe, you can put us on probation," suggested Kenta. 

She slightly re-adjusted herself in her seat and leaned back.  She clasped her hands in front of her mouth and thought for a minute. She was always strict with the rules and regulations, but this was a loophole.

 That could be an exception. They are really well-behaved students and it is pretty harsh to revoke their ranks because of one spontaneous fight. I've watched these two grow and achieve many things since they were small children in the secondary academy. I've worked here for over twenty years and never seen a pair of students like these two. They are passionate, caring, kind, and really committed to their studies. They worked very hard to get to this point. But during those twenty years, I've always abode by the rules. My reputation as a strict Head Master could be compromised. Well, that doesn't matter. I'll still be the Head Master. I would have to take this up to the Board of Discipline.

        The boys stared at Ms. Zyke while she was lost in thought. They look at each other, then back at her. 

"Um, Ms. Zyke," said Yuuto as he waved his hand in front of her. 

"Ms. Zykeeeee. Ms. Zykeeeee!" He cracked his fingers in front of her face.

        "Yuuto, stop it before she yells at you."

 Yuuto continued to pester the air in front of her eyes. Finally, she came out of her thoughts and looked at the boys.

 "Yuuto, if you don't stop I'll reconsider putting you on probation," said Ms. Zyke. 

        When she said the word probation, their eyes popped wide open. An excited smile appeared on both their faces. Gracious that she would even consider giving them a chance to go to the Graduation Ceremony in the spri. 

        "Really, Ms. Zyke! You would really consider putting us on probation," asked Yuuto. 

       She nodded her head, "I have to take this up to the Board of Discipline and see if they will approve of this. As for now, you two are suspended for two days and still cannot go to the Graduation Ceremony in the spri. You two are dismissed."

       The boys nodded their heads. They pushed out their chairs, got up slowly, and pushed their chairs back in. As they were making their way out of the office, Ms. Zyke remembered something, 

"Yuuto." 

        Yuuto had just placed his hand on the bronze door handle, "Yes?"

        "You just recently turned seventeen, right?"

        "Yes."

        "Where is your kimono?" 

        "My kimono? It's still in the gym locker room. Why?"

        "You weren't wearing it when you got into the fight with Kenta?"

        "I was not."

        "Hmm. Yuuto, stay here as I retrieve th-" The school bell interrupted her. The sound of the school bell overlapped the faint sound of the Clock Tower in Central. "Huh, well school is out. So I guess you can go and get yourself."

        "Oh okay, I'll go get that." 

       "You do know by law you're supposed to wear your kimono at all times for your first year after your Rebirth, right?"

        "I wasn't aware Ms. Zyke. Is this a new law?"

     "No, it's not. It was declared two years ago. No one announced this to you? It was in the newspapers and over the radio." She sighed and looked down at her referral papers. This will definitely go to the military court. 

        "Oh..."

        "Well hurry up and go get it. You two are dismissed," she said as she waved them out the room.