Secrets In The Shadows

Chapter 2: New student, old problems

I sit in the hard steel chair outside of the principal's office icing my sore knuckles, waiting for the principal to call me in and start the cycle of lecturing me. I have to admit, punching Ashley felt good, even if I get a detention for it, it was definitely worth punching her in her face. 

"I'm guessing they didn't let you stay for the rematch then?" a male voice asks.

I turn my head and see that sitting in a chair across the hallway from me is a boy with black hair, forest green eyes and pale skin. He has on black jeans, a gray T-shirt, and over that is a blue hoodie.  I've never seen him around before so he must be new.

"Nope" I say answering his question. "But I'm pretty sure if I had stayed, Ashley Reynolds would have way less teeth and hair then she does at this very second".  He nods, as if that makes total sense to him....then again, it probably does considering he's waiting outside the principal's office.  

"Why'd you fight her anyway? Oh wait, let me guess....was it because she made fun of your clothes?'' Self consciously, I glance down at what I'm wearing. Black jeans cutoff and ripped at the knees, dark blue shirt, a black jacket and light gray gym shoes.

I let my gaze drift away from my clothing and fall back onto him. "I don't have to tell you my life story new guy so buzz off before you're the one on the receiving end of my punch" with that said I turn away from him, ending the conversation. 

"Maddox Gray, 16" 

Huh? I turn back towards him "what?".  He smirks, "Maddox Gray, 16 that's my name and age, and this would now be the part where, as a gesture of niceness, you provide me with your name and age". I narrow my eyes at him before deciding to speak, " Huntress Winters, 16. happy?".

He opens his mouth to speak but before he can even get a sound out, the door to the principal's office opens and out steps Ms. Heights in a navy blue pantsuit, glasses perched atop her elegant looking blonde bun.  She looks at both us, deciding which bomb she should be tasked first with defusing. "Huntress, please come in if you will" apparently I'm the biggest explosion so I should be dealt with first. 

As I get up to walk to the door, I toss my formerly cold but now warm ice pack to Maddox, who catches it before it has the chance to hit his stomach. Darn. I spare him one last look before stepping in the office and shutting the door behind me. Once inside I turn my attention to Principal Heights who sits behind her large mahogany desk. I've been in here so many times I know what exactly is in her office and where.

On her desk are two framed pictures, one is obviously of her and her husband and two kids standing outside of a two story white house looking every bit of the perfect family they probably are. The oldest, the son Jason, is 27 and is at college while the youngest, the daughter Hadley, who is 11 is attending middle school. She told me this the first time I ever got sent here. While the other one is of a lake house. Against the wall of the office is a large bookshelf which holds, what do you know? books.  

Finally, after I know I can't stall my impending  doom any longer, I turn my attention to Principal Heights who has her hands knitted together and is staring at me like I'm her personal puzzle and she can't wait to solve me.

She lets out a sigh of forlorn before saying, " Huntress, I'm not going to give you a punishment" I look at her in surprise, I sure wasn't expecting that to be her reaction. "what? why" I say to her and immediately hate myself for doing so.  Instead of shrugging and saying "Okay" like a normal student, I go ahead and question why she's not going to give me a punishment.

Principal Heights takes a moment to gather her thought before hesitantly speaking, "Because, and I know you must hear this all the time from your father, but I was a teenager once and I know what its like to be picked on and wish that just for once you could make them shut up" she smiles at me and I catch a twinkle of mischief in her eyes for a second before it disappears and she's the principal again. 

"But...I am going to be calling your house to report this...incident. Ms. Winters, the next time I see you in my office, please, for both of our sakes let it be for a good cause" I nod and head out the door, closing it behind me. I lean against the door and close my eyes, relishing the silence until I have to return to the hell that is high school.

"She let you off easy huh?" I turn my head to the left and see Maddox is standing with his arms crossed and a cocky smile adorned on his face. My ice pack is gone, he must have thrown it away. Ignoring the thoughtful gesture and him simultaneously, I walk past and down the hallway to my next class, Latin. I hear a screech! and turn my head to see Maddox get up from his chair and begins walking next to me.

I raise an eyebrow at him, " backing out of your appointment with the Queen of Hell?'' I ask him. He smiles, " Queen of Hell huh? I guess that's one way to describe her....but no, I saw her this morning, you know, perks of being the new kid....I just wanted to hear the facts of the fight from one of the prettier of the two.

A catfight between two girls, now if someone in the cafeteria had the sense to splash water on the two of you......" he trails off, his eyes darting to the left before landing on me and his lips forming a devilish grin. I scoff and flex my bruised knuckles at him waningly, "watch it or like I said before, you'll be the one on the receiving end of my next punch" 

He shakes his head, grinning, his eyes shine bright with amusement and....something else? I turn away from him, seeing my latin classroom come up as my escape from this conversation.

I speed walk towards the door, my hand firmly gripping the doorknob and twisting it open, fully intending to slam the door in Maddox's face, only for the impact to be stopped by a sneaker planted in the doorway.

Maddox pushes the door all the way open and fully steps into the room. Eyes never leaving mine he says, " Sorry I'm late sir, I was escorting Huntress from the principal's office, I'm the new transfer student Maddox Gray"