The Principal

Chapter 4

My alarm blared at 6 a.m. I swung my legs out of bed, feeling the cold floor against my toes. Grabbing my towel, I headed to the bathroom for a quick shower.

After brushing my teeth, I applied lotion all over my body, especially on my nipples—those could get so itchy during the day.

Back in my room, I turned on my music and opened my closet. I always picked my outfit the night before, so I wouldn’t waste time in the morning. It had been a month since Mr. Smith subbed for my Spanish class, but his image still lingered in my mind.

Today was the showcase before February break, and after school, I was supposed to meet up with Chris’s cousin. I pulled my hair into a high, straight ponytail, added a silver septum ring, and finished with some lip gloss.

My outfit was simple and comfortable: black and white ripped sweatpants, a white crop top, and my pink Adidas. I had backstage duties, so I needed to be ready to lift and move things around.

At school, I headed straight to the dance studio. My task for the day was moving racks of costumes to Mr. Carny’s room upstairs. Struggling with two heavy boxes, I walked down the hall, carefully watching my steps so I wouldn’t bump into anyone.

Then I saw him—Mr. Smith. He stood on the other side of the hallway, ensuring students got to class. My eyes locked onto him, but he didn’t notice me at first. As I got closer, his gaze shifted.

“Good morning,” I said, hoping he wouldn’t bark at me. His serious expression softened into a polite smile. “Good morning,” he replied, his hazelnut curls catching the light as I walked past.

Hours of running back and forth with costumes flew by. The humidity had me sweating, so I took a quick break. Making sure everything was set, I headed to the cafeteria, the cool air hitting my face like a blessing.

I grabbed a cup of water, downing it in seconds. Only then did I scan the room—and there he was. Mr. Smith, sitting at a small table in the corner, focused on his laptop. The man never stopped working.

I sat at the table across from him, cooling off and listening to music on my phone. The minutes slipped by too fast. Checking my watch, I realized I had to go. I rushed out of the room, back upstairs.

As I neared the dressing room, a petite girl with purple hair ran up to me, out of breath. “April, they’ve been looking for you everywhere! Where were you?”

“I needed a quick break,” I explained.

“Well, hurry! We need your help!” She spun around and sprinted down the hallway.

It took me a moment to process her words, but I snapped into action and followed her. The dressing room buzzed with chaos. Arguments filled the air, but everything went silent when I walked in.

“What’s the problem?” I asked.

An African American girl stepped forward, holding a pair of ripped tights. “They’re torn, and I need them fixed.”

“Show me the rip.” She handed them over, pointing to a tear on the inner thigh.

“Give me five minutes.” I pulled out my sewing kit and got to work. Soon, the hole was mended.

Looking around the room, I cringed at the mess—clothes were everywhere. I couldn’t stand it. “Why is this room so messy?” I shouted. “If you have a costume, put it in a corner. Pick up your clothes and hang them on the rack. Now!”

I left, satisfied as I heard the flurry of footsteps behind me.

Wandering through the school, I finally found Cathine in the nearly empty biology classroom. I pulled her aside. “Can you come to the cafeteria with me? Just for a few minutes.”

A smile lit up her face. “Sure! I was bored out of my mind. And it’s way too hot in here.”

I laughed at the disgusted look she made, her baby face scrunching up. Cathine was always cute like that. She stood at 5’4”, with dark red hair, dark brown eyes, and C-cup breasts. Her glasses only added to her beauty.

We turned to walk down the narrow staircase, ready for whatever the rest of the day had in store.