Without Flaws | Fyodor Academy 1

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

       For some reason, I wasn't in the mood to eat dinner in the dining hall today so I was just in here right now to get some food and bring it to my dorm. All alone. Well, not all alone since Jules might be there but at least I wouldn't be with all these people gathered in the dining hall right now.

       As I was heading back to my dorm, about to leave the dining hall, I ended up bumping into Malcolm. Actually, he bumped into me on purpose, quite roughly which caused me to drop the veggie wrap, blueberry muffin, and lemon-lime Powerade.

       "Oh, I am so sorry," Malcolm said sarcastically as I bent down to pick up my food and drink. I was just lucky the veggie wrap and blueberry muffin were still in its plastic wrap. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

       "Sure you weren't," I said, not even in the mood to argue with Malcolm right now. Normally, Malcolm couldn't annoy me if he personally attacked me. I couldn't care less about what he said to me.

       But for some reason, I was feeling really annoyed right now.

       Then again, for the past couple days, I had been feeling annoyed from even the smallest of things.

       Since I didn't want to argue with Malcolm today, I was about to walk away but I stopped in my tracks when Malcolm said, "You know, I've been wondering for a long time how the hell you get away with every single thing you do."

       I turned around to face him. "Probably because I'm not a transphobic, egotistical, selfish jerk."

       Malcolm ignored me and continued talking. "At first, during the parent orientation, I thought it was because of who you're parents are. Perhaps Mr. McCabe is a huge fan of Norman and Roxanne Charlesworth so it was such an honour for their son to attend this school."

       "Can you please just get to the point of wherever you're heading?" I asked. 

       "My point is that there's some clear favouritism happening at this school," Malcolm said. "The only reason why you're still at this school is because Mr. McCabe is your grandfather."

       "Look, I'm not in the mood for you to just state some facts," I said. 

       Once again, I was about to leave but Malcolm wouldn't let me. Instead of stopping me by continuing to talk, he grabbed my arm as I was about to leave. "Do you not understand how unfair that is?" he asked. "You get to cause so much chaos and destruction. If anyone else does what you do, they'll be thrown out of the school."

       "At least I don't bully students," I snapped. "If anything, you're lucky you're still attending this school after all the times you've been transphobic. You don't agree with it? Just leave Mack alone and mind your own business. Now please, let go of my arm so I can just head back to my dorm."

       "Or what?" Malcolm said with an amused smile.

       "Do you really want to find out?" I asked.

       "Go on, do your worst," Malcolm said. "After all, you know you won't get in trouble."

       I was tempted to throw my Powerade bottle at his fast.

       I probably would have if Jules didn't choose the most perfect time to walk over. "Just leave him alone, Malcolm," he said.

       Even though Jules was nowhere near threatening, Malcolm still released my arm because he didn't want to take his chances. Well, he didn't want to take anymore chances. He still didn't walk away, though.

       "I was wondering when you were going to come to your little boyfriend's rescue," Malcolm said. "You probably get special treatment as well, don't you?"

       "What are you talking about?" Jules asked.

       "Mr. McCabe being my grandpa," I said. "Malcolm here thinks I get away with everything because of it."

       "You do," Malcolm said. "You get so much special treatment because of who your grandpa and parents are."

       If there was one thing I hated, it was people now assuming I got a lot of special treatment because they found out who my parents were. The only special treatment I got from them was my weekly allowance.

       I didn't get to see them often. I didn't get to talk to them often. I didn't get to spend holidays with them. 

       I didn't get to spend my birthday with them.

       "Just shut the hell up," I said. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

       "Don't I?" Malcolm asked. "No matter what you do, no matter how you hurt, all you get is a slap on the wrist."

       "I've never hurt anyone in my life," I said, starting to get a lot more angry.

       "Paz, just ignore him," Jules said softly, standing between me and Malcolm so I couldn't see Malcolm's annoying face. "He's only trying to rile you up to try to get you in trouble. Just take a deep breath."

       Jules was always so soothing and knew how to calm me down, so I did take a deep breath, feeling a bit better. Just a bit.

       Jules turned around to look at Malcolm. "You really need to find a hobby if you're always so invested in Parry's life. Seriously, just leave him alone. He doesn't need this right now."

       Before Malcolm could even reply, Jules led me out of the dining hall and to our dorm. He didn't say anything until the door closed behind us.

       "Are you feeling okay?" Jules asked. "You've been a bit... Off recently."

       I sighed as I sat on my bed, unwrapping the blueberry muffin. "I've just felt a bit worried."

       "Worried?" Jules asked as he sat down beside me. "For what?"

       "That we'll be separated into different dorms," I said. "I know Mr. McCabe. He really will go through with that threat if I get into trouble."

       "Then just don't get into trouble," Jules said.

       "It's not that easy," I said. "This may sound weird but... I get in trouble because I want to get in trouble. It wasn't just to get my parents' attention. Sure, that was part of it but the bigger part was me actually enjoying getting in trouble. And I have no idea why. It's just... Something I like. Something I feel addicted to. And it sucks because if I get in trouble one more time, we won't be able to room together."

       "At least it's not like we'll be in separate schools," Jules said. "Or being forbidden to step foot in each other's dorms."

       "So you're okay with it?" I asked.

       "Of course I'm not," Jules said. "I'm just saying it won't be the end of the world."

       "It will feel that way," I said. "I've gone years living on my own while my parents travelled the world. I felt alone. I don't feel alone now because I share a dorm with you. If I share with literally anyone else, I will feel alone because I just don't make friends easily. Especially now that everyone knows who my parents are. I won't trust anyone else."

       "Parry, Mr. McCabe may be the headmaster but he's also your grandfather," Jules said. "You just have to explain that to him. Tell him all of that and he's going to have to think of something else to punish you because let's face it, if you say you're addicted to getting in trouble, it's going to happen again."

       "Something tells me this time, he won't be changing his mind about the punishment," I said.

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i just want to go to fyodor academy and give parry the biggest of hugs <3

he's a mood though. i'd rather eat in my room than anywhere else lol. even when i get some food after school, i just wait until i get home to eat it instead of eating it there so i don't have to be around people.