In The Unlikely Event [updates begin may 3]

13 | ammunition

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The sharp kick from Laleh altered the pencil in my hand, dragging away the y-axis line across the graph I had spent the last five minutes labouring over. I pulled out my earbuds, cutting off Wizkid's transition into the chorus of "Brown Skin Girl". Rotating in my seat, I faced the girl who sat beside me.

"What?"

She jerked her chin towards the front of the class. Mr. Seymour was standing by the phone, speaking softly to whoever was on the other end of the phone. Catching my eyes, he said something to whoever was on the other end of the call before clasping his hand on the handset.

"Addy," he called out to me, "they would like to see you down in the office." He took his hand off the handset and said something, nodding along to whatever was told on the other end. He placed the handset down on the telephone.

I kicked back my chair, tucking my phone and earbuds into my back pocket and trying to avoid the curious eyes.

"Actually," Mr. Seymour spoke up again. "Maybe take all your things with you." He looked to check the time. "It seems like the bell is going to go off soon."

I nodded. "Okay." I meticulously arranged my notes and textbook into my bag, prolonging my time to try to think of anything that required my presence down at the dreaded office. Eventually, I lifted my bag up my back and pushing down the knot of dread in my stomach, I muttered goodbye to Laleh before heading downstairs.

I dragged my feet all the way to the office, the scraping sound against the marbled floor echoing off walls in the silent hallways. There was a sort of buzz behind every door I walked past, waiting for the bell to release the pent up angst that came with spending 8 hours at school. And as I entered the office, opening the door, the ringing of the bell freed the abundance of students.

Inside the office, the row of chairs that lined the white wall was devoid of people save for one teenage boy that took up the last two seats in the row. His attention was trained on the cellphone he was holding, a low baseball cap hiding his face. I dropped my bag onto a seat and headed to the secretary.

She raised a perfectly manicured finger at me as I approached. "Mr. Wellington, I understand that you dropped her off this morning--" she typed away at her computer "--but your daughter didn't attend any of her classes today." I tapped my nails on the wooden counter and attempted to busy myself with fishing for the green candies out of the bowl placed out. I'd just tucked the candies I'd fished out and lifted my head to be met with a scowl and a sharp voice that was in contrast to the sticky sweet one she'd used on the phone.

She lifted her glasses to rest atop her head. "Can I help you?"

She definitely didn't appreciate me swiping all her candy. "I was called down to the office?"

"Right." She pressed a key on the telephone, she brought the handset to her ear and kept her sights keenly resided on me. I fought down the urge to roll my eyes into the next life as I settled down onto one of the uncomfortable plastic seats.

"Mr. Nolton, I have the two students down here." She nodded. "I'll send them." She hung up the call and moving her forefinger between us, she said, "You can both go in."

My 'thanks' was drowned out by the boy's sharp grunt, picking up his bag and kicking the chair into the wall before he headed to the vice principal's office at the back.

Inside the small office where the large wooden desk and the leather seat took up the majority of the space, Mr. Nolton was situated atop his desk, tossing a stress ball between his hands. A bookshelf lined a wall off to the side beside a sole Univerity of Ryerson degree. After standing at the threshold of the office awkwardly for a few seconds, he invited us in to sit.