Fawkes

A Bone to Pick

We didn't stick around to see the rest of the class return from the planetarium, just goofing off in the hallways for the next half hour until the bell rang. They had cut off the last class of the day today, giving us an early dismissal for a reason I wasn't sure of until I saw a bunch of adults crowding the hallways.

I suppose Dick saw my confused expression, because he leaned over and explained.

"It's parent teacher meeting day," he said, "everyone's parents come by to hear how their kids are doing in class."

My eyes trailed to where I saw Sandy standing with a man that had the same bright blue eyes she did, though he didn't share any other features. Somehow I instantly knew it was her father, just by the way he looked just as excited to be here as Sandy always did. They were talking animatedly, waiting outside of our History class along with a few other students I recognized. We continued walking, and I continued watching at all the family interactions with wonder.

"Hershey!" I heard my name, and I turned to see Mindy calling for me. I gave Dick a look before approaching where she stood by her locker with her parents and Justin's. A thin woman that looked nearly exactly like her stood with her hand on her shoulder, their red hair matching perfectly. Her father didn't have the same gene, though he did have the same look of mischief and the same bump on his nose.

"These are my parents. I'd like you to meet Lynda and Rick," she said, gesturing to them both. I could easily tell she favoured her father but the way she brushed off her mother's hand and looked at the man with admiration. I shook both of their hands, noticing Lynda's frail grip and Rick's firm one before smiling.

"Nice to meet you."

"Hershey hacked into the school website and wrote a bunch of hilarious shit," Mindy said, completely taking me off guard with her free speech as she openly spoke of my illegal doings, "you would've loved it, dad."

"I don't doubt that," he said, raising an eyebrow at me, "what'd you write?"

"I—"

"A bunch of conspiracies on Batman," Mindy interrupted me before I could speak, and I almost stared at her in confusion. She was often more of a stand-by-the-side and make witty comments type of girl, but right now she was babbling on like Sandy. I guess her father brought out the child in her.

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that," another voice said, and I turned to see my gym teacher, Mr Freres, who also happened to be Justin's father, walking over to us. He was with his wife and son, but another little girl I didn't recognize trailed behind, seeming bored. If I had to guess I would say she was around ten, tugging along a violin case and looking nothing like the rest of her family.

Justin's mom and dad could've passed as siblings, both with bright orange hair and both smiling in the same white-picket-fence way.

"Good to see you, Rick," Mr Freres said, shaking Mindy's dad's hand and smiling, completely oblivious to how much Rick seemed to dislike him. I could imagine why. Justin's family seemed so perfect and ideal, whereas Mindy's was obviously scattered. I could tell her parents were divorced by how her mother stood off to the side and observed the scene silently, rolling her eyes when Rick would make witty comments and occasionally looking longingly at her daughter, as if she wished she had the same relationship with her that her husband did.

"Where'd Johnny go?" Mindy asked suddenly, peering around with a worried expression suddenly gracing her pale face. As if on cue, a little boy came sliding down the hallway in his socks, clearly running from someone and grinning wildly as he went. Before any questions could be asked, the principal came jogging around the corner, pulling his pants up as he went and obviously looking for the culprit.