Whispers [complete and non-edited]

Chapter 12

As soon as Laehal left the changing room, the other guys inside began talking again. Laehal tuned them out.

He walked through the halls to his locker. #345, west wing. The gym was at the far side of the west wing, while Laehal's locker was closer to the beginning of the west wing. He knew he was getting close when he saw locker #352. 7 lockers to go. His locker was on the left side of the hallway the way he was facing now. He finally reached his locker and then unlocked the lock, letting the locker door scree open. He put away his gym change, then took out his math homework--Pythagorean Theorem.

Closing the door, he turned around and walked towards the principal's office. He had left too fast to know which classroom he was to stay in for detention. So he was heading to the principal's office to get his detention location okayed.

Mr. Dominic was sitting at his desk. He had a pen in one hand and his head in the other. Laehal quietly opened the door and entered the room. The name tag on his desk was slightly lopsided.

"Mr. Dominic?" asked Laehal.

Mr. Dominic grunted in acknowledgement and continued to stare at the papers in front of him.

"I was just wondering which room my detention is supposed to be in."

Mr. Dominic was silent for a while. Then he sighed heavily, rubbed his hands up his nose and over his eyes, then dragged them down and subtly caressed his chin stubble. His hands fell to the table and he looked at Laehal, who was getting slightly uncomfortable.

"You came at a very bad time," Mr. Dominic told Laehal. "But your detention can wait for a few minutes. I have something very important to ask you. Take a seat." Mr. Dominic gestured to one of the two chairs that were in front of his desk.

Laehal sat down. "What is it Mr. Dominic?"

"I hear that you were in the men's changing room during the...incident, this afternoon?"

"Yes."

"Could you please tell me what you heard?"

"Of course. I went into the changing stall, then some of the other boys started testing me. Then some other kid piped up and stood up for me. Then Kyrel teased him about it, and some other kid teased him about being homosexual, and then I heard a scream and some loud sounds. The rest of the boys gasped and asked someone of they were ok. Then the phys ed teacher came in. That's all I heard."

"Hmmm...," Mr. Dominic said thoughtfully. "Could you please tell me what you saw?"

"I was in the stall for the whole thing, but afterwards I saw the blood on the floor."

"Could you please specify what you heard before the...incident?"

"I went into the stall, then the boys started saying 'scaredy cat,' 'self conscious little pony,' and 'he must be small.' Then the other boy said 'leave him alone guys, he's actually a really nice guy. Quit underestimating him.'

"Then Kyrel said, 'do you really think sticking up for Little Pony will do you any good, Little Red?' Then some other guy said 'I bet he's gay, that's why he's sticking up for Little Pony.'

"Then I heard a crunch, a scream, and a bunch of frenzied guys asking the person who got hurt if they were ok. Then the phys ed teacher came in. That's all."

"Hmmm..." Mr. Dominic caressed his chin again. "So you don't know who got hurt then?"

"No, sir."

"I suppose it's for the best, Laehal. I'm sorry."

"That's alright. I think I'd rather just forget about it."

Mr. Dominic sighed again. "Laehal, I will talk to those boys. They have no right to bully you or anyone else like that. I'll be sure that they get the proper consequences."

"Thank you Mr. Dominic."

"On a lighter note, you are due to have your detention in Ms. Fowler's room. She should be waiting for you. I'll give her a message to explain your absence. See you, Laehal."

"Bye, Mr. Dominic. See you tomorrow." Laehal then left the room, and walked down the hallway to the east wing, where Ms. Fowler's room awaited him.