Leaving Laurabelle Falls

Chapter 19

We sat on the bench outside of the Principal's office. I was eight years old.

Jessica sat beside me, twirling her long pigtails. She frowned at the floor, looking anywhere else. I sat there, anger still stewing.

The injustice of a fourth grader wronged.

"Jessica, Laura," The principal said, stepping out of his office. He made a quick gesture with his finger, encouraging us to step inside. We both rose, and walked to the door.

Inside, the seats were a comfortable pleather. There was a perpetual motion cuckoo bird bobbing up and down, sticking its beak inside of a coffee cup. I believe the cup was empty, but can't quite remember.

I sat in the chair to his left. She sat in the chair to his right.

"Now," He said, shutting the door behind the two of us, "What seems to be the problem?"

"She thinks she's better than me!" Jessica said, immediately taking control of the conversation.

"No I don't!" I exclaimed, injustice fueling me.

"She said that I-"

"I never meant it like that-"

"All I did was-"

"CALM DOWN!" He shouted, breaking through our bickering. He put his head in his hands for a moment as he breathed deeply, and then, he looked up. His eyes went to Jessica first. Of course.

He shot me a stern look. "Before you say anything, let Jessica tell her side of the story."

"She made fun of me for my shoes." Jessica said, immediately. Jessica was one of the top students in our grade, known for her quick-witted nature and wide smile. "She said they looked like they'd been puked on."

Her shoes that day had been covered in orange mud and grass stains.

He turned to me, and raised his eyebrows. "Is this true?"

"Yes-" I said. "But Jessica told me that I could play Dumbo."

He turned his head to the side, hiding a smile. He quickly turned it into a scowl, and turned to Jessica. "Did you say that?"

"Yes," Jessica said, "But my brother says it's okay to make fun of mean people. She made fun of my shoes. This is the only pair I have that fits me, and they used to be my sister's."

The principal nodded slowly, looking back and forth between the two of us.

"That's not all that was said?" He asked. "Because one of the teachers had to break the two of you up."

"That's all that I said first." I said. "And then Jessica started pushing into me-"

"She pushed into me!" Jessica argued.

The Principal held up his hand. He looked back and forth between the two of us. His eyes landed on me again.

"Why did you say that her shoes looked like they had been puked on?" He questioned. I sat there, staring blankly.

"Because... I thought it was funny?" I said, blinking. "I didn't mean-"

"Sometimes it's not what we mean that is the issue," He said, "But rather, how someone else could take it. The two of you got in that fight because you said something that deeply offended Jessica. It sounds like those shoes have a history. And that is nothing to be ashamed of."

Jessica crossed her arms across her chest, and looked at me smugly. I remember distinctly wanting to wipe the look off of her face.

"No, but I just meant- I thought it was funny! I wasn't making fun of her."