The Principal's Son

chapter eight | in which things are changed

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finally, a chapter long enough to my liking. dedicated to Lauren, who was the first to cherish this piece with me

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Everyone has something special or even different about him or herself. For Melina, it's her extreme fashion and beauty sense. For Michelangelo, he has a thing for night drives. For Alexandre, he hates jam but he likes any type of butter (an information I obtained just a few moments ago when I met him at the Cafe while buying my morning coffee). Even Cadwell, he doesn't have to study at all to be a gifted student. Everyone has one of those things as a representation.

And that leaves me.

I don't know anything about myself. If you ask someone who knows me enough, he or she can always name something about me. But I don't know what exactly is me. Well, maybe Alexandre doesn't either, given that his example is actually quite weird.

"Morning," I greet the guards as I exit the main building. It's a nice Tuesday morning, and the weather is getting chilly. I don't know what is it with me, but I woke up especially early today, to be exact, 5:32 am. Apparently, Alex wakes up around this time every day for a morning run. He's a morning type of person. I guess I can replace the butter fact with this.

Wearing an oversized turtleneck sweater and leather ankle boots, I walk around the empty school courtyard. It's beautiful, with flowers and plants and stuff. Our school consists of three buildings, each surrounding this exact courtyard and forming a C shape. Red bricks, well-crafted stone walls, and tall casement windows are found on all of the buildings. Although these architectures are built under a Georgian style influence, they are quite new. There are no paints chipping, ugly bricks, or broken statues. I like it here.

I keep walking until the voice of people talking interrupts my thoughts. I look for the source of the sound. An open window stands in front of me, and there are two people inside. The room seems like the principal's office, which is the exact office that I was in a month ago. I don't mean to pry others' business, but my curiosity beats my rational mind. I hide behind a particularly large pine tree, peeking through the leaves.

Principal Cadwell and Noah Cadwell—confirmed father and son—are alone in the office. Jeez, what is wrong with these people, waking up so early.

"Are you opposing because this thing will be forcing you to live at home on weekdays, too?" The principal asks. He's wearing a suit again, but this time it's grey and he has his blazer settled on the back of the armchair.

"It has nothing to do with me," Cadwell, the son, says while gesturing randomly to the air. He's wearing navy dress pants and a white shirt. "You can't do this while it's barely a month into the semester, some of the students don't have a home in London."

Wait, what? What's happening?

Principal Cadwell shakes his head, "Look, Noah, I appreciate your thoughts on this. But I wouldn't be making this decision if it isn't necessary. The dorms in the second building have to go—"

"Yeah yeah, new gym area and other facilities are more important for the quality of education. I know, Harvey," sighs the boy. He has a look on his face: concern.

"You know I'm your father, right? You ought to call me dad, not by my name?" The principal chuckles as he runs his fingers through his silver hair exactly like the way Noah Cadwell does. Noah raises his eyebrow as if challenging his father. "Okay then. We'll see you at Pavilion tonight for the dinner party? Bring a friend."