Triple is Better (ongoing; Editing)

10 | Ari

• song: the way you make me feel // michael jackson •

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I walk past the old lady behind the desk and knock on the door with a sign 'Principal Frost' on it. There's a faint female 'come in'. I turn the doorknob and open the door, stepping inside the small office.

The walls are the colour of freshly baked bread, with newspapers articles about the school's successful competitions. Right in front of me is a big mahagony desk, with shelves full of fat, dusty books on them. Behind the desk is a leather spinning chair, which turns as soon as I step inside.

"Close the door behind you, please."

A woman is a brunette with intelligent eyes and a tea set in front of her. She is sipping the tea through angrily pursed lips, with narrowed eyes and all that goes with being a big, bad pricipal.

"Honestly girl, can't you smarten yourself up when you're visiting the principal? Your hair is closing your face completely, and you have the amount of black eyeliner I wouldn't have dared to wear when I was your age. The nerve of you young people! Sit down."

Oh, so she's British Sophie. How promising.

"Miss Fairfax came to me just minutes ago and said you sprayed her with your water gun, only that this gun contained tomato juice. Give it to me."

"I don't have it anymore," I lie shamelessly, my brain making a cover-up story eith ease. "Some pimpled kid took it away from me and went to play with it in the backyard, if what they were yelling was true."

She snorts and pours more tea to her cup.

"I didn't believe you for a second."

Smart woman. I open the backpack for her to look inside but she waves her hand dismissively.

"We both know you're not that stupid to actually carry it with yourself. I know Sophie read the rules to you so you know what happends to those who break the rules."

"Continue being snobbish Brits without a care in the world? Yeah, I've seen it happening."

"If you're talking about Miss Fairfax-"

"-she's not the only one. However, I would never go that low to actually visit a principal because my makeup is ruined with little tomato sauce."

"Whatever the case, you've earned yourself a detention. Today after school, you'll stay and help the librarian, Miss Laghari."

I wanted to laugh. Their view of detention is to help a librarian? Man, these people are easy to deal with. I stand up from the chair and am about to get out when she calls me back.

"One more thing. Mr. Barnes told me you have a certain gift when it comes to History. From now on, every Thursday afternoon you will work with him and a couple of students on the preparations for History competition in March."

My eyes almost buldged out of their sockets.

"It's not a gift. Either you read and remember the things at certain timing or you don't. There's no preparations or worksheets, or God help, learning by heart, that can make you understand it better."

"Yes, and that's the reason why you're the perfect choice for it. You may go now, and close the door on the entrance."

Frowning, I listen and leave that sick place, cursing the bitch who got me into this. So you want revenge? Oh, I'll give you the revenge, just wait.

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"Miss Matthews?"

I look up from my half-finished story in which Bethany is beheaded by Benjamin Franklin, and meet Mr. Barnes's eyes.