Misfit Theater Company (Wattys Winner 2018)

35. Everyone A Misfit

There are only four chairs in the office that are designated as "waiting room" chairs in front of the main desk, and we take up all four. Moth sits closest to the door, then Patti, then me, and then Thatcher by the wall full of pamphlets about all the activities offered here at Riverside High School.

Mrs. Larkin is in with the principal now, probably discussing what my punishment will be, though I'm not sure how that will affect the misfits. Honestly, they shouldn't even be here. It was all me, and I should be the only person punished.
The secretary's phone rings. "Yes?" she answers after checking the caller ID. She listens, and then: "I'll send them in."

She hangs up the phone, then shoots her gaze right at us.

"Principal Howard is ready for you now," she tells us.

Patti is the first one up, all business. "We are ready for him as well," she says, leading the way into his office, Moth following closely behind her, while Thatcher and I take up the rear.

Thatcher reaches down to take my hand and interlocks his fingers with mine. "We will be okay," he whispers to me.
"Okay," I nod, though most of my confidence has faded away to fear. What real world hell will await me at home tonight? If Mom reacted the way she did over a ticket, what will she do when she hears I have a suspension?

We pass through the threshold of Dr. Howard's office as the secretary closes the door behind us. Patti and Moth take the lead in sitting in the two chairs in front of his desk, and Thatcher and I stand behind them, our hands still clasped together. Mrs. Larkin stands off to the side of the room, sort of behind Dr. Howard, who is sitting sternly in his seat, his hands cupped together on top of his desk like he's lazily trying to pray.

"You four caused quite the scene," he finally says after taking the time to give each of us a disappointed glance. "I ought to ban these daytime shows from the school after everything you did today."

Patti cuts him off: "Excuse me, but you will not cut our theater programs here at Riverside. Theater teaches confidence, self-expression, study skills, collaboration, and presents students with a new way to expand their thinking. If that goes away, I will make sure the media hears about it. I may be little, but I am fierce, especially when it comes to my theater classes."

He glares at her for a moment before continuing with, "Needless to say, I will only punish the four of you. Each of you will spend the rest of the day serving in-school suspension with Mrs. Clayborne, and if I get a bad report about any of you, you will be given out of school suspension on Monday."

"Long weekend, sweet," Moth mumbles. I can't help but smile, though Dr. Howard's face looks as though he could suspend Moth right here, right now.

Instead, he says, "Timothy, Patricia, and Thatcher: you may head down to Mrs. Clayborne's ISS room, out the door and to the left. Janie will join you shortly."

The misfits reluctantly leave the room as Thatcher's fingers slip from mine. Parting is such sweet sorrow.

"See you soon," he says, as if to assure me everything will be okay, but as soon as the door closes behind him and I'm alone with my sewing teacher and the principal, my heart rate picks up.

"Janie," Dr. Howard starts. "Mrs. Larkin told me that she will not be seeking discipline for you skipping her class today."
"Like I said," she begins to clarify to the principal, "I'm almost positive she asked my permission, and I simply forgot about it. I can be a bit scatterbrained by the end of the quarter."

Dr. Howard doesn't turn around to look at Mrs. Larkin as she explains, which is good, because she winks at me to show me she's got my back. I'm not sure why, except to maybe show some empathy for a girl who was both forcibly removed from and placed into her class in the span of one marking period.