The Headmaster's Secret (♡Completed♡)

23

Alex's P.O.V.

Having new kids in the middle of semester always worried me. What if they didn't make friends? It they didn't do well here? Or they were trouble? I just never knew.

"Those are most of the rules. Do you understand?"

"Yes.", Zia said softly.

"Yes...?" She looked at me, clearly confused,

"Yes... I understand...?"

"Yes sir.", I corrected, "Always use sir and ma'am here."

"Oh. Yes... s-sir.", she whispered, shrinking back from me.

"Does-Does that bother you?"

"I just- I thought you were really nice."

"And now you don't?" She shrugged. "Can you explain why? I want and need us to get along kid."

"You said to call you sir."

"It's a respect thing. You should always call adults you don't know or adults you respect sir and ma'am. And always use it if you're in trouble. Always." I paused, "Why did that change your view of me?"

"Everyone who I've called sir or ma'am has always been mean to me."

"So it's like a Pavlov thing?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Well, old dogs can learn new tricks kiddo." I paused, "You've seen the school, have you seen the town yet?" She shook her head,

"I don't go places alone and I don't have any friends."

"Why don't you go places alone?" She laughed a little,

"I'm a fourteen year old black girl. None of those characteristics make it a safe place for me." It's sad how right she was. "My nana taught me a lot before she died and it all surrounded how to stay alive. Top of the list was always stick with people. Here, I don't have any people."

"You will. And you've got me. C'mon."

~~~~

Zia's eyes got wide as we passed the ice cream parlor.

"Have you eaten today?", I asked. She hesitated before shrugging. "A shrug isn't an answer and not eating is unhealthy."

"I don't have any money.", she whispered.

"I didn't ask if you did kiddo. C'mon." We went inside as she went to the freezer, looking at all the ice cream. "Pick out real food first, then you can have ice cream." She did so, ordering a cheeseburger as I did the same before we found a seat.

"Thank you... sir...", she said softly. I smiled a little,

"You only need to call me that if you're in trouble. And you're welcome." The doorbell dinged as I looked up just in time for Mia to duck away from me. I sighed, "Remia James."

"Yes beloved father?", she asked sweetly.

"Here, now." She whined but walked over to me. "Strange, I could have sworn you were a fifteen year old supposed to be in class right now. Am I wrong?"

"No sir."

"Who's class are you ditching and why?"

"Ms. Reynolds because I don't like her and she doesn't like me."

"First, that's never an appropriate reason. Second, why?"

"She hates me because I'm your kid." Oh... "And I don't like her because she's mean to me and singles me out in class and you know I'm already terrible at science." I nodded,

"Okay. I'll handle that. Get your ice cream and get to class." She hugged me,

"You're the best."

"I'm aware." She went to the counter and got ice cream before going to leave as I stopped her, "Mia?"

"Yeah?"

"We will be having a chat tonight about you ditching class under any circumstances."

"Yes sir.", she sighed.

"Have a good day. I love you."

"I love you too.", she said before leaving.

"That was my daughter.", I explained to Zia. She laughed a little,

"I caught that. You were really calm. My dad would have freaked."

"Same. That's why I learned how to stay calm. My dad freaking out and screaming and beating me never did anything good." She looked up at me, her green eyes wide,

"I'm sorry that happened." I shrugged,

"It's okay. It taught me how not to treat kids. And that discipline was very different from abuse and only one would benefit anyone and that still depends on the person."

"My dad hit me too.", she said softly.

"Does he still?"

"Sometimes. But it's just how my whole family works. Everyone gets hit. Not like-like here. Just hit. It doesn't really solve anything."

"And it never will kiddo."

~~~~

I sighed, leaning across my desk a little,

"Dustin, you need to tell me the truth. Now."

"He was suicidal."

"Okay. But that's not how he died." I paused, "I need to know what I can do to help you cover this up." His green eyes got wide,

"W-What?"

*27 Minutes Ago*

"Good fucking riddance."

Smack!

Maria jumped forward a little, her hands still on her small baby bump.

"Don't say that stuff and watch your mouth. They're gonna think you killed him." A large group of us stood on the beach while police cleaned up the body that'd washed up. Andrew McAdams. Maria's rapist.

"I wish. I wanna know what his last words were."

"No you don't.", Andrew's roommate, Dustin, whispered, "It-It was probably dumb."

*Present*

"He was suicidal and killed himself. That's it."

"Dustin he didn't shoot himself in the back on the head. And how would he wash up from the ocean with no trace of a boat? We need to figure out a good lie."

"I've already got a suicide note."

"Mr. James?", a cop asked as him and two others walked in. Dustin started crying softly,

"I just don't understand. Why-Why wouldn't he just talk to me?" I passed him a tissue box,

"I'm not sure kiddo. I'm not sure." The cop handed me a clearly forged suicide note,

"This was in his dorm room. Along with pictures of young girls."

"They can't be his.", Dustin said, "Andrew loved kids."

"Apparently a little too much. Good thing is, we can rule it out as a suicide and honestly the school doesn't seem too shaken up. I'd do a press conference and an assembly but it doesn't seem to be a huge deal." I nodded,

"Thank you." The cops left as Dustin groaned,

"That was disgusting."

"I'm impressed with your acting and forgery."

"Thank you. That was all real though." He paused, "My sister is fourteen. She was staying in our dorm a few weeks ago when she was sad. I left to get food and came back to find Andrew on top of her. I'm not saying I killed him, but I'm saying his last words were 'I'd do it again, a hundred times', and him being dead is the best thing."

"Agreed. I definitely would have been caught. I tried expelling him six times but the school board wouldn't go for it. I'm guessing his dad paid them off." Dustin shrugged,

"Karma caught up to him."

"Damn right kid."