Revolt: New Haven

XIX. Punishment

Dai and Kai sat on the sofa in the headmistress' office, still in their nice outfits, with Charmaine sitting behind the desk with her children standing beside her.
Matthew glared at them, wearing a gauze headband.
Kendra had her head on her hands, gazing down at the floor.

"You... attacked my son," she said simply, after another moment of uncomfortable silence.
"Um, no," Kai said pointedly, "Your son flew straight into my brother."
"Don't talk back, Mr. Fray-" she started.
"No, I'm stating the facts," Kai continued, "Your son power-flew right into my freaking brother. Literally everyone that was at the dance can say the same!"
Dai just silently looked up at Max, who looked very distraught.
"Even if that were true," Charmaine countered dismissively, "You certainly did not help the situation by getting involved."
"My BROTHER was ATTACKED!" Kai asserted, his voice raising, "No shit I was going to help get the flying asshole off him. Control your damn kids-"
"It's because she controls them is the problem," Dai muttered to himself.
Kai looked at him, as did Kendra.
She glared daggers in his direction.

"You know," she said, "I know you are one of the little troublemakers creeping around my Maxwell."
Dai just peered back at her.
"I don't know what thoughts you have been filling his head with," she continued, standing up, "But, I'm putting a stop to that, as well as the senseless violence you both displayed, now."
Both twins just glared up at her.
"As of tomorrow," she said, "I want your bags packed and you both on the next ferry to the mainland. You both have been expelled."
The twins' looks turned to shocked, their faces turning pale.
"What?!" Kai stood up, shouting, "You can't do that! Danford-"
"Isn't here," Kendra interrupted, "Now, keep disrespecting me and your sister will join you on the ferry tomorrow."
Dai and Kai both were speechless, as was Max.
"Enjoy your last morning on this island tomorrow," Kendra said triumphantly, "Now, get out of my sight."
Kai was fuming, and was about to say more, when Dai grabbed his hand and shook his head.
Max watched in utter dismay, as the twins dejectedly left the office, shutting the door behind them.

After they left, Kendra moved around the desk in front of him, before whipping around and smacking him across the face. His siblings all flinched in response.
"Next time your brother gets hurt you intervene," she scolded angrily, a bite in her voice, "And I never want to see you around those boys ever again."
Max looked up at her, feeling his cheek, with tears in his eyes.
Kendra took a deep breath, "...You push me to extremes, Maxwell. I hate doing this to you."
Max took a moment, recovering from the initial shock.
"...Then why do you do it?" Melissa asked.
Kendra turned to face her.
She then looked at Matthew and Martha.
"You should know why," she said, "Now, go to bed. All of you. Now."
With that, the four siblings made their way out of the office, with Melissa taking it upon herself to comfort Max as they went.

Dai and Kai returned to their dorm, seeing Luke and Aria talking outside their rooms.
"Oh, hey," Luke greeted.
"Hey, guys," Aria smiled, "How was the meeting?"
The twins just looked at each other, then Dai wordlessly entered his dorm room.
Luke and Aria watched him go, even more perplexed.
"...That bad, huh?" Luke asked.
"She expelled us," Kai said.
Luke and Aria's eyes both widened with absolute disbelief.
"She what?!" Aria asked.
"We leave tomorrow on the ferry," he said, before following his brother inside.
Luke and Aria could just stare at him, then at each other.

🏛

The following morning, the friends waited in the hall as Dai and Kai exited their room, bags packed, about to head over to the dock.
"I can't believe you two are seriously following that bitch's orders," Raina said.
"If we don't, she would just get security to throw us out," Dai pointed out.
"It's not fair..." Jace said with a solemn expression, "You guys didn't even start the fight last night."
"We know," Kai sighed, "But as if her royal highness would expel her own kid."
"What am I supposed to do without you guys here?!" Luke exclaimed dramatically.
Dai just shrugged, "Maybe things will get set right when Danford comes back."
"Assuming Charmaine will be willing to give up her power," Lena said, annoyed.
"Yes, well, one can only hope that will be the case," Dai replied.

Before long, they walked with their friends outside to the docks, where they hugged and said their goodbyes.
Unhappily, they watched the twins board the ferry, and the ferry depart from the dockside, blasting its horn as it did.

As they watched the ferry head off towards the horizon, Aria spoke up.
"Okay... let's go before the security guys make their sweep," she suggested.
The group then began to move back towards the dorms.
"I can't believe this," Raina seethed, "That woman is out of control."
"Well, what can we do?" Jace asked, "I suppose we can... protest... or something."
"This is so stupid," Lena put in, "Her brat kid started the fight, not them... we all saw it."
"I don't think she cares," Aria pointed out.
"Well, we do! We should do something! They just got expelled from one of the greatest places on Earth over something that wasn't even their fault!" Luke declared, a defiance in his voice.
"Okay, Mr. Revolution," Raina snarked, "And, what, we risk getting expelled too?"
"Charmaine is only the temp..." Jace pointed out, "Danford is the real deal... she'll set it right once she gets back."
"But, like I said," Lena put in again, "What if she won't? What if she refuses?"
"I think y'all are forgetting that a literal God is stationed here," Luke added.
"Ryū?" Raina asked, "What do you think he'll do? Not everyone knows he's even here, and I think he wants to keep it that way."
"He's been here longer than even Danford," Luke pointed out, "I'm sure we could ask him for advice at least."
"Where do we even find him, though?" Aria asked as they entered their dorm building.

The group stopped upon seeing a very sad Max, standing by the staircase, looking like he was waiting for them.
"Great," Raina groaned.
"Why 'great'?" Aria asked.
"Don't you find it funny how my brothers were expelled over a fight that started around this guy?" she asked, "I bet he was in on it."
"Don't go making assumptions!" Aria huffed.
"I swear!!" Max exclaimed, "I didn't!"
Raina then stepped forward menacingly, "Maybe I wasn't clear, shorty. My brothers got expelled because of you and your family. Why would I believe that you had nothing to do with it?"
"I-I didn't, I promise," Max quivered as Raina loomed over him, "I wasn't expecting my mom to expel them!!"
"Raina, that's enough," Lena interjected.
"Yeah, leave the kid alone," Luke added.
Raina looked down suspiciously at Max, only to scoff and step back.

"Max, what are you doing here?" Lena asked.
Max just looked at her, tears streaming down his face.
"She... she hit me..." he said.
Looks of concern and confusion were shared among the group.
"She... she blamed me for it..." Max continued, his voice breaking.
Lena looked with concern at her friend, and started to move towards him, when Luke brushed past her and pulled the shorter boy into a tight hug.
"It wasn't your fault," he said, "She's at fault."
Max didn't say anything, and just quietly sobbed into Luke's chest.

Lena and the others looked on, as Lena's face changed from solemn to angry.
"Luke and Jace are right," she said, the others looking at her unexpectedly, "We need to do something about this woman."