Within The Bonds

40: Rule Number Three

With every step I take, the force with which my heart is pounding against my ribcage intensifies. My nerves bundle up into a tight lump and settle in my throat. Knowing that I didn't do well in my test and that my rebellious behavior from the past two days has only worsened the consequences, my mind goes into overdrive.

Xavier as usual maintains a neutral demeanor. Entering his study gives me the same feeling as that of entering the principal's office when you get into trouble. He holds the door open for me and I enter taking small calculative strides.

Closing the door lightly behind him, he walks up to his desk and takes a seat behind it while motioning for me to take a seat too. With a slight nod, I pull out the middle chair and take a seat. The sound of my heartbeat reaches my head when I notice him opening his laptop.

"Here," he says, placing a glace of water in front of me that once sat on the other side of the table.

Taking the glass with my slightly shaky hands, I gulp its entire content down within seconds. The coolness of the water helps calms my nerves a smidge bit, but I still feel very apprehensive.

My eyes refuse to meet his and so remain fixated on my hands that are resting in my lap. "Astoria." The tone of his voice forced me to look up at him. He looks at me with an unreadable expression and I just sink further in my seat.

"I'll come straight to the point," he says in a monotonous tone that I thought I have gotten used to, but I couldn't have been more wrong. His cold tone sends a cold chill down my spine.

"I've received your algebra test results." I gulp down the lump in my throat and nod in acknowledgment waiting for him to continue.

He wordlessly turns his laptop in my direction, the screen lit up with the image of my test paper and the haunting C- written in a red font at the bottom of the page. I close my eyes, embarrassed to meet his eye. This is the worst grade I have received all year and this will definitely impact my GPA adversely.

"On your first day here, do you remember me giving you a set of rules that you would have to follow?" His tone takes a dramatic shift from monotonous to stern in less than a microsecond.

"Yes," I reply in a timid tone, knowing fully well where this conversation is going.

"Mind repeating what rule three is?" He asks with a stern gaze and I gulp inaudible.

"Maintain my grades and to do the prescribed school work on time. You should not get any complaints from my teachers," I narrator in a soft tone which is almost inaudible.

"Then do you mind explaining this to me?" To my astonishment his voice doesn't have a hit of anger in it as I expected-his question rendering me speechless.

"I-I...It was a surprise test and I didn't understand the questions, nor did I have enough time to finish it," I mumble defensively with my head hanging a bit low.

I'm disappointed in myself, to be honest-my grades are one thing I very particular about-and the fact that my test paper was mailed to Xavier just made things worse.

"Since this is the first bad grade you have received, I'll let it slide, but I won't be tolerating this again," he chastises, with a firm look on his face. I nod vigorously in agreement while inwardly sighing in relief.

"You may leave now," he dismisses, turning his laptop back towards him and busing himself in his work.

Pushing the chair back, I scurry out of it and traipse towards the door. This conversation went much better than I had anticipated. Pulling the door open, I'm stopped mid-step by Xavier's voice.