Chapter One- Part One
Written By DWilliam 7/13/2010 12:36:00 AM
"So, without further gilding the Lilly, and no further a do..."
Here it is!
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Chapter I
First rule of doing anything against the status quo:
Don’t get caught.
I pondered this obvious revelation as I sat in a remarkably uncomfortable chair outside an equally unremarkable office. I tried to scratch my wrist where the handcuffs rubbed rough against skin. I failed, rolling my eyes and sighing indignantly. I caught movement on the outer edge of my peripherals and turned to see the uniformed boy in blue staring at me with an amused smile on his pudgy face.
I’m not being stereotypic, he was pudgy.
Instead of giving him my typical scowl, I simply looked back at him and smiled. Administration had decided it was in the best interest of everyone involved to have a uniform “keep an eye on me”. So considering the powers that be felt the need to make me an example by using a peace officer on a minor, I found it within my duties to have some fun with him.
I dropped my smile and I reached inside my coat. The cop went for his taser. Even with the cuffs limiting my movement, I had my hand in my pocket before the chubby guy had his near his belt. By the time he had his “weapon” drawn I had my limb back out. His face went blank and stared at what I had fished out.
I gave the poor guy my best grin and asked as innocently as possible, “Gum?”
Before he had a chance to respond or get the red laser sight of the stun gun off of my throat, a rather annoyed voice came from behind the doorway.
“He can come in.” I got up without a word and walked around the corner and the two feet to the chair in the afore mentioned office.
It was your standard public school office. Lots of wood furniture, wood bookshelves organized with books no one ever read, even more wood knick-knacks, one of those overused and ineffective inspirational posters, and the pungent stench of burnt coffee. Everything you would expect from a Vice Principal‘s abode. I knew the drill by now- I calmly walked into the workplace, sat down in front of the desk and waited. Facing me on the desk was a small brass name plaque that read: Vice Principal Valdez.
I put on my happy face and did my best to annoy the man more than I already had , “Hiya Marty! How’s every little thing? Me? Oh I’m great. Thanks for asking. Got a little twang in my wrist, but otherwise I‘m have a fantastic day! Yourself?”
He ignored me, instead he kept his eyes where they had been since I had entered his office: looking over a moderately large file- My file. I continued to wait as he thumbed through the papers.
Martin Valdez was upwards of thirty years old, which was not bad for a VP. Average height and build, he looked like he belonged in a kakis and a cheesy tie. Id bet dollars to donuts he came out of the womb in some. His Hispanic features were mostly prominent, but by his lean physique and lighter skin color, his mother was probably white. It was just a guess though.
Oh, and he’s a colossal tool.
The silence stretched. I kept sitting impatiently, Valdez quiet sans the occasional flipping sound of paper. Five mints turned into ten, and still I sat. I was just about ready to throw out some words that shouldn’t be used in a school when he calmly set the novel that was my dossier down, pulled one sheet from the top out, and began to read. All without so much as a hello. Which was just rude.
“Dean Ulysses Archer. Sophomore-Age: sixteen. Parents: None- Ward of the State of Texas. Office Referrals: twenty five- Now twenty six- and over one hundred other write-ups, faculty complaints, Tardy slips, and school safety violations.” He set the file down calmly and his eyes moved up to mine at last, betraying his neutrality.
Valdez loved this part. The stare down. He would do his best to get a rise out of me so he could nail me with some other ridiculous charge or accusation, and I would do one of two things in return:
One: I would do everything in my teenage power to piss him off, causing grey hairs, pulsating skull veins, and-my personal favorite- speechlessness.
And then there was Two: Nothing. I could just sit here and take whatever underhanded and subtle insults he threw my way, shrug it off and smile. Both techniques were tried and true to work, and I've used each pretty effectively in my time at Tanic. But today i decided to mix it up-
I thought I'd try a bit of both.
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