Raindrops Book 1: Cry 28 Chapter 10A

"Everybody, sooner or later, will sit down to a banquet of consequences" – Robert Louis Stevenson

September 23rd 2013; 1:54pm

"Shay Hunter, please report to the princ.i.p.al's office."

I froze in the middle of pouring some sort of acid-base into a beaker filled with a pink powdered substance and glanced up in shock.

Never, in the history of my time at Moundville high, had I ever been called into the princ.i.p.al's office; not even for excellent behavior. They just congratulated people over the speakers but never called them into the office.

I wasn't, however, shocked at the fact that I was being called to the princ.i.p.al's office, because naturally, I would know that I wasn't in trouble because I hadn't done anything per se. The problem was that I had, in fact, done something I knew I wasn't supposed to have done.

So that was why I picked up my bag with shaky hands, tucked in my chair, and slowly trudged out of the chemistry lab. Rain glanced at me questioningly and I shrugged, avoiding eye contact.

Ugh.

He had sworn that they would not find out, so why?

I walked down the hallway, taking as much time as possible between steps as I headed towards my doom. When I entered to the administrative office, the first thing I did was glance at the receptionist.

Becky sat behind her desk, with the phone in one hand and the other twirling the bangs that covered half her face. She was muttering something into the phone with a very stern expression; then she glanced up at me, smiled, and gestured to me to sit on one of the uncomfortable blue plastic chairs.

I turned my head, and noticed that I wasn't the only one here; there he was, sitting on one of the plastic chairs with headphones on and eyes closed.

My stomach jolted at the sight before me and I cursed my teenage hormones under my breath. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I sat down gingerly next to him, and poked his shoulder slightly.

When he opened his eyes, he glanced at me and smirked.

"h.e.l.lo to you too," he said, taking off the headphones and slipping his hands into the pocket of his hoodie.

I looked at him incredulously, shaking my head and glancing nervously at Becky, who had returned to her phone call and was completely ignoring the two of us.

"Avian, please tell me we aren't here for the same reason?" I said, leaning back to rest my head on the blue plastic.

He laughed quietly and leaned back, folding his hands across his chest.

"Look, just let me do the talking and we'll be fine" he said with a shrug and a half-smile.

"I don't know what I was thinking," I hissed, pus.h.i.+ng the brown bangs of the wig out of my face. Avian laughed and turned to me.

"All we did was skip school" he said pointedly and I turned my gaze from my fingernails to him sharply.

"I don't do skipping school," I said irately and ignored his chuckle "I don't do trouble."

"Goody-two shoes" Avian said mockingly and I smacked his arm, glaring. "I am not" I said, jutting out my chin and crossing my arm over my chest.

"Then stop fretting," he said, turning back to his phone. I sighed and looked away from him, clicking my tongue in annoyance.