Chapter 13: Obliged

Cause and effect in a world that shoves, that twirls with deception engulfing what was once good.

***

Grinstate Schools.

"Why did you do it?" A thunderous voice bellowed, storming into Petra's office.

"Principal Darius, whatever do you mean?" She raised her head feigning stupefaction.

"Don't play innocent, it's against the Board's Law!" He growled, "You're callous Petra!"

"Well, that's just absurd." She arrogantly muttered, pursing her tinkered maroon lips.

"Peterson didn't deserve any of that!" He barked aggravated.

"Oh, you should be terrified Gifford, a word of this mustn't reach them." She vehemently warned, slapping her palm on the oak table. "As far as they're concerned, the old hag resigned."

"How dare you..." He clenched his fist.

"Darius, if I'm going down be sure I'll drag you with me." She scoffed seemingly more perturbed about her chipped nail polish than the gravity of the subject.

"Petra!" Darius barked.

"Please, shut the door behind you." She mumbled, flipping a page of the newspaper she'd been reading. Darius was overly frustrated by her helluv stance, she'd made out Mr. Peterson as incompetent and appointed her son-in-Law, Alex Paulman as his replacement.

Thirty minutes before storming into Petra's office, Mr. Peterson had confronted Darius with these very grievances.

***

"Shawn, is it me or did Peterson just drive off, I thought he was back to teach?" Calvis muttered, somewhat flustered.

"Dude you're tripping," Shawn taunted prodding him, "the old guy could have died from a stroke for all we know." Calvis smacked the nape of his neck. "I'm serious!" It was tea break then, he took a corner trudging towards the staff room to see Mr. Paulman.

"Come on in," someone voiced and he sauntered towards an unusually neat table. The teachers were each in their pools busying themselves to rid the stack of assessment papers they were yet to return to students before term deadlines. Peterson's tag was replaced with a "Mr. Paulman," Calvis stood there mute.

"How may I be of help?" Paulman inquired.

"Uh, you know, well...” Cal stuttered, ruffling his short sandy brown hair, searching for words. "A..um...a make-up test?"

"Sure, if you're ready you could do it over detention later today." Paulman said.

"Uh, thanks?" He mumbled inaudibly rushing out, relief surged through his veins. So maybe he's not a total douche, the bell chimed and he scooted off.

"Whatever happened to you?" Kim remarked ghastly.

"You don't want to know, just help me to the changing room." Lexie limped, "I've got to clean up." She said.

"You fell?"

"What do you think? I shouldn't have tried balancing on that wooden plank. Kim, are you laughing at me?" She winced as blood oozed from her grazed skin.

"I should get you to sickbay." She apologized breaking off her cackle. "I'm sorry."

"I'll be fine."

"No, we've got to get a bandage on that." Kim insisted walking her towards the infirmary.

***

"You won't shove this on me! I'll have no reason to defend you if Peterson takes this matter to the board or court. What were you thinking? Nepotism? There's no cold day in hell you'd survive the heat from this case if he sues!" Jaymson bellowed ballistic.

"I could care less, pull those strings and make this go away if it does come to that. I don't pay you nor do I keep silent of your scandalous life for nothing Jaymson." She smugly warned.

"I'm well aware." Jaymson hollered anguished.

"I thought so." Petra barked, her hands slapped her oak-table. "If you so much as stab me in the back, the world will know about your bastard child! I wonder how your son or Claire would take that."

"Ugh! Just shut up Petra." He silenced her whilst fumbling through his briefcase, Petra waved a disdainful goodbye chasing him away. "You'll be hearing from me." Jaymson said exasperated, his keys jingled on his index finger as he made ready to exit that scene.

"Drat!" Cal said ducking into a crevice along the corridor as the man left Dean Petra's office. His heartbeat accelerated, petrified he'd eavesdropped on something he wasn't meant to. Yet what perturbed him most was his voice, it sounded all too familiar.

***

"What's he doing here?" Amber asked.

"I don't know, why don't you go ask him?" Tasha replied angrily tired of her prattling. If it wasn't an observation, it was a question or a mean slithering statement. She couldn't handle Tori's little minions anymore, at times she regretted agreeing on taking over her predecessor’s task. She was slowly but surely growing weary of them and wished Victoria would come back from Australia take them with her. From the second floor balcony, Tasha shifted her attention to the man who'd just walked from the building, she gasped. "That's Cal's dad right?" She anxiously inquired, her eyes widening.

"Yap, Jaymson, the infamous lawyer, that's him." Pearl said. "Why?" Tasha ignored her intrusion.

"You've taken much interest in Cal lately, you like him or something?" She pried.

"Nope, of course not! What is wrong with you?" She disputed, "Let’s get to class now." When she turned her head to peek at him one last time their eyes locked and she faltered. She scurried away, adrenaline racing her heart's beat, she was almost certain she'd seen him before.

"Hey, hey, Cal!” Why did you ditch geography today?" Lexie asked catching up with him on the corridor.

"I was at the sick bay."

"Lies!" Lexie disputed.

"I'm not in trouble with her am I?” He inquired. She didn't answer, didn't understand why he'd just lied. They were always open books to each other, despite the hurt, she wore a fake smile. "Nope, never mind, so when are you coming for dinner?" She inquired.

"Any day but today, I have a make-up test in the evening." Cal apologized.

"Aright, all the best." She said as he walked away.

***

"Attention, students on detention, you're obliged to report to your respective teachers. Failure to which you'll remain punishable by the Dean of students." The shrieking voice hollered from the PA.

"That's your call, take care of that injury?" Kim said, Lexie nodded. "Thanks again for helping out with Shon's birthday, I don't know what I'd have done without you! Also, forgive me for making us sneak out for that concert." She added guiltily.

"Don't mention it Kimberly." Lexie waved her goodbyes. She laboriously dragged her feet along the corridor. Her wound hurt but she bit back the pain, settling down the room. She wished she had Cal's iPod, music would have done her some good.

"For three days you will take part helping out with all that entails the upcoming play, how's that for detention?" A voluminous woman announced, bustling into the room, there was much grumbling which soon quietened. Lexie lazily raised her head.

"Quickly pair up with your neighbor and follow me, the more time you waste, the longer you'll stay in this compound." She proclaimed. They all complied, dreading the latter, "You have got to be kidding me!" Lexie yelped catching view of him beside her desk.

"Greetings to you too love," he teased, half a grin creeping on his smug face. She was confused on what amused him about her, why he was there, what he wanted.

"Excuse me?! Yes, you. Young girl, something you have to say?" Lexie sat up stupefied, shaking her head, “no, sorry.” She apologized.

"Better luck finding yourself a partner!" She slithered, her dark eyebrows narrowing into a scowl.

"Well, I'm going nowhere." He hissed into her left ear, his tone sure, with a finality, she squirmed.

Anxious of what their paring, what it would bring forth.

***

A/N:

Thanks for reading! ?