After lunch, Sophia was leaving the kitchen to go to her next class, but a school assistant stood in her way and said, "Sophia Cross and Emma Pearson, the Principal wants to see both of you in his office. Follow me, please."
"What does he want? Thank me for my help in the cafeteria?" asked Sophia.
"I don't know. I was just told to come and get you."
While walking along the corridor, Emma Pearson whispered, "He said something about a punishment later, remember? Do you think it is about… you know…"
"No idea. But I think I am starting to remember a few events that are now bugging me. Let's see what he wants first."
Upon reaching the Principal's office, the assistant opened the door and waited for the two girls to enter before closing the door and leaving.
Seated at his desk, the Principal was looking at them with a serious face. Sophia glanced around, admiring the enormous bookshelves full of hardcover books, and blinked at the bright, enormous chandelier on the ceiling. For a moment, she thought she was in Crosslot, looking at the entrance of a Noble's house like she heard some Adventurers describe at the Guild of Explorers and Adventurers.
The Principal pointed to the empty seats in front of him and said as soon as both girls sat down, "First, let me thank you for the help at lunch and for showing me that our kitchen personnel needs some improvement."
With a slightly raised brow, Sophia answered. "Thanks, I suppose. But I don't think you told us to come here just to say that."
"No, it wasn't only for that. Yesterday, three students went to the hospital. According to the doctors, Eliza Francis will need to stay there for a few days, but they already discharged the other two, but they both refused to come to school today, according to their parents. It seems they are afraid of being beaten again. Do any of you know why?"
While Emma Pearson turned pale, Sophia spoke with an inscrutable face: "I have no idea what happened, but I am glad someone taught them a lesson. You know those three were bullying me a lot, and I came here a few times all bruised and beaten, and you said it was just a kid's scuffle. So, this time, it was probably just a kid's scuffle and nothing more. And if I recall correctly, other students also told you and a bunch of teachers that Eliza and her gang were bullying them. And you told them the same."
Emma Pearson vigorously nodded and said, "Yes! I came here as well, and you told me I had to solve things on my own, that it was not a school problem! They put gum on my hair once, and I had to cut off half of my pretty hair! My mother spoke to you, and you said I lied because such a thing couldn't happen without a teacher or an assistant seeing that happening!"
With a frown, the Principal said, "So, you are denying it was you who beat them up? Because the three of them said it was you."
"And you believe in them and not in me? Well, I am denying, so if you have no more witnesses besides those three liars, I guess you can't accuse me of anything."
"What about you? Do you have anything to say?"
Emma Pearson gulped and answered, "I know nothing! But I want them to just die and disappear. School will be a lot more fun if they are not bullying everyone they see!"
"Well, I can't punish them until they return to school, but I can punish both of you now and wait for all of you to confess. Sophia Cross, I suspend you for one week. Emma Pearson, two days for you. And tomorrow I want your parents here to talk with them. I already told the parents of the other three girls to come, so tomorrow morning I am going to have a meeting with all of them." The Principal said while handing them an envelope and explaining, "Give these to your parents, so that they know what happened and what time I am expecting them here. If a parent doesn't come, there will be another week's suspension."
With a grin, Sophia grabbed the envelope and said, "Oh, my father will be very happy to be here tomorrow morning; I am sure of it! You, on the other hand, I am not so sure. I must advise you that you need to be extremely careful with the way you talk to him, or you may find yourself being thrown out of the window behind you. I already told him those girls were bullying me, so I am pretty sure what his reaction will be. If you have nothing more to say, we have classes to attend."
With a harsh voice, the Principal said, "You are too full of yourself for such a young girl, Sophia. It would be better if you chose your friends better, Emma, because Sophia will have a lot of problems from now on if she doesn't change her behaviour!"
Almost shouting, Emma Pearson got up and said, "I had to cut my hair because of those girls! I came here two times after they put my head inside a toilet and flushed the water, and you didn't care! Now you are suspending me because those monsters got what they deserved? You should be ashamed of yourself!"
Emma kicked the chair, got out of the office, slammed the door behind her, and Sophia said to the surprised Principal with a grin, "I think you are mistaken, Principal. You are the one who will have a lot of problems unless you care more about the students in this school. Just wait for my father to come here tomorrow. He might teach you a thing or two about treating people."
Sophia left and met Emma in the corridor, crying her eyes out. She hugged her friend, tried to comfort her, and whispered, "I am sorry, Emma. Because of me, you were punished as well. I should have done what my father told me, to take care of them without anyone seeing it and away from school."
"No… I just… this is so unfair… They were so mean to me… and to a bunch of kids… and the Principal, the teachers, the school assistants, no one cared… and now I am suspended! My mother will be so disappointed with me…"
"Come on, wipe those tears. You just need to tell your mother what happened, and tomorrow my father will be here, and he will have a lot to say to that Principal and those parents. I just wish we could also be in that room because it would be funny to see my father blowing up!"
Emma slowly nodded and said while cleaning her tears in a handkerchief that she took from her pocket, "I won't tell what you did, never! For all things worth, those girls got what they deserved from someone I don't know!"
"That's my girl! Let's go; we have classes next, and I want to learn more before my suspension starts tomorrow! I need to ask our classmates if they can make notes for me about the subjects that I am going to miss in all the classes for the entire week!"
"You are going to study even while suspended? That is so unlike you, Sophia!"
"Yeah, but what can I say? Learning new stuff is fun!"
…
When school ended, Sophia and Emma went to the school's front gate. Seeing that her father was not there, Sophia mumbled, "He is late? Or did he just forget about me? That can't be it…"
Emma looked at both sides of the sidewalk and said, "Your father is not here. Strange; he is never late, right? He always arrives before our last class ends. Do you think he got delayed because of work?"
"No idea. Now I don't know if I wait for him or if I go home."
"Can't you make a phone call and ask him where he is?"
With a shrug, Sophia answered, "I don't have a phone, and even if I had, if he is working, I think he wouldn't answer my call."
"Then we should be going, or we are going to miss the bus. You have your home key, right?"
While looking inside her backpack, Sophia said, "I think so… unless I dreamed, and I don't… here! Let's go to the bus, and when he arrives home, I am so going to punch his head! Daring not to come and get me! I changed into my tracksuit for nothing!"
While going to the bus, Emma Pearson asked, "You are not worried about the meeting tomorrow morning? Your father might get angry at you because of what happened yesterday."
"No, I told him what happened. He didn't mind. He figured out I beat the crap out of those girls, even before I told him what I did."
"Really? Your father is… I don't know, he just looks calm and focused all the time. I thought he would get upset if he heard that you beat up some girls."
"Considering those girls were bullying me, he knew what I would do if they messed with me again, which is why he was not surprised. At least I got a bunch of offers from our classmates, and a lot of them said they would take a lot of notes from all the classes I will be missing! I just need to get here when school ends and get the notes, then go home to study."
With a smile, Emma said while holding her friend's arm and walking next to her, "No wonder, most of them hated Eliza and her gang! But since the school never did anything against them, no kid knew what to do, besides not get on their bad side!"
"Well, you also need to study during your two days of suspension; don't forget!"
Emma said while they entered the bus that had stopped to pick up the passengers at the bus station, "I know that already! I don't mind studying; you were the one who was always complaining about classes, school, subjects we had to learn and everything else!"
While looking through the window at the people walking on the sidewalk, Sophia said, "You know, there are a lot of different people in this City. Just look at that woman with pink hair! And is that a pink dog that she has on a leash? That's so funny!"
Emma leaned over and looked through the window, joining her friend in her newfound hobby of watching people.
…
When Sophia arrived at her building, she waved Emma goodbye and entered. She went up the stairs, stopped in front of her apartment door with her key in hand, and heard a noise coming from inside. "Weird… He is at home already? He totally forgot about me!"
She entered, and as soon as she closed the door, her father came out from the kitchen and said, "Sorry, I couldn't get you. Go take care of your pets and then come to the living room. We have a guest that I want to introduce you to."
Hearing conversations, Mia Mills came from the living room, stared at the puzzled Sophia for a while, and asked, "Is that your daughter? She is kind of cute."
Almost bursting into laughter, Sophia said, "Pfft… Dad, I told you I wouldn't mind if you got married again, and you brought one woman home already? That is so bold of you! Who is she? She is so pretty!"
"She is my boss' daughter. A lot of things happened today, but first, go take care of your pets, and I will explain everything when you finish."
After a quick stop in the kitchen to grab some vegetables, Sophia rushed to her room while saying, "I also have a few things to tell you! By the way, I got one week's suspension from school, and you have to go tomorrow morning to a meeting with my Principal and other parents."
Jack Cross sighed, and while he was going to the kitchen again, Mia Mills said, "She got suspended? But she looked like such a nice kid! What did she do?"
"Probably it is related to her bullies. She beat them up yesterday, and they went to a hospital. She will explain everything when she finishes."
While walking along the corridor, Mia asked, "She said she has pets in her room? What kind of pets?"
"Go see for yourself. I have to finish our dinner."
"I will pass. I want to finish the fashion show I was watching on television. I should have gone to Paris this week like I was supposed to. If I had gone there this past weekend, nothing would have happened this morning!"
With a shrug, Jack replied, "Or maybe they would catch you there; who knows?"