Chapter 11: The Fall: I broke his leg
I seethed with anger as I quickly stood up from under the tree, trying to brush off the water from my body and my books. But it was too late; my uniform and books were already soaked through from the water Garvin had poured on me. I glared at him, my eyes blazing with fury, as I tried to process the humiliation and frustration I felt in that moment.
My eyes scanned the surrounding area, noticing that a crowd had already begun to gather, drawn in by the commotion. People were snickering and pointing, and someone had even pulled out their phone to record the incident. My anger flared up at the thought of being humiliated again, with everyone watching and laughing at me.
I turned my gaze back to Garvin, who was grinning from ear to ear, clearly enjoying my distress. I remembered his threat to make my life miserable at school, and now I realized he hadn't been joking. This was what he meant—publicly humiliating me, making me a spectacle for everyone's entertainment.
My anger grew. I wasn't going to let Garvin get away with this. I stood up straight, my eyes locked on his, and prepared to do the unthinkable.
In a burst of anger, I strode back to the tree and shook it violently, causing Garvin to lose his balance and fall to the ground. Before I could process what was happening, he was screaming in agony, clutching his leg and rolling around on the floor.
"My leg! My leg!" he yelled, his face contorted in pain.
My initial satisfaction at seeing Garvin hurt quickly turned to horror as I realized I might have actually broken his leg. I was frozen in shock, regretting my impulsive action as people started to gather around, cameras at the ready.
"What have I done?" I thought, panic setting in. "If I really broke his leg, what will happen to me now?"
As the crowd closed in, my mind raced with worst-case scenarios. Would I get expelled?
"Eva, what have you done? Did you break his leg?" Cassandra asked, her voice laced with concern.
"Call the principal!" someone else shouted, and soon the principal arrived on the scene.
"What's happening here?" the principal demanded. Before anyone could explain, he turned to some of the boys and said, "Help pick Garvin up; let's get him to my office."
Garvin limped along, supported by the boys, as we all made our way to the principal's office. My heart sank with each step.
Once we arrived, the principal suggested taking Garvin to the school clinic, but he refused. "No, I don't want to go to the clinic. Call my father; he'll come and handle this."
The principal hesitated for a moment before nodding and making the call. Garvin's father arrived soon after, his face stern and worried.
He turned to Garvin and said, "Garvin, tell me what happened. What happened to your leg? Explain the incident from the start and be honest."
Garvin took a deep breath and began to spin a web of lies. "I was just sitting on top of the tree, and I accidentally poured water on Eva. It was a mistake, a simple mistake. But Eva took it personally and refused to listen to my apology. Before I knew it, she shook the tree, and I fell down, breaking my leg."
Garvin's father turned to me, his expression stern. "Is this true, Eva? Did you shake the tree and cause Garvin to fall?"
I shook my head, outraged by Garvin's lies. "No, that's not what happened at all! Garvin was bullying me, pouring water on me, and laughing at me. I stood up for myself and shook the tree, but I didn't mean for him to get hurt."
I tried to explain, "But that's not what happened! Garvin poured water on me first, and then I shook the tree because I was angry. He fell off and hurt his leg."
Garvin quickly interrupted, "No, no, no! That's not true! I was just sitting there, and she shook the tree out of nowhere. I didn't do anything to her."
The principal frowned. "Eva, why would Garvin pour water on you?"
I took a deep breath. "Because he thinks it's funny to humiliate me in front of everyone."
Garvin's father scoffed. "That's ridiculous! My son would never do such a thing."
"I'm so disappointed in you, Principal," Garvin's father said, his voice dripping with disdain. "What's the meaning of all this? My son would never lie to me."
He turned to me, his expression incredulous. "I don't believe anything you said. My son is a good boy, and he would never bully anyone."
I tried to speak up, but Garvin's father raised his hand, silencing me. "Where is your father? He should be here to answer for your behavior."
"He's on his way, sir," the principal replied.
Garvin's father sneered at me. "What does your father do? I doubt he's even a respectable person. You don't look like someone who comes from a good family."
The principal tried to intervene, but Garvin's father cut him off. "I know what you're doing here, Principal. You're favoring Eva, and it's obvious why. You're just trying to protect your own interests."
Garvin's father's face turned red with anger as he continued to berate the principal. "If something like this happens again, I better not receive a call from this school. Do not disturb me at my workplace. I will not be embarrassed like this again."
The principal, taken aback by Garvin's father's aggression, tried to placate him. "I understand, sir. We'll handle the situation accordingly."
Garvin's father glared at the principal, his voice dripping with entitlement. "You know how much I contribute to this school, what percentage of the budget I provide. You don't need to bother me with these trivial matters. You should be able to solve them immediately and keep them out of my way."
The principal nodded nervously, aware of Garvin's father's significant donations to the school. "Of course, sir. I understand. We'll handle the situation from now on."
Garvin's father's expression turned even more condescending. "See that you do. I expect special treatment, given my... generosity to this institution. I won't be bothered with these petty issues again."
I felt a surge of anger at Garvin's father's arrogance, but the principal seemed cowed by his threats.