I sat at the small desk in the office, scribbling lines across the page. "I will not interrupt assembly," over and over again, the words looping in front of me like some villain's curse. Mrs. Heather was sitting behind her desk, her sharp eyes occasionally darting over to check on me as if she expected me to burst into some secret mission.
And why wouldn't she? I was Ronan Brown, the ultimate spy. My job was to take down bad guys and save the day.
"I bet she's watching me, just waiting for me to slip up. Classic boss villain," I muttered under my breath. I kept writing the lines, but in my head, I was already thinking of escape routes. The window... yeah, that could work. Or maybe the air vent on the wall near the ceiling.
But before I could plot my escape, Mrs. Heather stood up. "I'll be stepping out for a staff meeting. You keep writing those lines, Ronan. I'll check on you when I get back."
She left the office, closing the door behind her with a click. Finally. Freedom. Well, not quite.
Suddenly, a soft tapping noise came from the window. I squinted, moving the blinds aside just enough to see Max, my best friend, peeking in through the glass with a cheeky grin. I grinned back and slid the window open.
"Max! What are you doing here?" I asked, whispering even though no one was around. Max looked over his shoulder as if making sure no one was watching.
"Elliott and his gang got me good, Ronan. I was walking near the tire track, and they cornered me... drenched me with their water bottles, man."
My fists clenched. "Those guys... they think they're so tough. I've got a plan. Let's get 'em back."
I grabbed my school bag, making sure I had everything I needed, and climbed out the window, following Max toward the playground. The mission had begun.
We snuck through the corridors, dodging the few teachers who were still milling about after lunch, and made our way outside. There, near the edge of the playground, was Elliott, leaning casually against a tree with his goons beside him.
The usual suspects: are Arthur, Callum, and Archie. I noticed they were laughing about something, probably still proud of what they'd done to Max earlier.
Max marched forward, trying to be brave. "Oi, Elliott! What was that about? Why'd you soak me?" Elliott looked at Max like he was barely worth his time. He chuckled. "Didn't know you were such a baby, Max. Why don't you go cry to your mum?"
I quietly bent down, scooping up some mud, and forming it into a perfect mudball behind my back. I glanced at Max, and he nodded slightly. It was go time.
Callum piped up, "Yeah, Max, maybe you can get a bib next time so you don't spill on yourself."
"Or a nappy," Arthur added, grinning ear to ear.
Elliott sneered, turning to me. "What about you, Ronan? You gonna cry too?"
I smirked. "Shoot! It's Mrs. Heather!" I pointed dramatically behind them.
Their heads all whipped around in unison, and that was our cue. Without hesitation, Max and I launched the mudballs directly at them. Bullseye. Mud splattered across their faces, and the shock on Elliott's face was priceless.
"Run!" I yelled.
Max and I took off, legs pumping as fast as they could go. Behind us, Elliott and his crew wiped mud from their eyes and scrambled to chase us.
We darted through the playground, weaving through other kids, until we reached the school shed. I yanked open the door, and we dove inside.
Breathless, we sat on the dusty floor, listening as Elliott and his gang ran past, clueless as to where we had gone.
"Mission accomplished," Max said, grinning.
"Piece of cake," I replied, feeling victorious. We waited until we were sure Elliott and his goons were far away before opening the shed door and slipping back toward the school buildings, to avoid getting caught by any teachers.
Suddenly, I heard a voice behind us.
"Ronan Brown. Max. The bell already rang, care to explain why you two aren't inside?"
We froze in our tracks. It was Mrs. Mary-Allen, arms crossed and glaring at us with that teacher look of doom. Max glanced at me, eyes wide in panic. I turned on my heel, trying to think fast.
"Oh, Miss! Lovely weather today, isn't it? And your hair looks fantastic!" I said, trying to distract her.
Mrs. Mary-Allen wasn't buying it. "Nice try, Ronan. But I know for a fact you're supposed to be in Mrs. Heather's office writing lines. And Max, you should be in class too."
I glanced around, looking for a way out, but before I could come up with a plan, Mr. Simon appeared, blocking our escape route.
"Ronan," he said, his voice serious, "don't make this worse than it already is. If you don't come with us now, we'll have to call your parents."
I could feel the walls closing in. If they called Mum or worse, Dad, I was toast. My mission would be over. But then again, I was Ronan Brown.
I didn't listen to villains, even if they were teachers.
"I don't take orders from anyone!" I thought to myself. With a burst of energy, I made a break for it, sprinting past Mr. Simon before he had a chance to grab me.
"Ronan, no!" he shouted, but I was too fast. Max stood there, watching in awe as I dodged the teachers, zigzagging through the courtyard.
In one fluid motion, I climbed onto the roof of the school, using the fence to hoist myself up.
The wind whipped through my hair as I stood there, surveying the scene below like a true hero on top of the world. The teachers were scrambling to figure out what to do next.
I jumped down onto a nearby bin, landing with a thud. It wasn't the most graceful, but it got the job done. I bolted for the park next to the school, leaving the teachers behind, too stunned to follow.
I sat on the park bench for what felt like an hour, breathing heavily and feeling a strange mix of triumph and panic.
I knew what was coming next. Eventually, they'd call Mum, and then... well, I'd figure that part out later.
Sure enough, Mum's car pulled up next to the park. She stepped out, looking furious.
"Ronan! What were you thinking?"
I shrugged, trying to act innocent. "The teachers were out to get me, Mum. I had to escape."
Mum sighed, shaking her head.
"Let's go home. You're in big trouble, young man."
When we got home, there was already a letter from the school. Ronan Brown, suspended.
At dinner that night, Dad sat across from me, his expression cold, eyes narrowed. He didn't have to say anything for me to know I was in serious trouble. I shifted in my seat, trying to ignore the tension building in the room.
"Ronan," he finally said, voice low but sharp. "What. Is. Going. On? Why did you run away from school?"
I swallowed, keeping my cool. "The teachers… they were working with Elliott, Dad! It was all a set-up. They sabotaged my mission."
Dad raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it.
"A set-up? Sabotaged? You ran off, Ronan. Do you know how serious that is? They called your mother! You were supposed to be in detention, not running around causing chaos."
I shrugged again, this time with a bit of flair, trying to look innocent but also heroic.
"Dad, you don't get it. It wasn't just detention. It was a trap! Mrs. Heather… she's like the queen villain. And Elliott's her evil minion. They were plotting against me all day!"
Miles, sitting next to me, smirked, clearly enjoying the drama. "What happened to your 'mission,' Ronan? Didn't quite go as planned, huh?"
I glared at him. "Shut up, Miles! You wouldn't understand. This was a top-level mission, and they set me up! The teachers were on their side!"
Dad's voice cut in before Miles could respond. "You ran off the school grounds, Ronan.
Do you realize how dangerous that is? What if something happened to you? This isn't some game."
I scoffed. "I was fine, Dad. I had a plan. The teachers didn't catch me, did they?"
Mum, who had been silent up until now, finally spoke up, rubbing her temples. "Ronan, enough with the stories. This is serious. You need to learn to listen to your teachers."
I sighed dramatically. "But Mum! The teachers don't understand. They're always picking on me. It's like they're villains in disguise! You don't know what it's like at school."
Mum's eyes softened, but she still looked tired. "Ronan, this isn't about villains. It's about your behaviour. You can't keep acting out every time something doesn't go your way."
"But they started it!" I protested, pointing at Miles. "Even Miles agrees!"
Miles rolled his eyes. "Don't drag me into this. You're just mad because your 'mission' failed. Let's face it, Ronan. You're not Action Man. You're not even close."
My fists clenched under the table. "Shut up, Miles! You don't know what it's like to be a hero!"
Dad slammed his hand on the table, the sound echoing through the room. "Enough! Both of you." His glare was intense, his voice low and commanding.
"Ronan, you are suspended from school. Do you know what that means? It means there are consequences for your actions. You're not a hero in some game. This is real life, and if you keep this up, you're going to face some serious consequences when you're older."
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. "But Dad—"
"No buts!" Dad interrupted. "You need to grow up and start taking responsibility for your actions."
Mum sighed, her voice softer. "Ronan, we love you, but this behaviour has to stop. You can't keep running away from your problems."
I stared at the table, feeling a mix of frustration and guilt. My chest felt tight, and suddenly, I didn't know what to do with all the emotions swirling inside me. I didn't think I was doing anything wrong. I was just standing up for myself. But now, looking at Mum's tired face and Dad's anger, it all hit me.
Maybe I wasn't the hero I thought I was. Maybe, just maybe… I messed up.
My bottom lip trembled before I could stop it. Tears welled up in my eyes, and my vision blurred. I sniffled once, trying to hide it, but it was no use. The tears came anyway.
"I… I didn't mean to," I whispered, my voice shaking. "I just… I don't want to be the bad guy. I'm not the bad guy."
Mum's face softened immediately. "Oh, Ronan… sweetie…" she began, but I couldn't look at her. The guilt was too much.
"I just… I wanted to show them! I wanted to be the hero," I sobbed, wiping my face with the back of my sleeve. "But everything I do is wrong… Everyone keeps getting mad at me, and I… I don't understand why."
Dad's stern expression faltered. "Ronan, we're not saying you're the bad guy. But you have to understand that running off and getting in trouble at school has consequences."
I wiped my nose, still hiccupping from crying. "I'm… I'm sorry, Dad. I'm really sorry."
Mum came over and knelt beside me, pulling me into a hug. "We know, Ronan. But you need to start thinking before you act, okay? We just want the best for you."
I buried my face in her shoulder, letting the rest of my tears fall silently. Miles didn't say anything this time, but I could feel his eyes on me. I didn't care anymore. I was too tired, too worn out from trying to be the hero all the time.
"I'll do better," I mumbled again, this time through the sobs.