I.14 Summoned to my tutor's office

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

Two days after the incident with Browning and her friends, I was summoned to my tutor's office. It was not an invitation but a summons, which made me feel a bit uneasy about it, though I kept telling myself that there was absolutely no reason for me to be nervous.

I arrived at Allie's office ten minutes early, only to discover that she was not in her office yet. So I sat down on a bench in the corridor to wait for her.

A few minutes later another girl arrived. She had a yellow slip of paper in her hand and appeared to be even more nervous than I was.

"Do you also have an appointment with Allie Thomas?" I asked her.

The girl nodded. "Say, could I perhaps go first? Please?"

I shrugged. "Sure, why not. What are you going to see her about, if you don't mind my asking?"

The other girl made some reply that I failed to understand.

"I beg your pardon?"

The girl looked uncomfortable. "I need to see her on account of disciplinary measures."

Seemingly without being aware of it, she reached behind herself and smoothed down the back of her skirt, making it abundantly clear exactly what kind of discipline she expected to be administered. "Naturally, I want it to be over with as soon as possible."

"Sure, you can go first," I agreed.

"Thanks." She offered me a brief smile. "What do you need to see her about?"

"I don't know, exactly. I was summoned, on short notice."

"That almost certainly means disciplinary measures," the girl helpfully explained.

"Well, I hope not," I replied, more than a bit shaken up.

At this moment, Allie showed up.

"Ah Cathy. You are early, I think."

"Yes, I am." I turned my head to indicate the girl sitting next to me. "She would like to go first, though. If that is possible."

"Hello Cora," Allie addressed the other girl. "So what brings you here?" She took the yellow slip of paper and scanned it. Her face clouded over. "Oh, I see. Well, this shouldn't take long. So, if you really don't mind, Cathy ..."

"Sure. Go ahead."

I watched the two of them enter Allie's office. The door closed behind them, and I settled back to wait.

No sound could be heard through the heavy wooden door. Nevertheless I had a pretty good idea of what must be happening behind that door, at this very moment. I couldn't help but wonder if that might be in store for me, too. I fervently hoped that this was not the case.

A few minutes later, Cora left Allie's office. Her cheeks were flushed.

"Thanks again for letting me go first," she told me before she walked off down the corridor, with the yellow slip of paper in her hand.

Allie ushered me into her office and closed the door behind us.

"Cathy, have a seat. You may have been wondering what this is about." As usual, Allie got straight to the point. "You have been accused of threatening and assaulting other students, two days ago. Headmistress Stuart has asked me to question you about that incident and, depending on the outcome, to take appropriate action."

I stared at her, utterly shocked. "You mean, Browning and her friends? But I was merely helping Natalie. They were bullying her."

Allie frowned. "Cathy, I warned you not get involved with Fogg. That girl spells trouble."

"But Natalie is my roommate, and my friend too," I protested.

Allie sighed. "Why don't you tell me exactly what happened between you and Fogg, and Browning, Gale and Hearst, on the day before yesterday."

So I told her, in detail, about the incident. Allie asked a couple of questions. When we were done, she did not look happy, exactly.

"From what you have told me it is obvious that you did indeed threaten and assault those students, Cathy," she concluded.

"But they were threatening and assaulting Natalie, first," I replied, indignantly. "They shoved her against a wall and even twisted her arm."

"Browning, Gale and Hearst deny that. They say that they never so much as touched Fogg."

"So they are lying. Why am I not surprised? Come on, whom do you believe, them or me?"

"What I do or do not believe is beside the point here, Cathy. It is your word, and Fogg's word, against theirs. The point is that Fogg owed them money, and they were within their right to ask her to pay it back. Cathy, what you did was wrong. You ought to have gone and informed a teacher about the incident, rather than take matters into your own hands. Do you understand that?"

I nodded, glumly. Even though for the most part I did not agree with what she had said.

"Since this is a first offense on your part, I shall let you get away with a mere reprimand, this time." Allie frowned. "But you'd better make sure that you do not get involved in such an incident again, Cathy."

****************************************************************

A / N :   Thanks for taking the time to read this chapter. If you liked it, consider voting or adding some comment. You can also PM me, my inbox is open.

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net