Retribution

The entire hall was silent, shocked beyond belief.

From the start, Vice principal Collins had been verbally attacking Alexander. She had been calling him all sorts of names and making derogatory comments as she revealed that he was a rapist. Now, she was standing smugly on stage as she showed them undeniable proof of Alexander crime.

"I can see how everyone is shocked. Everyone should be! This act is so disgusting!"

"I think that's quite enough, Vice principal Collins,"

A deep voice was heard. Collins snapped her head up, and saw a man in a grey suit standing at the entrance of the Hall. She was dumbfounded.

"Mr Grey ? What are you doing here?"

She asked, her eyes wide in surprise. Mr Grey was the District Representative who was in charge of the school's administration. Every school was under the purview of a specific District Office, which is dependent upon its locality and in each District Office would have a team responsible for school management. Mr Grey was the Head of that team. Simply put, Mr Grey was her 'boss'.

Mr Grey was quiet, and started walking towards the stage, his steps even and steady. He stood at the podium and introduced himself.

I was here because the principal has called me and want me to come. But I didn't think that I will be witnesse this kind of thing.

"Good morning everyone. I am Grey Steevenson, the District Representative of the school. I would like to apologize to everyone, and,

He looked at me,

"But most of all towards Mr Alexander Delatour for having to endure such treatment. I was a bit late, so I could not stop this sooner."

He then looked back at everyone in the Hall,

"I hereby am announcing that Vice principal Collins is relieved from her position, effective immediately. Another person will take over temporarily until a new appointment for a Vice principal will be made."

Collins stood there, her mouth gaping open and then shutting, then opened again.

"What just happened"?

"But Mr Grey!! You can't do this! I didn't do anything wrong!"

I protested, my eyes wild as I pointed at Alexander.

"It's him! He is the ones who is at fault here!"

"BE QUIET!"

Mr Grey roared and she stepped back, gulping nervously but was still not satisfied.

As she was about to protest again, Mr Grey pointed to the picture that was screened on stage,

"It is bad enough that you've been inciting hate and hostility towards a teenager you are basing it on your own sense of prejudice! You have been so blinded by your hate that you've started making things up!"

I was shocked. Was I blind? Why did he say I was blind? So I turned towards the picture, intending to point out what was so blatantly obvious when I stopped. Wait. That was not the picture I had picked. No, it was, but it was different.

On the projector screen, there is a photo of Alexander and Alexa who looks happy at the sight of something. Alexander was behind her and was showing him something in the distance. Their faces were innocent and very smiling. And on the other side stood Alex, Jamie and Chen who were playing the clown. It was quite obvious that the whole picture showed a friendly game being played.

I was flabbergasted. Just what happened? It was true that was the picture which I had chosen, but I had actually cut out everyone else from the picture. And replace Alexa with Sara. So the picture would have been only Alexander and Sara.

I quickly looked through all the pictures in the envelope, my face pale.I didn't know what happened. In each and every picture, everything seemed to have been restored. No longer did it show irrefutable evidence of inappropriate behaviour between them. Instead, it all appeared like harmless fun.

"You are no longer fit to be an educator of young minds, Ms. Collins. We are here to guide, not preach. We are here to help them expand their minds, not limit it. We are here to help them find their way, not impose our own views on them. You, Ms. Collins have not only failed as an educator, but you have also failed as a decent human being."

Mr. Grey was saying.

He faced the hall again,

"To have such poisonous words being flung at young, impressionable youths is a crime. Youths of tomorrow, I hope you learn from this. What you say today, can have an impact that you cannot imagine. We have freedom of speech, but it does not mean it allows you to ignore basic, common decency. Respect. Tolerance. These are essential. Remember, such behavior as narrow-minded, hatred only serves to twist your own thoughts. She can turn such a harmonious, warm scene between close friends into something twisted and shameful. Never be like that."

When Mr. Gray finished his speech I saw that Collins was going to leave. How can I let her go like that. She wanted to humiliate me, to call me a rapist in the presence of everyone. If I let her go like that then I will no longer be a Delatour.

" Ms Collins. Where are you going like that? I remember telling you that, if you don't have proof I will make you regret having shown such disrespect towards me."

I say in a freezing and sinister tone.

"And then,

She answered,

" You already had what you wanted, you're just a child what do you think you can do to me? Do you want me to apologize to you?

" Precisely this is where you are mistaken. And I don't want your insincere apology either."

I went to the podium while talking to her.

You have always thought that I was a child , you can do what you want and have nothing to fear. But you forget something crucial. "

"And?"