2.1

Mr Thorne was seriously angry. More than he realized himself. There was still half the period remaining, and he thought he would have calmed down in that period without those two disrupting the class. He was wrong. He knew that when he felt no different as the bell rung and he walked out. The moment he laid eyes on those two standing calmly out in the hallway like they had done no wrong and being asked to leave the classroom was no big deal, all of his fury erupted.

"Follow me," he said, not even bothering to look behind to see if they were actually following. He went straight to the principal's office.

"Mr Thorne," Mrs Greenwood, the principal's secretary, greeted him.

"Mrs Greenwood," he replied. "Mr Onass in?"

"Yes," she said, looking at the two students behind him, recognizing them and even giving them a smile. "Hello you two. Gotten yourselves into trouble, have you?"

The two students smiled back at her, and nodded. She was familiar enough with them to easily accept their answer.

Mr Thorne was expressionless as he knocked the door, and after getting permission pushed the door open and walked in. With the students following.

*

Not long after, there were five in the comfortably large office. Mr Onass was in his chair. Mr Thorne was leaning against the table, closest to the two students sitting nonchalantly in the chairs across from the principal. And on the other side was Mr Jonas, their homeroom teacher.

"This is it," Mr Thorne said, after describing the sequence of events from earlier. "I don't see any hope for these two. They are reckless, have no regard for others or for rules or even for themselves. I believe the school has been too indulgent. And I believe they deserve serious punishment."

Having presented his case, Mr Thorne fell quiet.

Mr Jonas sighed, looked at the math teacher with discomfort in his eyes and on his face, and spoke carefully. "Mr Thorne, can't you overlook just this once? I will talk to them. Have them change for the better. Improve."

"Mr Jonas," Mr Thorne said. "Tell me honestly. How many times have I not overlooked their delinquency? Do you not think we are doing them and ourselves a disservice by ignoring such irresponsible behaviour?"

Mr Thorne was very clear. Not just with what he said, but also with what he didn't. The question couldn't be any more evident. Was there anyone among the teachers who wasn't indulging these two students? And why? Just because of their families? Or just because they were polite and nice while they broke the rules?

Mr Jonas had no answer. And honestly, he couldn't find one. He looked at the still calm Haven. The boy was no different with Mr Thorne. In fact, the boy was the same with everyone. Sure, Haven didn't particularly care for the rules or the expectations others placed upon him. And sure, it could seem like Haven was annoying. But Haven was actually quite nice. And always left a nice aftertaste. Mr Thorne had been right in that none of the other teachers were truly angry at the boy. As long as they were simply accepting Haven as Haven was, they were all just fine. It was only Mr Thorne who wanted Haven to be like every other student, like a good and proper student. Something Haven could never be.

And as for Pixie, she posed little presence. She simply stood by Haven. The childhood friends were more alike than most realized.

"What do you want to do," Mr Jonas asked, after sighing.

"I want to call the parents," Mr Thorne said, to his fellow teacher and to the principal.

Mr Onass finally entered the conversation. He cleared his throat, and spoke.

"Haven, Pixie, do you have anything you want to say?"

Mr Thorne was surprised. His eyes grew wide, and his lips parted, almost in readiness to express his opinion. But he was silence with one glance from the principal.

The old man was usually easy going and comfortable to be around. Until he wasn't. And then the old man could be terrifying, even if there was no change in his face and his voice remained silent. His eyes, as if with the push of a button, switched, turning into the coldest ice from the heart of a freezer. Those eyes said it all.

Mr Thorne fell quiet. But that wasn't the end of the surprise. The old man turned the same eyes toward Haven and Pixie, and the two students returned the gaze without a change in their countenance or their expressions. And that startled Mr Thorne.

"No," Haven said. "I was wrong. We, were wrong. I guess we should apologize. And we do sincerely." He looked at Pixie who nodded in reply. And then turned toward Mr Thorne. "We apologize truly and sincerely, Mr Thorne. And assure you, something like this will not happen again in the classroom."

Pixie repeated the apology, with the same earnestness.

Mr Jonas was pleased. He smiled happily and indulgently at his two students, who returned the affection with their smiles.

"Will that be all?" Mr Jonas asked.

Mr Onass looked at Mr Thorne, asking for his opinion. Mr Thorned was pleased that the old man was ready to hear him out. And he honestly wanted that to be all. Haven and Pixie had apologized sincerely. That should be enough. But the moment he looked at them oozing the same nonchalance from every pore, he knew that wouldn't be enough. Sure, they would keep their promise. They wouldn't use their phones in the classroom ever again. But then they would find some other way to annoy him, to break the rules, to express their delinquency. And that was the real problem. They weren't apologizing for their delinquency. They weren't promising to change themselves. They didn't even seem to realize they were acting like delinquents. And that was the worst of it.

"I'm sorry," Mr Thorne said. "But that isn't enough. Don't you see it? These two show no remorse or intent to change. I would like to call the parents, employ their help in making these two realize where and how they are wrong. I truly hope we can change them for the better."

Mr Onass sighed. This was tricky. Had Mr Thorne been acting with malice or ill intent, he could have simply denied the request. But Mr Thorne was thinking of the best for the students. As the principal, he should be appreciative of teachers who would go so far for their students. And so, he had to agree. All he could afford Mr Jonas and the two students in question was a look expressing his apology. And the three of them smiled as if saying the apology wasn't necessary. And he had to side with Mr Jonas, that Haven and Pixie weren't as bad as Mr Thorne made them out to be. They were just unlike other students. And that wasn't entirely bad either.

*

The teachers returned to their classes. Haven and Pixie were asked to wait outside, with Mrs Greenwood, until their parents arrived in the next thirty to forty minutes. And then, the parents accompanied their children inside the principal's office as Mr Thorne and Mr Jonas joined them.

Mr Thorned presented his case to the parents, asked for their understanding, and hoped for their help in correcting the students who according to him weren't entirely lost yet.

Haven's father and mother had come. Monwort and Gwen Orion, of the Orion family.

Pixie's father wasn't in the city, so her mother had come along with her paternal grandfather. Enton and Julia Locke, of the Locke family.

The families had a friendly relationship going back generations. The four of them exchanged looks of exasperation, and indulgence, and looked at Mr Thorne. As the oldest, Enton took upon himself the responsibility of speaking for both the children.

"Mr Thorne, thank you, really, for being so attentive of our children, who I admit can be quite unruly and very annoying. Thank you also for showing so much care. I hope you can give us some time, right now, so we can have a chat with these two as well. If you can be so indulgent."

Mr Thorne was taken aback. What Mr Locke was asking in those sweet words was for him to leave the room. They wanted him to leave the discussion for a while. And he didn't think that was acceptable. Unfortunately, he couldn't get a word out. Because Mr Locke had the same look as Mr Onass, as did the Orions and Mrs Locke. He looked at Mr Onass, hoping for some support, found none, and left the room dejectedly.

After the door closed, Enton laughed warmly, and quietly. "A very serious fellow, eh," he said to Lemon Onass, his old friend.

"Yes," Lemon agreed. "Buggie's nephew. Good child. Sensible, usually. Just Haven that ticks him off. And seems like there's nothing any of us can do."

Enton nodded. Looked at his granddaughter, who smiled back at him nothing at all like someone who had wronged and got caught and called to the principal's office. Then looked at Haven, who was quite simply put, much worse. The fifteen year old boy was sitting comfortably like this was his room and everyone else were his guests.

"Really, you two," Enton sighed. "Can't you just let the poor man be? Stop annoying him. He's a nice teacher. Even grandpa Lemon says so. And your favourite Artie agrees too."

Artie Jonas wasn't only their homeroom teacher this year. He had also been teaching them for years. He had always liked them better than almost every other teacher. And had always been their favourite.

"We do know that," Pixie said reproachfully. "It's not like we want to annoy him. Mr Thorne just gets annoyed with whatever we do. You can't blame us for that."

Haven simply nodded.

"Are there others of the same opinion as Mr Thorne," Gwen asked, smiling lovingly at her son and his oldest friend.

Artie smiled embarrassedly, and nodded. "There are others. Not as serious, but they do share the same opinion as Mr Thorne. And with Mr Thorne taking such a serious stand now, and going this far, those others would voice their stands too, just as strongly. It could get messy, if I am being honest." He looked at Haven and Pixie, and sighed.

The parents and the principal sighed too. Truth was that there were several complaints against the two. Haven especially. Pixie was forgiven much more, simply because she was merely following after Haven. And it was starting to seem like the school could no longer turn a blind eye to the complaints, now that one teacher had escalated the issue.

"Give us some time," Enton said. "A couple of days. Figure things out. Find a solution."

"In the meantime, these two can take a leave of absence from the school," Gwen added. "Stay home, and think up a solution too."

"Yes," Enton said. "And we can go with the best solution. Or a good mix."

"Mr Thorne and those other teachers would be appeased too," Monwort said.

"I am sorry," Artie said, apologizing more to his two students than the others in the room.

"It's okay," Haven said, shrugging away the apology as unnecessary.

"I guess," Pixie said, copying Haven.

"Alright," Lemon said. "We'll just do that." He rang Mrs Greenwood and asked for Mr Thorne to come back in. And then, he was the principal, Mr Onass again. "Mr Thorne, we have come to a conclusion. Haven and Pixie will be taking a leave of absence for a couple of days. In that time, we will find a solution. Is that all?"

Mr Thorne was honestly surprised. Yes, he wanted the parents to be made aware. Yes, he wanted the two to improve for the better. And if it was necessary for them to be punished for that, then he was fine with that. But not once did he even consider that the punishment might be so severe.

"Mr Thorne," Enton said, reading Mr Thorne's mind accurately. "Please do not feel burdened. This was our decision. You clearly aren't the only one with problems with our children. And we agree with you. Our children could do better. They are pampered. Have been all their lives. Maybe spoiled even. We want to take this opportunity to better them. Thank you, really."

Mr Thorne had no words. He nodded dumbly. Looked at Mr Jonas, who smiled back at him a little disappointedly. At Mr Onass who smiled at him almost as if encouragingly. At Haven and Pixie, who smiled at him with no complaint or remorse. And thought that if there was a mirror here and he looked into it right now, he would find himself looking defeated and lost. He couldn't help but wonder whether he had gone too far? Would things be okay? He hoped they would be. He hoped no one would get hurt from this. And he hoped, more than anything else, that a solution would be found, so Haven and Pixie would turn for the better.