Chapter thirty-two – The Office

It was just another morning in class. Ryan sat by the window, staring outside as the teacher went on about American history. He could still feel the dull throb in his hand, a reminder of yesterday's fight. Ben sat two rows away, quieter than usual, head lowered, trying to keep a low profile.

Then the door opened.

Everyone turned as Principal Monroe stepped inside. His sharp eyes scanned the room, and he didn't waste a second.

"Ryan Whitmore. Ben Carter. With me."

A few whispers stirred in the classroom. Ryan stood up without a word, his jaw tight. Ben hesitated before getting to his feet, clearly nervous. The teacher gave them both a concerned look but said nothing.

The walk down the hallway felt longer than usual.

Principal Monroe's office was quiet, neat, and far too bright. He sat behind his desk and motioned for them to sit. Ryan dropped into the chair with a practiced indifference. Ben followed, fidgeting.

Principal Monroe folded his hands in front of him. "Do either of you want to explain what happened at the court yesterday?"

Ryan glanced at Ben, then leaned back. "Some guys were messing with Ben. I stepped in."

Monroe raised an eyebrow. "Stepped in how?"

"They pushed me," Ben said quickly. "Ryan was just trying to help."

"You two are new here," Monroe said, calm but firm. "And you're already drawing attention for the wrong reasons. Violence is not how we handle things in this school."

Ryan said nothing. He didn't regret what he did.

"The other boys involved have already been talked to. They claimed you attacked them, Ryan."

Ryan scoffed. "Of course they did."

"I reviewed footage from the security camera near the court," Monroe added. "It doesn't have sound, but I saw enough to know you didn't start the fight."

Ben let out a quiet breath of relief.

"But," Monroe continued, "you did escalate it. And that's still on you."

Ryan met his gaze. "I'm not going to stand around while someone gets pushed around."

"I respect that," Monroe said. "But you need to learn to pick your battles and handle things the right way. You're both getting one warning. One."

Ben nodded quickly. "Yes, sir."

"And if this happens again, you'll both be benched from any school sports. That includes the basketball team, Ryan."

That hit harder than Ryan expected. He clenched his jaw but gave a short nod.

Monroe stood. "You're dismissed. And next time—walk away."

They left the office in silence, walking side by side down the hall.

Ben finally spoke, his voice quiet. "Thanks… for having my back."

Ryan glanced at him. "Anytime."

The tension didn't disappear, but something else settled in its place—respect. Maybe even a bit of loyalty.