Start a Revolution

"John," Mr. Higgins says sternly, folding his arms in front of him on the desk. "Are you going to explain to us what happened?"

The youngest O'Callaghan looks around the principal's office, letting his eyes pass over the plaques and certificates adorning the walls. Beside him in the other leather chair was Drew Hemingway, her gaze and face pointedly turned away from his.

"Explain what?" he finally asks, sounding bored.

"The incident that has occurred," Higgins answers, his eyes narrowing in annoyance. Every time the brown-haired boy was in his office, he caused enough ruckus for seventeen people. But this time, he was determined to get the truth out of him. "Ms. Hemingway is clearly upset. So why don't you spare us all the time and tell us why you did what you did."

"I didn't do anything," John smirks, making sure the expression was completely seen by Drew. "Maybe she's blaming me just because she hates me. It's not like it's a great secret that we can't stand each other."

Mr. Higgins had to agree with that. Almost all faculty and students at Corona del Sol High knew Drew and John were part of some unresolved war between their families.

"We have witnesses," the principal replies flatly. "Why did you do it, John?"

The boy sets his mouth in defiance. He may have done it, but the last thing he'll do is confess to it. No matter how many glares he got from Drew, no matter how many disappointed looks he got from Higgins. John would never admit he did the dirty deed they were accusing him of.

It's not like he planned on trashing her locker. It was a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing. His friends Garrett and Kennedy suggested it actually, just as a helpless prank. It's not like they had personally done anything to her.

Yeah, the word SLUT written on her cherry red locker door may have stung a bit, but it's not like John meant it. It was just some good fun.

"I didn't do it for any kind of a reason," O'Callaghan speaks before he could stop his brain and mouth. "It was a harmless joke that she didn't need to take so seriously." John grimaces over at Drew, who just set her jaw tight in anger. He knew she would give anything to punch him in the face, he could see that fire in her eyes, but she was refraining herself. She was too much of a goody two shoes to do that.

"Maybe I took it seriously because there was no need for it," she retaliates haughtily.

"Both of you," Higgins cuts in, seeing the heated looks the two were sending to each other, "stop. Mr. O'Callaghan has confessed. Now that that is finished, Ms. Hemingway, please step out so I may discuss some things with him."

The dark-haired girl sends another death-glare to John before getting to her feet angrily and storming out of the office. The dark-haired boy felt a smirk tug at his lips.

"John," the older man leans forward, "this behavior is unacceptable."

"I expected just as much."

Mr. Higgins blinks, keeping his red-hot anger at the pit of his stomach. "Ms. Hemingway came to me in tears. That's how upset she was with what you did. Why can't you ever just leave her alone John? I understand this feud between the O'Callaghan's and the Heminway's, but you and Drew have had countless rebuttles."

"I understand that, sir," John says, a slight sarcastic tone hinting in his voice on the last word. Mr. Higgins lets it slide. "I will accept any punishment you see fit." The boy was ready for anything coming at him; he'd been in the office enough times to know nothing too bad was about to hit him.

"Good," the principal responds, sitting back in his chair. "You're suspended for five school days."

The O'Callaghan teen's eyes widen. "What?"

Higgins raises his eyebrows. "I thought you would accept any punishment that I see fit?" The older man could see the shock and puzzlement in the younger boy's eyes.

"For spray painting a word on a locker?" John asks incredulously, bracing his hands on the desk in front of him. He didn't care that Higgins was glaring at this movement; he just wanted to know why this punishment was more harsh than all the others.

"Unless you'd rather be doing some community service around the school."

"What kind of community service?"

Mr. Higgins raises his eyebrows. "Are you trying to negotiate, Mr. O'Callaghan?"

"Anything but suspension," John says desperately, feeling like the walls were tumbling down around him. "My mom would kill me. She was mad when I got those detentions for punching Kevin Ronner in the face! Getting suspended would ground me for life."

"Maybe that's exactly what you need," the principal snorts, running a hand over his potbelly. The red button up shirt he was wearing wasn't hiding the enormous stomach well enough.

"Please, Mr. Higgins. Anything but suspension."

The mustached man thinks it over for a moment, believing the sincere look of panic in the student's eyes. So he finally sighs and crumples the sheets for suspension and dumps them in the trash. "Community service," Higgins says.