Father Figure
Thirty-Four
Principal Mills reminded me of my tenth grade science teacher. She had eyes that could drill a screw through your skull and a voice that sounded like nails on a chalk board. She was tall and heavy set and set in her ways.
"Miss Harris, come on in," she called to me from the doorway of her office.
I stood up, tucking my purse under my arm. I ushered the boys in ahead of me before entering the room. Sidney followed close behind, closing the door afterwards.
The principal took her seat behind her desk. "And who are you?" she asked in distaste as she looked at Sid.
He gave her a polite smile and held out his hand. "Sidney Crosby, I'm their father," he announced.
She nodded to him, completely ignoring his outstretched hand. "Alright then. So..." Her grey eyes scanned over my sons. Their heads were bowed in shame as she stared them down. "As per usual, they have been suspended for three days for the incident." She waited for one of us to fight her announcement.
However, I only nodded my head. "Of course," Sid commented.
She raised a single eyebrow at him before continuing. "We ask that the parents try to follow up at home, as well."
"They've already received the punishment from us," I told her. Internally, I was irritated. She acted like we were idiots just because of our age. From the looks she shot Sid, she must have thought he was an imbecile. That only irritated me further. He was probably the most mature person in the room. He knew how to handle stressed situations as well as deal with thousands of people. If anyone in the room, he would be the best at handling the situation.
"Alright then. Do you boys want to explain to your... Parents what you did?"
My back bristled ever so slightly at her tone.
Beau glanced over at us before exchanging a look with his brothers. I could see the silent communication going between them, but couldn't decipher it. Beau took charge after that.
"Jake Wilson was saying mean things about Dad. He called him bad words and said that he wasn't ever gonna-"
"Going to," the principal quickly corrected sternly.
"-going to play ever again. We yelled at him that Daddy would, but he wouldn't believe us. We even said Daddy was in California getting medicine! He was being really mean, though," Beau explained desperately.
I raised my eyebrows expectantly. "And then?"
Beau looked down at his knobby knees, obviously done talking. Gab picked up the slack. "I kicked his shin and told him 'ferme la bouche'. He pushed me down on the ground and called me a stupid Frenchie. Then Beau pushed him and he shoved Beau away. So Kris kicked his shin. Then I got up and pushed him and Beau kicked his shin. Then Kris pinched him," Gab explained quickly. "Then the teacher came over 'cause-"
"Because," Mrs. Mills corrected again.
Gab huffed. He gave her an unhappy look before looking back at Sidney and me. "Elle-"
"English," Sidney warned softly.
Gab groaned loudly in frustration. He slumped back in his seat, giving up. "The teacher came over because Jake was crying like a baby. She pulled us into the office and made us sit on the wooden bench and wait for Mrs. Mills," Kris finished.
I nodded my head and looked to their principal. She straightened up and gave me a superior look. "I reprimanded them and explained that they could not fight in school and how inappropriate it was. I sent them home after that," she informed us.
"Alright then. Can we pick up the homework they will miss?" Sid asked calmly.
She shot him a look. "Obviously. Their teacher was kind enough to have it put together yesterday," she stated as she handed over a folder.
"Thank you. Is that all?" I asked her, ready to leave.
She glanced at the triplets before looking at me. "That's all. They may come back on Monday."
With that, the five of us left her office without another word. The boys walked ahead of us to the car, grumbling amongst themselves as Sidney and I hung back.
"I don't like her," he muttered. "She reminds me of Mrs. Carlton."
I laughed. "I was thinking the same thing! No faith in us, too," I added.
He rolled his eyes. "If she hasn't noticed, they behave better than the majority of the kids in this city. I don't understand the unnecessary hate," he commented.
"Oh well. Just a few more years here," I pointed out as we got to his car. We piled inside.
"Let's not talk about them going into junior high just yet. It's still too soon for me," he told me with a grimace.
I laughed before glancing back at the boys. They were getting so big and so quickly. I knew that one day I'd wake up and they'd be leaving for college. It was going by so quickly.
I was glad Sidney would be there through it all with me, though. He was dedicated to his sons. He wasn't about to leave them high and dry no matter what. But even more than that, he would be there for me as a friend or maybe even... more than a friend. My eyes drifted down to where his hand was holding mine in my lap. My stomach erupted with butterflies. What if this was something that could last long term and even grow serious?
"Miss Harris, come on in," she called to me from the doorway of her office.
I stood up, tucking my purse under my arm. I ushered the boys in ahead of me before entering the room. Sidney followed close behind, closing the door afterwards.
The principal took her seat behind her desk. "And who are you?" she asked in distaste as she looked at Sid.
He gave her a polite smile and held out his hand. "Sidney Crosby, I'm their father," he announced.
She nodded to him, completely ignoring his outstretched hand. "Alright then. So..." Her grey eyes scanned over my sons. Their heads were bowed in shame as she stared them down. "As per usual, they have been suspended for three days for the incident." She waited for one of us to fight her announcement.
However, I only nodded my head. "Of course," Sid commented.
She raised a single eyebrow at him before continuing. "We ask that the parents try to follow up at home, as well."
"They've already received the punishment from us," I told her. Internally, I was irritated. She acted like we were idiots just because of our age. From the looks she shot Sid, she must have thought he was an imbecile. That only irritated me further. He was probably the most mature person in the room. He knew how to handle stressed situations as well as deal with thousands of people. If anyone in the room, he would be the best at handling the situation.
"Alright then. Do you boys want to explain to your... Parents what you did?"
My back bristled ever so slightly at her tone.
Beau glanced over at us before exchanging a look with his brothers. I could see the silent communication going between them, but couldn't decipher it. Beau took charge after that.
"Jake Wilson was saying mean things about Dad. He called him bad words and said that he wasn't ever gonna-"
"Going to," the principal quickly corrected sternly.
"-going to play ever again. We yelled at him that Daddy would, but he wouldn't believe us. We even said Daddy was in California getting medicine! He was being really mean, though," Beau explained desperately.
I raised my eyebrows expectantly. "And then?"
Beau looked down at his knobby knees, obviously done talking. Gab picked up the slack. "I kicked his shin and told him 'ferme la bouche'. He pushed me down on the ground and called me a stupid Frenchie. Then Beau pushed him and he shoved Beau away. So Kris kicked his shin. Then I got up and pushed him and Beau kicked his shin. Then Kris pinched him," Gab explained quickly. "Then the teacher came over 'cause-"
"Because," Mrs. Mills corrected again.
Gab huffed. He gave her an unhappy look before looking back at Sidney and me. "Elle-"
"English," Sidney warned softly.
Gab groaned loudly in frustration. He slumped back in his seat, giving up. "The teacher came over because Jake was crying like a baby. She pulled us into the office and made us sit on the wooden bench and wait for Mrs. Mills," Kris finished.
I nodded my head and looked to their principal. She straightened up and gave me a superior look. "I reprimanded them and explained that they could not fight in school and how inappropriate it was. I sent them home after that," she informed us.
"Alright then. Can we pick up the homework they will miss?" Sid asked calmly.
She shot him a look. "Obviously. Their teacher was kind enough to have it put together yesterday," she stated as she handed over a folder.
"Thank you. Is that all?" I asked her, ready to leave.
She glanced at the triplets before looking at me. "That's all. They may come back on Monday."
With that, the five of us left her office without another word. The boys walked ahead of us to the car, grumbling amongst themselves as Sidney and I hung back.
"I don't like her," he muttered. "She reminds me of Mrs. Carlton."
I laughed. "I was thinking the same thing! No faith in us, too," I added.
He rolled his eyes. "If she hasn't noticed, they behave better than the majority of the kids in this city. I don't understand the unnecessary hate," he commented.
"Oh well. Just a few more years here," I pointed out as we got to his car. We piled inside.
"Let's not talk about them going into junior high just yet. It's still too soon for me," he told me with a grimace.
I laughed before glancing back at the boys. They were getting so big and so quickly. I knew that one day I'd wake up and they'd be leaving for college. It was going by so quickly.
I was glad Sidney would be there through it all with me, though. He was dedicated to his sons. He wasn't about to leave them high and dry no matter what. But even more than that, he would be there for me as a friend or maybe even... more than a friend. My eyes drifted down to where his hand was holding mine in my lap. My stomach erupted with butterflies. What if this was something that could last long term and even grow serious?