Hello! I just watched Safe again yesterday, and I couldn't get this idea out of my head. I really hope there are still readers out there who like this fandom. It's my first story for it, so please be kind!

First Time to the Principal's Office

Luke had his head underneath a car when his cell phone rang. He cursed as he banged his forehead while clambering out into the open.

"Yea?" he answered, rubbing his head with is other hand. It didn't help he already had a raging headache.

"Mr. Wright?"

"Yea?"

"It's Principal Sanders. You need to come down here."

"What happened?"

"Just come."

Luke growled in annoyance as he was hung up on. He did not appreciate it when people were specifically vague.

"I'll be back," he said to the other mechanic, who just nodded. Luke had decided to take up mechanics since he had learned a lot of it when he was younger. It was simple, and it was enough to keep his mind from wondering how long they had before their safe life was shattered.

...

Mei sat with her back against the wall waiting for Luke to come. The boy beside her didn't look at her or say a word. Her knuckles still hurt from punching his stupid face, and it showed on his cheek. The principal's secretary kept looking over her glasses at them periodically as though Mei was going to tear into the boy again.

"I'm here," Luke said, coming in breathless.

"About time," the boy's father muttered. Luke glared at him. Mei avoided his gaze altogether.

"Sanders? They're here," the secretary said into the phone. The door opened then, and they were all gestured inside. Mei sat with crossed arms, not looking at anyone. Luke tried to gauge the situation, but the bruise on the boy's face kind of said it all.

"As you know, we do not appreciate violence in this school," Sanders said, crossing his fingers with is elbows leaning on his desk.

"Then she should be kicked out," the boy's father piped up. "Clearly she instigated it."

"Now wait a minute," Luke interrupted. "How would you know that?"

"Do you see any marks on her?" the father challenged. Luke looked at Mei, and he knew the marks didn't have to be visible to count. She slid her eyes away again.

"She just went nuts," the boy, Howard, said timidly. Luke held back his snort. The kid was putting on the scared act really well.

"Why don't you tell me what happened?" Sanders said tiredly.

"She hit me," Howard said. "What else do you need to know?"

"Why did she hit you? I somehow doubt that she just randomly decided to punch you in the face," Sanders pointed out.

"She just did!"

"Mei?" Sanders asked. "Feel free to share your side."

"I hit him," Mei said quietly. "Just punish me and get it over with."

"Mei," Luke started.

"See! She admits it!" the father cried. "I don't like that my son can't be safe at this school..."

Whether or not it was the word "safe" that triggered Luke or the fact the guy was being an asshole, Luke felt the sudden need to punch the man himself. He got to his feet angrily.

"Maybe you should teach your son how to respect women," Luke said.

"Mr. Wright, please," Sanders sighed. "Sit."

"Please just give me my punishment," Mei said. She wanted it to be over.

"Mei, you're suspended for a week," Sanders said. "And you write an apology to Howard. Also, you write an essay on violence and what is the better way of resolving issues."

"Okay," Mei said, getting up. "Can I go now?"

"Mei, are you sure...?" Luke started. He was feeling that she was hiding something.

"I want to go home," she said firmly and coldly.

"All right," Luke agreed. "I guess we're done here."

He followed Mei to the truck, and she climbed in. Luke looked at her for a moment before starting the engine. If she was going to tell him, she would on her own time.

...

Howard's words rolled around in her mind that evening. Mei was quiet while they ate supper. It wasn't very long after she had found Luke and they escaped New York together, only five months, but she didn't want to burden him with her problems even if they were friends. Their story was that he was her uncle, that he'd been married to her aunt. Conveniently, her mother, father, and aunt all died in a car accident, leaving her in the care of Uncle Luke. No one disputed it. Later she was on her stomach watching cartoons when Luke entered the living room.

"You wanna talk about it?" he asked, standing in the doorway.

"No."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay. You know I'm here if you want to."

"Okay."

Luke watched her watch TV for a bit. She was so intently focused on it that he wasn't sure if she knew he was still standing there. He knew it was her way of feeling connected to her mother since they watched cartoons together back when she was still with her mother. He eventually left and sat on the deck at the back of the house and listened to the noise of the country. He didn't want to live in a city anymore, and Mei hadn't argued. After about half an hour, Mei came out to join him. He didn't say anything so as not to pressure her to talk. Eventually, she talked on her own.

"He called me a bad name," she said quietly. Luke raged inside. He hated that this girl had to keep enduring pain inflicted by others.

"I thought he might have," Luke nodded, fighting to remain calm.

"I know it was wrong to hit him, but he kept saying it, and I wanted to make him shut up," Mei continued. "I'm sorry I got suspended."

"Why didn't you tell the principal?"

"I didn't want sympathy. I don't want people to think I'm vulnerable, and I knew it wouldn't matter anyway. Howard would still have been right."

"If it makes you feel any better, his face looked pretty sore," Luke offered. Mei gave a slight smile in return.

"I know," she said. "He bawled like a baby."

Luke laughed at this, and she giggled a little too.

"Thanks for telling me," he said after, serious. Mei didn't respond. Instead, she went inside and back to her cartoons. Luke sighed. He'd have to find something for her to do on her week off school.