Sarah G. Lato sat in the chair opposite of Mr. Small's desk, twiddling her thumbs. She was looking down, only focusing on the movement of her hands. Mr. Small was sat at his desk, hands folded, trying to make eye contact with the girl. He seemed annoyed, yet he kept a straight face. He cleared his throat.
"Sarah?" He asked.
Sarah didn't look up. She didn't even reply. If she did, she would hear the same complaints she heard every time she had a meeting with Mr. Small. He didn't seem to care. He continued.
"Sarah, please focus. We've had these meetings since your first week at this school. We've been having complaints about your actions and it seems as though you have been making students uncomfortable. Care to explain?" His voice was calm, but didn't show a hint of concern. He had asked the same question multiple times, and he seldom got an answer.
Sarah looked up at him and opened her mouth to say something, but stopped. She let out a small puff of air through her nostrils, and spoke.
"I want to make friends." she said softly, going back to pressing her thumbs together. That was the honest truth. Ever since she entered the school, it was her goal to make as many friends as possible. And she did, at one point. Penny, Carrie, and Terri were close to her. They had the occasional chat, sat together at lunch, etc. But for some reason, she always did something that was over the top.
Mr. Small stood up, and placed his hands on the edge of the desk.
"That's not an excuse for what you did, Sarah. You took it to a whole new level. You invaded these poor boys' privacy, and did these acts that were borderline illegal. And do not think that because you are a minor that you are off the hook. That is the opposite. There is no reason for a young girl to stalk the Watterson boys for entended periods of time. In fact, I have a demand for you."
Sarah, curious, faced the counselor again. She raised a brow. Mr. Small walked towards her and stood right in front of her. Looking down, he scowled and exhaled heavily.
"If you ever do something like this again, I will be forced to expell you from school or worse." He raised his voice louder. "So please, Sarah, cooperate or else I will be forced to do something I don't want to." He walked back over to his desk and sat down. He eyed her again, waiting to see what she would say.
Sarah stood up, and nodded. She collected her bag from the side of her chair and exited the counselor's office. As she left, she could've sworn she had heard a small chuckle from the teacher.