Prologue:
"I will not tell lies"
"I will not tell lies"
"I will not tell lies"
These words rang in Leo's head, reminding him of the wound he had held on his right forearm only hours beforehand. A wound which he had received after a harsh talk with the school's newest member of staff, Dolores Umbridge.
Chapter 1: It had been an average day for Leo at Mission Creek High, with pop quizzes, wedgies between classes, and constant risk because of Adam Bree and Chase… but then she had shown up. The new history teacher, miss Umbridge, she had curled hair, a fuzzy pink jacket, and a long pink skirt, topping it all off with simple black flats. Her class was Leo's last one of the day, and after the bell had gone she had called him into her office
"Dooley!" She had said "Come in here, we have things to discuss"
So Leo had gone and sat down in her office, and scanned the walls, noting every cat picture "wow" he had thought "Principal Perry will either love her or hate her, there will be no in between"
As soon as she had finished sorting the files which had been on her desk, she had sat down, staring Leo down from across the table
"So Leo" she had spoken in a sickly sweet voice "I've heard some students commenting on a number of times you've been late or absent, would you care to explain the reason for this odd behaviour?"
Upon seeing the look of fear on Leo's face she smiled a ghostly smile her white teeth contrasting brilliantly against her deep pink lipstick.
"Ah, uh, we, uh, my father, he, he's, uh, very busy with his, uh, work" Leo had blurted out, then he'd taken a deep breath and calmed himself down "my father, he's very busy due to his work, a project he's been working on for a very long time, and my mother, she's been very sick for a long time, and will often be sick first after she wakes up" He finished with a sigh of relief, that crazy lie hadn't been too crazy.
Suddenly Delores had lurched across the table and pushed up Leo's right sleeve, "Good, good" she'd muttered under her breath, sitting down again slowly
"What do you mean good?" Leo had asked, confusion in his voice
In response, Delores had reached into her bag and brought out a feather, a pot of ink, and a small stack of paper .
"This" she'd said, holding up the feather "is a quill, you will dip it in the ink, and you will fill out these papers with it, I will ring your parents now and tell them that once you have completed that I will escort you to your home"
"but there is nothing on these papers, what do you want me to fill out?" Leo had said bluntly
"all of it" she'd replied, the eerie smile creeping back onto her face, "you will fill out four pages each day after school of this week, perhaps that will get the message into your head" she then stood and headed for the door
"Wait!" Leo had said, his voice a higher pitch than usual "what do you want me to write? What message are you talking about?
Delores had looked back from the doorway then, one hand on the knob and the other holding her bag "You will not tell lies"
She had then stalked off, leaving Leo alone