"Mr. Valentine!"
"What?"
"I have been calling to you for the last two minutes. Can you please answer the question?"
Saitharius felt his heart skip a few beats as he swallowed thickly. He had been so preoccupied with his thoughts he hadn't heard what had been asked.
"I don't know."
Fitzpatrick raised an eyebrow, almost in amusement. "You don't know what, Mr. Valentine?"
Saitharius shrank a little in his seat, feeling every eye on him. "I don't know the question," he mumbled.
"Yes. By the way you were eyeing Ms. Fischer I'm not surprised you missed it."
Saitharius sat up straighter in his chair. He could see James begin to shake his head out of the corner of his eye and mouth something that seemed suspiciously like, "Don't even think about it."
"Well, Ms. Fischer is a lot more attractive than you...sir. And she's a lot more entertaining than you, too."
"I beg your pardon?" Fitzpatrick snarled.
"Only you would have the talent, or lack thereof, to make a crucial part of Midgar history more boring than watching paint dry."
A few students snickered behind him. James put a hand over his eyes, continuing to shake his head, mentally pleading his friend to shut up. Saitharius wanted to turn to see the look on Gretchen's face, but he was on a roll and didn't want to miss a single twitch of his teacher's eye.
Fitzpatrick took off his thick rimmed glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Mr. Valentine. I only put up with you because your uncle is the vice principal and it would cost me my job to throw you out by the scruff of your neck."
Saitharius smirked at that comment.
"However," Fitzpatrick continued. "Since you seem to have such a good grasp of this subject, would you do us all the honor of gracing Vice Principal Valentine's office? For the fifth time this week?"
"Certainly, professor," Saitharius said, smirk never leaving his face.
He got up from his seat, gathered his books and backpack and headed out of the room, making his way downstairs towards the principal's office. Without looking up from her computer, the secretary pointed towards Sephiroth's office door.
"He's waiting for you, Mr. Valentine," she said in a dull, bored tone.
"Thank you, Miss Shirley," Saitharius replied politely.
He opened his uncle's office door and stepped inside, closing it behind him. Sephiroth looked up from his paperwork and the younger of the two could practically hear the sigh in his uncle's eyes.
"Again?"
Saitharius shrugged. "Not my fault he's an idiot."
"Sai."
"It's not my fault."
"How is it not your fault?" Sephiroth asked. "You keep mouthing off to your teachers."
"Teacher," Saitharius corrected. "Singular. I only mouth off to one teacher, who happens to be the idiot."
"Saitharius."
The boy flinched, not liking the tone with which Sephiroth spoke his full name. He was no longer the uncle, but the vice principal. Sephiroth picked up the phone and dialled a number.
"Who are you calling?"
"Your grandfather."
"Oh shit," Saitharius groaned, hanging his head backwards and closing his eyes.
"Hello, Vincent, it's vice principal Valentine...Yes, the reason I'm calling is because your grandson, Saitharius got in trouble with one of his teachers again and I'm suspending him for a few days."
"Oh shit," Saitharius hissed.
"Yes. I'll keep him in my office until you arrive. Okay. Goodbye."
Sephiroth hung up the phone and pointed a long finger at one of the chairs across from him. "Sit."
"Uncle Seph-"
"It's vice principal Valentine. Now. Sit. Down."
Saitharius flopped down in one of the seats, slumping into the hard wood. Twenty minutes later, Vincent came through the door. The youngest Valentine gathered his things and followed his grandfather out to the parking lot where the car waited. They climbed in and Vincent drove off back towards the house. The drive home was quiet and thick with tension.
They pulled into the driveway, climbed out of the car and headed into the house. Saitharius looked around.
"Where's Mom?"
"In bed. He's had a rough day."
"Okay?"
"Sai, why do you insist on getting into trouble at school?" Vincent asked.
"I can't help it. He opens his mouth and I want to shove my pencils in my ears and scratch them until I can't hear him anymore."
"That is no excuse," Chaos boomed, suddenly making an appearance.
Saitharius jolted backwards. "Whoa!"
"Education is important. And you cannot get your education if you are continuously being sent home," Chaos went on, taking a step towards the boy.
Vincent reappeared. "Chaos has a point, Sai."
"Or perhaps you think education is beneath you," Chaos said, coming out again, taking another step forward.
Saitharius backed away. "No, it's not. It's just that-"
Vincent appeared again. "It's what? Are you having trouble in school? If so, you can tell me, or your mother."
"I'm not having trouble. It's just that-"
"It is what, boy?" Chaos demanded, taking yet another step towards him. "For the love of the goddess, spit it out."
"No. Not to you. Not to anyone. Forget it. I'm not having trouble. I'll stop mouthing off, just please...personal space," Saitharius said, ducking away from Chaos who was now hovering over him.
He hurried up the stairs and into his room. Vincent reappeared, looking up after his grandson. He smiled to himself.
"You were right. It worked."
Of course it worked. You still doubt my affect on the boy?
"He really doesn't like you, does he?"
"He's creepy as hell!" Saitharius' voice carried from upstairs. "Stop talking to your multiple personalities like it's normal!"
Vincent laughed, heading into the kitchen to fix something to eat.