(REWORKED) CHAPTER SEVEN
He had been in the Headmaster's office for ten whole minutes, and still, he continued to be ignored. Harvey had nearly screamed when Jeff had shoved him into the office, and from the occasional rubbing of his back, Harvey realised that Jeff had intended to leave him with as much pain as possible. He rubbed his back for the fifth time, his chocolate brown eyes focussed on the Headmaster, the fear evident within his pupils.
The man was seated behind his desk, and for the entire duration of Harvey being in his office, the Headmaster had been analysing sheet after sheet of paperwork. To Harvey, it looked like the man was too absorbed in the paperwork to even realise that he had company, but there was no way, that he was going to just announce himself.
So, he continued to wait. Harvey shifted his body weight from foot to foot, fingers digging into his back.
Time stretched on, and Harvey was beginning to lose his sanity.
'Oh, PLEASE SIR! LOOK UP! I just want to get this meeting over with!'
Seconds later, the Headmaster put down his pen, set his paperwork aside, and raised his head. The man hid a smirk as the little troublemaker squeaked, the timid mouse blushing bright red.
Gesturing to the chair on the other side of his desk, the Headmaster watched with sharp eyes, as Harvey Hunter slipped into the chair, his hands drumming nervously on his schoolbag. Now that the boy was opposite him, the Headmaster decided to strike. He spoke in a calm voice, wanting to throw the boy off course, and into seemingly safe waters.
"What can I do for you, Mr Hunter?"
Immediately, confusion scrawled across Harvey's face like wildfire. His mouth alternately opened and closed, similar to a startled fish, as he began trying to form a reply. Eventually, he managed to sputter out: "I'm s-s-sorry, S-Sir?"
Gleefully enjoying the confusion, the Headmaster's expression remained impassive. "It seems that you did not understand my question. Let me make it clearer for you… Why are you here in my office?"
At the rephrasing of the question, Harvey swallowed down the lump in his throat. "E-Erm… b-because you r-requested me h-here?"
The Headmaster forced fake confusion to be expressed onto his face, knowing that the boy would sink into panic mode. And panic, he did.
Opening up his bag, Harvey quickly rifled through it, managing to locate the homework that he had brought with him for the meeting, quickly. He withdrew the homework, and placed the sheet of paper onto the desk. Stabbing a stubby finger at the Headmaster's comment, Harvey murmured:
"M-Mr Brown said that you w-wanted to see me about m-my homework… So I'm h-here."
The confusion lingered on the Headmaster's face, causing Harvey to think; 'Jeez… Does the Headmaster have amnesia? Oh, PLEASE DO!"
Suddenly, to Harvey's horror, a feral grin slipped onto the Headmaster's face. Newfound confidence plummeting, and his heartbeat speeding up, Harvey gripped the arms of the chair tightly.
"Ah yes…. Now, I remember." The Headmaster crooned.
Gulping, Harvey squeaked again. 'Oh CRAP!'
The Headmaster inspected the homework with trademark care and precision, before folding his hands neatly. Narrowing his eyes behind his glasses, he hissed:
"Did you really think you would be able to get away with your deceit?"
Harvey cowered in his seat, and decided to feign ignorance, in the hope of saving his skin. "G-Get away with w-what?"
BIG MISTAKE.
Chuckling mirthlessly, the Headmaster snatched the homework from the desk and brandished the sheet before Harvey's wide eyes.
"This," He snarled, causing the small boy to whimper. "Is the work of Dinah Glass!" His snarl morphed to a mocking coo. "Little boys like you cannot complete this work. It was too hard, wasn't it?"
Harvey nodded frantically. "I-I didn't u-understand it, and I k-knew that n-none of my t-teachers would h-help me, so I a-asked Dinah to help, a-and she ended up d-doing it for m-me."
Scoffing, the Headmaster slapped the homework back onto the desk.
"Impressive that you had the audacity to cheat on a piece of set work, yet you were foolish, in terms of the results."
Sudden bewilderment blossomed onto Harvey's face, and the Headmaster snorted. Confusion and wet tear ducts seemed to be Harvey Hunter's capability, when it came to facial expressions.
Rolling his eyes behind his dark glasses, the Headmaster started to explain, pointing a spindly finger at the visuals as Harvey leant forwards, in order to get a better look.
"Firstly, your abysmal handwriting is only depicted on the top of the sheet, baring your name. The rest of the page is filled with neat, precise handwriting, the total opposite to yours. Surely, someone with an IQ as low as one you have, would figure out to complete the sheet by your own hand. At least, if you had written the answers yourself, you would have stood a better chance of not being caught."
Smirking at the foolish boy's abrupt weeping, the Headmaster snorted, stating spitefully. "And, last but not least, I knew that you would be unable to complete this assignment. Mr Hunter, you are the worst pupil I have when it comes to mathematics. Your test scores are truly atrocious, and Rose informs me that you are always the last to finish during a study session, concerning mathematics."
Harvey hung his head, sniffing. With a trembling hand, he brushed away the tears. His head snapped up, when the Headmaster muttered in a brisk voice: "Yet, I can help you with that…."
"Do you partake in any extra-curricular activities after school on Fridays?"
Eyebrows shooting to his hairline, Harvey mused. 'Is he asking me out on a date or something?!'
Instead, he replied: "No, Sir… W-Why?"
The Headmaster smiled at him, and it was one of the most terrifying things that Harvey had ever witnessed. "That is very practical. For you see, from now on, every Friday night, for the next few months, you shall be occupied. Do you understand?"
Harvey nodded, hands clenching his schoolbag, bemused by the Headmaster's logic.
"Verbal answer!"
The youngest Hunter flinched, unable to stop the tremors that held his body hostage. "Y-Yes, Sir. I d-do understand." He cursed himself, he should have remembered that one of the Headmaster's pet peeves, was people not providing him with a verbal answer.
Summing up his courage, Harvey tentatively asked: "Erm, S-Sir? What exactly am I-I going to be d-doing, Friday nights?"
The Headmaster's smile broadened, to Harvey's regret. "It has come to mine, and plenty of others' attention, that you need a boost where your academic abilities are involved. Therefore, you shall be provided with a tutor.
Harvey frowned. 'So a tutor is my punishment? Wow…. I got off easy!'
"T-Thank you, Sir." He mumbled. "H-Hold on…." Fear gripped him. "I-It's not going t-to be J-Jeff, is i-it? I-I-I… P-Please d-don't let i-it be h-him."
Enjoying the boy's fear, as he loved when any of the troublemakers either got into trouble or became fearful, the Headmaster crooned: "You are incorrect."
Harvey slumped in relief, and the Headmaster shook his head in amusement. The boy was such a bundle of nerves, at times. One angered shout of his name, and off the waterworks went.
At the boy's fearful question, the Headmaster was tempted to backtrack on his answer, and instead, release Jeff onto the Hunter boy. But, Jeff would merely torment Harvey Hunter, and not get any actual tutoring done. He wanted Harvey to improve his maths knowledge, as his test scores were ruining the school's reputation.
'I need to HELP Hunter, otherwise parents will dismiss this school for their offspring, and I NEED more children for the takeover.'
"Your tutor shall not be Jeff. A good mentor he may be, but he would be too pre-occupied with his hatred towards you. For I believe that he would spend the majority of the time creating 'nick-names' for you…. Although, I understand, that you already have one?"
Licking his dry, cracked, lips, Harvey muttered weakly; "W-Wheezy."
"Ah, Wheezy. No doubt, after your asthma?" The boy nodded in reply. The Headmaster scowled at the non-verbal answer, but let it slide. His enjoyment of the boy's fear, was too empowering to let one of his pet peeves get in the way. It was most probable, that the boy thought his punishment of acquiring a tutor was bearable. He would soon be enlightened.
Very pleased that Jeff was not his tutor, Harvey whispered: "S-So, if J-Jeff isn't going to be m-my tutor…. T-then who i-is?"
Eyes lighting up in triumph behind his dark glasses, the Headmaster purred: "You will be needing a tutor, who has a vast knowledge on all topics of education. Someone, who has studied for years. Someone, who is able to provide the information that you need. Someone like…. ME."
Harvey swore that he had just been doused in ice cold water. Blinking rapidly, he choked out: "S-Sorry?"
The Headmaster raised an eyebrow, as if to tempt Harvey to question him even further. "Myself, Mr Hunter. I shall be your tutor. That way, you will reap the benefits of my superior wisdom."
Attempting to choke down his snort, Harvey coughed a handful of times to completely cover his 'insolence', and thought about how wrong he had been.
'My punishment isn't bearable at all. There I was, panicking over JEFF being my assigned tutor, when in fact, I have to deal with the DEMON HEADMASTER, EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT! I'm going to have to be ALONE, in a room with him!'
Harvey gulped audibly, then whispered: "Ok… E-erm… H-How long will the s-sessions be on f-for? Just s-so I can l-let my M-Mum know."
"The lessons shall commence at three thirty every Friday afternoon, without fail, and they shall last for, approximately, three hours.
Blanching, Harvey murmured: "So they'll end at six thirty?"
The Headmaster smirked. "Correct, Mr Hunter. You have achieved some progress, already."
Stung by that sarcasm ridden remark, Harvey closed his eyes. 'That'll mean that I miss the Simpsons! And THE EDDY HAIR SHOW! My two favourite programmes! Why do the sessions have to be on a FRIDAY?! With the HEADMASTER?! Oh, now I have PLENTY OF REASONS to give to Mum, as to why I should be home schooled, from now on!'
He opened his eyes, and chuckled weakly. Loosening the tight grip on his schoolbag, Harvey attempted to relax the atmosphere by conversing with the Headmaster, in a light hearted way.
"Just s-say that s-something came u-up, and I c-couldn't m-make it… W-Would there be a-any consequences, in s-store for m-me?"
At this, the Headmaster scowled fiercely. "Of course, there would be. Pray, they never come true, for your sake."
Irritated that he would have to explain the consequences of not attending the assigned sessions, to the boy, the Headmaster wished, yet again, that the Hunter boy was not Immune to his power. For if he was not Immune, then he could simply hypnotise him, into not being so curious, about such trivialities.
The irritation the Headmaster felt, soon changed to satisfaction, as he started to relay what the consequences would be, to the permanently frightened boy, before him.
"If you DARE to miss any of the tutoring sessions, then YOU, little boy, shall be placed right where you belong, in terms of your maturity levels."
At the boy's horrified expression, the Headmaster revelled. "That is correct….. Nursery."
Harvey whimpered, and made a mental note to attend each session, even if he ended up forcing himself to go. The Headmaster smirked, allowing the boy some time to let his words sink in, as he set to work on writing two separate notes.
Once they had both been completed, the Headmaster thrust the notes forwards, and snapped: "Give the white coloured note to your mother, when you get home, and give the yellow coloured note to Mr Brown. Now, get out of my sight!"
Squeaking, Harvey jumped to his feet, hauled his schoolbag onto his back, and took the two notes out of the Headmaster's hands. He hurried over to the door, glancing back when the Headmaster spoke up.
"Oh, and Mr Hunter?"
"Y-Yes, S-S-Sir?"
The Headmaster curled his lip. "Refrain from cheating again. However, if you are foolish enough to cheat again, then I will find out…." His smile was one of pure evil. "And, I will not hesitate to release Jeff onto you…. Wheezy."
Shuddering, Harvey nodded, and sputtered: "N-Noted, Sir!"
He opened the door and scrambled from the office, his sweaty palms slipping on the door handle. As he hurried down the corridor, Harvey heard the Headmaster's quiet chuckling at his misfortune, ringing in his ears.
He glanced down at his watch, only to see that he had ten minutes of his maths lesson remaining. To his mind, it would be pointless to show up to the lesson for no reason, but Harvey knew that if he didn't show his face, then at least a dozen people would be on his case for weeks.
Harvey ambled down the corridor, deciding to read the two notes the Headmaster had given him. The one for his mother read;
'Dear Mrs Hunter,
It has come to my attention that your youngest son, Harvey, is failing Mathematics. In order to help him improve, I have arranged several tutoring sessions after school on Fridays, hosted by myself. The sessions will commence at three thirty, and finish at six thirty. Your son will be assigned homework from these sessions, which I expect to be completed and ready to hand in to me, by the next session. Any issues regarding the scheduling of these sessions, or the idea of the sessions themselves, please contact me.
Sincerely,
The Headmaster Of St Champions
Harvey shuddered, thinking in disbelief: 'Why does he sound so nice and caring on paper?!'
He shook his head, and slipped the note for his mother into his blazer pocket, then turned his attentions to the note addressed to Mr Brown.
'Harvey Hunter was with me. We were discussing his atrocious Mathematic skills. The Headmaster.'
Wincing at the criticism of his Maths skills, Harvey inhaled a deep breath as he approached his classroom. Exhaling the breath, he knocked on the door, waiting until it opened, before offering the intended note to his teacher. After reading the note, Mr Brown smirked, then gestured for Harvey to take his usual seat.
Once Harvey was seated, Mr Brown put away the note, and addressed the entire class.
"No homework for today. Next lesson, we shall be focussing on Algebra. Make sure that you bring all of the necessary equipment."
Even though his day had been rough so far, Harvey found himself cheering internally.
'Whoo! No homework! And I got to miss an ENTIRE LESSON OF MATHS! Brilliant! At least, for once, I've been granted a silver lining.'
