Okay, so now what? I'm really at a loss as to what to do, and I keep finding my head spinning, even though I'm darn sure that it's screwed on straight, and I'm pretty sure Mister and Missus Wilde are wondering what I've been doing with their daughter these last few days. I suppose that they remember their own hectic school days, when the mountains of paperwork were as tall as they were. I'm in the same kind of situation right about now- the board meeting's in-
"Oh, crap!"
"What is it, Nick?"
"You know how we've spent all day working on this crazily disgusting project?" I asked, grimacing.
"Yeah, I do, and I'm not hungry, if that's what you're after….," she said, almost dazedly.
"No, I'm not hungry, either, Judy. You remember how the school board sent a subpoena for us, and the whole reason why we've had this time off is because we're suspended….?"
"Mm-hmm…," she said, the dazed look still in her eyes. Dang, we must have been working for a lot longer than it feels like- well, duh, Nick, it has been. The board meeting's in twenty minutes! Crap, crap, crap…
"Judy, board meeting's in twenty," I say, and that finally gets her attention. She jerks straight upright, ears straight out and eyes panicked and wide.
"What?" she sputters. "Why didn't you tell me, Nick? We're going to be late! Come on, we gotta go!" With that, she leaps straight up, slams my laptop shut, and grabs ahold of my paw, pulling me down the stairs after her. When we reach the bottom, Mom is waiting for us.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, everybody, slow down, it's okay,' she says, lifting a placating paw to stop us from going any father.
"No, Mom," I manage to spit out, "it's not. We have to be at the school in ten minutes, come on, let's go!"
"Wait just a cotton-picking minute there, young man," she says, and I halt in my tracks, eyes wide, foot-paw thumping on the floor like my mom's is doing as well."
"Yes, Mom?" I ask, putting my paws together as if I were praying.
"Don't try the fox-fit eyes on me, Nick. I know about the school board meeting, and I was just getting ready to head out to the car. Come on, let's go. Oh, and don't forget a jacket, the weather's starting to turn," she says, then mutters to herself, "Stupid thunderstorms. They're always coming when we least need them."
"Yes, Mom," I say, like the good son I know I am and not like the Bad Fox my school now thinks I am. Judy follows, and I notice that she doesn't have a jacket of her own. Mom may not have much, but she can at least cover the basics, so what was it like in Zootopia if the Wildes couldn't afford even a jacket for Judy?
Not bothering to ask the question out loud, I dash to the coat closet, which is on the back side of the kitchen, near the side door, and grab a jacket that seems like it would fit her. Running back, I hand her the jacket and run out the door. Judy closes and locks it behind me, and pulls open one of the sedan's back doors, then hops in, shutting it behind her. I do the same and buckle in.
Mom turns the ignition, and we start down the five mile journey to school, as quickly as the car will carry us.
When we get to school, there's only two minutes left until the school board wants us, and so I take a running start at the doors to push them open, feeling my ears flick back against in fear, and I slam through them, Judy right behind me, only to run right into Mister McKenna. Oh, crap!
"Well, well, it's our troublemakers, back again. I can only guess that you're here for the trial?" He says the word trial so casually it almost makes me gag. How could he be so callous? We just wanted to bring a little change, and yeah, maybe riling up the school wasn't the best of plans, but we didn't hurt anybody….
Mister M notices my silence and apparently takes it to be defiance, because he grabs ahold of our arms and yanks us forward, pulling us through the doorway to the board room, and pushes us into a pair of seats. Paws now free, he turns to the board, and then makes a sweeping gesture towards us with his right paw.
"Ladies and gentlemammals of the board-," he begins, but a banging from the outside interrupts him. When he opens the door, my mom comes in, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. Mister McKenna goes to close the door, but a red paw stops him, and Judy's parents step through. I didn't know they were coming, but it shouldn't surprise me that they've come. They take their seats next to my mom, and Mister McKenna turns to address the board once more.
"Ladies and gentlemammals of the board," he says for a second time, "these two students have caused a disruption to our learning environment here at Bunnyburrow High than has ever been seen here before. As a result of such behavior, they have been placed on an indefinite suspension, pending your review, and that is the reason why I have called you all here tonight." As he finishes, Mister M points to us, then takes his seat.
"Very well, Principal," says a middle-aged white ewe with bead cords on her bifocals. "We have had the opportunity to review the charges."
"Would you please read them to the audience?" Mister McKenna implores.
"Certainly. The students are both charged with the same, so I'll read this only once," she says, picking up a sheet of paper and beginning to read from it: "Charge one is assembly without permission, the second is insubordination, the third is failure to adhere to the school dress code, and the fourth is rioting. Would the accused please rise?"
"Yes, of course," Judy says, standing and beckons me to do the same. I do, facing the boardmammals and standing silently.
"How do you plead?" the same ewe as earlier asks us.
Karma, help me, I think, then open my mouth to speak. "Guilty on all but the fourth. Peaceful protest is the exact opposite as rioting, Ma'am."
"Very well," she says, then turns to Judy. "And you," she says, "how do you plead?"
"The same as Nick,' she says.
"Very well," Mister McKenna says. "In that case, I would ask that the defendants please leave the room?"
"Fine," Judy sighs, getting up to leave. The rest of us follow suit, closing the door behind us. Once we're in the hall, I let the sudden spurt of anger that's flashing inside me out.
"What the hell does he think he's doing, kicking us out like that? They wanted us here, but now that we show, they want nothing to do with us, especially because we're not being obedient little sheep? No offense meant to Gareth or Sharla, of course. But we try to raise a bit of awareness for some issues, and they say that they don't want us around? I'd rather they kicked us out!"
As soon as I said that, Mister McKenna came to the door and opened it slightly, then spoke through the crack between the doors.
"I wanted to inform you that the board has made their decision. Your suspensions are-"
"Yes?" Judy cut him off impatiently. "Come on, tell us."
"-now expulsions," Mister McKenna continued. "We cannot stand for such behavior in our schools, and we wish you the best of luck in finding a new school. Good. Day," he stated with finality, slamming the door as hard as he could (which wasn't very) behind him.
"Sweet cheese and crackers," Judy mumbled, almost imperceptibly. "Oh, sheep. We're screwed, aren't we, Nick?"
She had to wait a few seconds for my answer because I was about ready to blow sky-high, but I finally managed to find my words. "Yes, Judy, we really are. Yes, yes we are." With that, I turn and storm down the hall, leaving Judy calling after me.
"Nick, wait!"
I turn around slightly and pause for a fraction of a second. "Judy, do you know anyone that knows how to write up a lawsuit?"
"What are you getting yourself into, Nick?" she asks, obviously confused.
"I need to take this to a higher power. Can you get me Senator Bogo's number?"
"Sure. Eight o'clock tomorrow?"
"Deal." And this time, to return the favor from weeks ago, I give her a peck on the cheek.
"What was that for?!" she sputters, blushing.
"You know you love me, Judy," I say. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow, Nick," she mumbles back. "And yes, yes I do."