The next day, Juliana's father drove her to school.
"I'm walking you in, too." He said. "You're going to stay in this school, whether you like it or not."
She sat silently, and he parked the car before the doors to her school. He got out, and opened her door.
"Out," He commanded her, and she obeyed. "Do you have to sign in or anything?"
She shook her head.
"Well I'm going to make sure your principal knows you are here." He walked her through the doors, and immediately the vice principal was standing before them.
"Are you this girl's father?" He asked.
Juliana's father nodded. "Yes, I am. Why? Is there a problem?"
The vice principal motioned for them to step into his office. He walked around and sat behind a mahogany desk. Juliana sat down in a chair across from him, and her father sat down beside her. She looked down at the dark grey carpet clueless to why she was here.
"Mr.." The vice principal lingered on the word. He searched through files in his desk drawer, searching for her file.
"Grey." Juliana's father filled in. "Andy Grey. Juliana is my daughter."
"I'm Mr. Irving, Juliana's vice principal." He smiled at her, and she stared him down.
"You still haven't answered my question," her father said again, this time more determined. "Is there a problem?"
Mr. Irving again went through his desk drawer. This time he found the file more easily. He pulled it out and opened it on his desk. He pulled out a piece of paper. It was an Algebra test with the name Juliana Grey printed across the top, and the score, 100, written in the upper right hand corner.
"She got a perfect score on an algebra test," said her father. "Is that why you wanted me to come in?"
"Hardly," Mr. Irving replied. He then turned to Juliana. "Is this your handwriting?"
"Yes."
"And this is your test?"
"Yes."
"Were you in school yesterday?"
"Yes."
"Did you go into the bathroom at all yesterday afternoon?"
Before she could answer that question, her father jumped up.
"All right, you perverted asswipe. This twisted little inquiry of yours is going to stop right now! I have no idea what the hell you are intending to do here, and before you go on, I WILL find out!"
Mr. Irving stood and looked Mr. Grey in the eyes.
"Your daughter's test paper was found in the girls' bathroom by our school janitor yesterday afternoon. That bathroom was vandalized. The mirror and door were broken, the walls written on, and the garbage knocked over. I am curious to the part that your daughter played in this."
Her father stood, his mouth open wide. The two men stayed, looking at each other with anger. Finally, Juliana spoke.
"I did it." She said. "I did all of it."
They both looked down at her.
"Why?" her father mouthed silently. He slumped into the chair.
Mr. Irving sat back at his desk, and smiled with sick joy. "Vandalism is a serious crime, punishable by law. We are willing to keep this our little secret, away from the ears of the police, if you will have to pay for all of the damages." He looked at Juliana. "Oh, and she will be suspended for a week."
Andy's eyes boiled with anger. "You can expel her, for all I care. I'm transferring her out of this school. She's too good for this place, anyway." He pulled his wallet out of his pocket, and threw a 100$ bill on the desk. "That should more than cover the damage expenses. Use the change to buy yourself a personality." He walked out the office, victoriously, and Juliana followed.
Her father was about to walk out of the school building, when Juliana called him back.
"Dad," she said. "Wait." He turned around and looked at her, puzzled.
"I need to go to my locker," she explained. "So I can get my things."
He nodded and walked with her. When he saw FREAK, he almost lost his mind.
"This is your locker?" he asked. "Who did this? I'll kill them! I will find them, and I will kill them!"
"Calm down," she said. "It's okay. I asked Mr. Irving to get it cleaned off, and he's working on it."
Her father looked at the locker door, and smiled slyly.
"Jules," he said. "Give me a pen."
She reached into her back pack and retrieved a pen. He took it and started writing on the locker door. He finished and pulled back to admire his work. Juliana read it.
Mr. Irving, you filthy bastard, thank you so very much for all you've done. Lovingly, the Grays
They shared their moment of revenge and victory in silence. Juliana put her books into her locker for the last time, and slammed it shut. The noise it made in the empty hallway rang in her ears. The two of them, father and daughter, walked out of the school building together, heads held high.
"I'm walking you in, too." He said. "You're going to stay in this school, whether you like it or not."
She sat silently, and he parked the car before the doors to her school. He got out, and opened her door.
"Out," He commanded her, and she obeyed. "Do you have to sign in or anything?"
She shook her head.
"Well I'm going to make sure your principal knows you are here." He walked her through the doors, and immediately the vice principal was standing before them.
"Are you this girl's father?" He asked.
Juliana's father nodded. "Yes, I am. Why? Is there a problem?"
The vice principal motioned for them to step into his office. He walked around and sat behind a mahogany desk. Juliana sat down in a chair across from him, and her father sat down beside her. She looked down at the dark grey carpet clueless to why she was here.
"Mr.." The vice principal lingered on the word. He searched through files in his desk drawer, searching for her file.
"Grey." Juliana's father filled in. "Andy Grey. Juliana is my daughter."
"I'm Mr. Irving, Juliana's vice principal." He smiled at her, and she stared him down.
"You still haven't answered my question," her father said again, this time more determined. "Is there a problem?"
Mr. Irving again went through his desk drawer. This time he found the file more easily. He pulled it out and opened it on his desk. He pulled out a piece of paper. It was an Algebra test with the name Juliana Grey printed across the top, and the score, 100, written in the upper right hand corner.
"She got a perfect score on an algebra test," said her father. "Is that why you wanted me to come in?"
"Hardly," Mr. Irving replied. He then turned to Juliana. "Is this your handwriting?"
"Yes."
"And this is your test?"
"Yes."
"Were you in school yesterday?"
"Yes."
"Did you go into the bathroom at all yesterday afternoon?"
Before she could answer that question, her father jumped up.
"All right, you perverted asswipe. This twisted little inquiry of yours is going to stop right now! I have no idea what the hell you are intending to do here, and before you go on, I WILL find out!"
Mr. Irving stood and looked Mr. Grey in the eyes.
"Your daughter's test paper was found in the girls' bathroom by our school janitor yesterday afternoon. That bathroom was vandalized. The mirror and door were broken, the walls written on, and the garbage knocked over. I am curious to the part that your daughter played in this."
Her father stood, his mouth open wide. The two men stayed, looking at each other with anger. Finally, Juliana spoke.
"I did it." She said. "I did all of it."
They both looked down at her.
"Why?" her father mouthed silently. He slumped into the chair.
Mr. Irving sat back at his desk, and smiled with sick joy. "Vandalism is a serious crime, punishable by law. We are willing to keep this our little secret, away from the ears of the police, if you will have to pay for all of the damages." He looked at Juliana. "Oh, and she will be suspended for a week."
Andy's eyes boiled with anger. "You can expel her, for all I care. I'm transferring her out of this school. She's too good for this place, anyway." He pulled his wallet out of his pocket, and threw a 100$ bill on the desk. "That should more than cover the damage expenses. Use the change to buy yourself a personality." He walked out the office, victoriously, and Juliana followed.
Her father was about to walk out of the school building, when Juliana called him back.
"Dad," she said. "Wait." He turned around and looked at her, puzzled.
"I need to go to my locker," she explained. "So I can get my things."
He nodded and walked with her. When he saw FREAK, he almost lost his mind.
"This is your locker?" he asked. "Who did this? I'll kill them! I will find them, and I will kill them!"
"Calm down," she said. "It's okay. I asked Mr. Irving to get it cleaned off, and he's working on it."
Her father looked at the locker door, and smiled slyly.
"Jules," he said. "Give me a pen."
She reached into her back pack and retrieved a pen. He took it and started writing on the locker door. He finished and pulled back to admire his work. Juliana read it.
Mr. Irving, you filthy bastard, thank you so very much for all you've done. Lovingly, the Grays
They shared their moment of revenge and victory in silence. Juliana put her books into her locker for the last time, and slammed it shut. The noise it made in the empty hallway rang in her ears. The two of them, father and daughter, walked out of the school building together, heads held high.