Zero Tolerance
(Day 23: Monday Afternoon)
Carlos and Chad stand outside of the office waiting to be called in, each giving each other glances before Carlos says, "I wasn't getting off on it."
"You were getting something out of it."
Carlos doesn't respond, knowing fully that for once Chad's right; he had to have been getting something out of it or else he wouldn't have antagonized him as much as he did. He imagines what would have happened if Chad had decided to punch him. It would have been tender, it would have been warm, there'd have been that tingling sensation; it would have left a mark, something that could be pressed on to cause even further pain, but why would he want that? Deep down he thinks he knows why. "I'm sorry."
"Are you actually apologizing to me?" Chad questions.
It takes a moment for Carlos to respond, "Yeah. I guess I am." The door opens before Chad can ask him why, but it isn't Fairy Godmother. Carlos looks at her in slight surprise, "Jane. What are you doing here?"
She sadly looks at him, "I called her when the fight started, or, well, what I thought would turn into a fight." She quietly observes him, "I'm sorry. I didn't know how it would end." before she turns and walks away.
Fairy Godmother stands at the door, "You can come in now." and when they do there's already two seats set out for them as she returns to her desk. "Now. Can either of you tell me what exactly happened?"
Chad looks at Carlos, "I was wondering the same thing."
When the headmistress brings her full attention to Carlos he shrugs, "I don't really know what happened… Chad pushed me up against a locker and told me to quit the team or else he'd punch me." He bites the inside of his lip, "In the end he just walked off."
Chad nearly laughs, "You're forgetting about that entire middle part where I said I never planned to punch you and you insisted that I should anyway."
Fairy Godmother questions, "Carlos. Is that true?"
Carlos bites his lip even harder, "He didn't want me on the team, and on the Isle we do everything we can to protect what we have." before glancing at Chad. "I guess I just didn't understand why he wouldn't if he really did see me as a threat."
The headmistress nods, "Maybe that's true, but this isn't the Isle of the Lost."
"I know," Carlos whispers.
She looks at Chad, "That being said, Auradon Prep has a zero tolerance for violence and threats involving weapons."
"What? I didn't have a weapon," Chad angrily denies.
"People can be beaten to death," she unforgivably states. "Just because you weren't holding a knife, that doesn't make this any less serious. Do you understand?"
"Yeah," Chad grumbles, but when Carlos looks at him he gets the inkling that he really doesn't understand or think it's fair at all.
Fairy Godmother nods, "Alright, then. You will be having a week of in-school-suspension, and I will make sure you won't be able to play in the next game."
He widens his eyes at her, "No. You can't do that. Coach would never bench me!"
"You better hope he does," Fairy Godmother calmly responds, "because if he doesn't, then that one week of suspension will turn into a month."
"But," Chad begins in shock.
"It starts tomorrow. Come here in the morning for the room number and instructor." It's quiet for a second, before she finalizes, "You may return to class now."
After watching Chad leave the room disgruntled, Carlos turns back to the headmistress, "What's my punishment?"
"You think you deserve a punishment?" she asks curiously.
"Well, I did antagonize him," Carlos explains. "I'm rather surprised he didn't punch me after everything I said to him."
"And what did you say to him?"
It's quiet as Carlos thinks, "A narcissistic moron." As he looks back, he has a hard time coming up with anything that won't sound terribly weird and horrible. "I called him a coward, said he should fight to keep his territory."
"Territory?" Fairy Godmother questions.
"The tourney team. The school." He shrugs, "You know."
She nods, "If this is only a misunderstanding of how things work around here, then I don't think punishment is necessary. I think a simple conversation will do just fine."
Carlos nods, "Okay."
- What do you guys think of this zero tolerance policy? Is it too strict, or do you think it makes sense? Do you consider it to be more hypocritical or less hypocritical than the zero tolerance policies you've encountered? I'm curious to know.