The two boys, Derek and Edwin sat in two chairs in the front of the principal's desk. He was staring at the two. "I'll ask again. What happened and why?"
Silence. It was the third time he asked. The principal had already called the boys' father and was waiting for him to show up. "Fine," said Edwin. "I'll tell you."
"What happened?" breathed George heavily as he came in the office. He ran from the car into the school.
"That is what I have been trying to find out," said the principal, his name Mr. Camber. George walked over to Derek and looked him over. He had some scrapes on his arms and one on his face and quite a few bruises. There was more scrapes and bruises on his legs but they were covered. He turned to Edwin and saw his heavily bandaged arms and cheek.
"Boys," said George. "What happened?"
"Two of Derek's friends, who I don't know, forced me to go behind the school and Derek was there to fight. We fought," Edwin said simply.
"Derek?" asked George.
"No," said Derek. "What happened was Edwin told me to meet him out back for a fight and he came at me and beat me up."
"If that was true," said Edwin. "Why were there more eight graders? Besides, I'm not stupid enough to challenge you to a fight at school. And I didn't challenge you to a fight or go after you first. You did." He said it calmly. Not really caring much what happened now.
"There's something deeper going on here," said George suspiciously. "But we'll deal with that at home."
"A week's suspension is the usual punishment for fighting," said the principal filling out some forms. "I suppose you do agree?"
"Of course I do," said George. "Come on boys."
Edwin and Derek stood and followed their father out the door. They got in the car, both boys in the back seat and They got back home fairly quickly and went inside. Derek tried to get up the stairs and hide in his bedroom, but George quickly stopped him. "Table," he said sternly.
Edwin promptly sat down and Derek reluctantly followed. George sat down in front of both Edwin and Derek. "What's really going on here?" he asked, demanding to know with his tone.
"Nothing that I can't be handled," said Edwin after a short period of time.
"Alright," said George. "What is this that you can handle, all by yourself?"
"Derek."
George turned to Derek. "What's going on here?"
"Absolutely nothing," responded Derek.
George leaned back in chair. "We can sit here all night until I find out what's going on here."
Twenty minutes passed and George got up and walked over to Edwin. "Let me see your arms."
"No," said Edwin immediately, fear filling him from his heart, to his stomach to his toes. He couldn't let his father found out about him cutting. "There fine. The nurse bandaged them."
"I just want to see how bad they are," said George reaching towards Edwin's arms. Edwin flinched back and repeated what he had said before. "Edwin… what's wrong?"
"Nothing," said Edwin again.
"Edwin… please…" George pleaded.
"Alright, fine, I'll tell you," said Edwin with a smirk. "But really, why do you want to know so badly now? You never cared before… Never questioned before…"
"What are you talking about?"
"Derek has hit and bruised me and cut me more times then it's possible to count since. This has been happening since third grade. I'm in sixth now. Two and a half years and not once did you think to question anything that happened. Remember the time I had to have stitches in my head? Derek had shoved me down the stairs. That was the real reason. Derek's also been making me do his homework since second grade," said Edwin, who finally flipped.
"Is this true Derek?" George asked Derek seriously.
"Well… no… not really… alright… yeah, it is true," said Derek. He was only human and could only feel so much guilt without exploding.
George sat back on his heels. "Edwin, let me see your arms."
Edwin sat there and crossed his arms firmly. There was no way he was going to admit to be a cutter. No, never, not ever. It was too shameful and much too complicated. 'Oh Lizz,' he thought. 'Why did you have to go?'
George, out of seemingly no where, grabbed Edwin's left arm and shoved the sleeve up and started to take the bandaged off. Edwin's arms squirmed a bit but George had a firm grip on Edwin's wrist. Edwin winced slightly. At last, the bandaged were gone. The back of Edwin's arm was all skinned up but on the front you could see two light purple scars and a dark red one.
"Edwin," George said seriously. "Did Derek do this?"
The ones Derek had done were all scarred up and on the other and a lot smaller then these. "I did not do those," said Derek defending himself.
"No," said Edwin, softly and through clenched teeth. "I did it to myself."
"With what?"
"A knife."
George sighed and sat back once again. "I never thought either of you would ever act like this. How could you?"
Silence, dead silence. "So… what happens now," asked Derek after a while.
"Therapy I suppose," said George. "Cutting yourself and hurting your brother the way you did isn't natural. There must be some underlying cause…" He trailed off and then suddenly started again. "Have you done any of these to Marti? Derek do you cut yourself?"
"No and no," responded Derek. "Marti's two."
George sat there. "Promise me one thing."
"What?" asked Edwin.
"Never do any of this ever again," he said it seriously.
"Promise," said Derek quickly, wanting to get this over with.
Edwin was more hesitant. "I guess so. I promise."