Chapter 6: A Close Call

I pleaded to Mr Anderson, to not call my parents, had I an idea to admit that I was at fault. No student likes to admit their mistakes. It was the only way I could make a deal with him. I was just about to say something, when VJ Alvi stood up. "Mr Anderson I've got something to say to you."

"What is it VJ?" He asks.

"Um, I am the one responsible for starting the food fight, I chucked the first piece of food." He explains to Mr Anderson

"So it was you that started it," Mr Anderson then muttered under his breath, "Typical."

"Yes, Mr Anderson." VJ announced that he took the blame.

"What about the others? Were they a part of your group that started the food fight?" Mr Anderson asks after pulling five delinquents.

"Yes, they all played a key role in the food fight." VJ told everyone, making everyone pay the price of his doing.

I was shocked; I thought that he was going to let us get away with it. Well the saying is; if I'm coming down you're all coming down with me.
I just did not expect this to happen but I realised that it was VJ Alvi; it's something that he would do. But now the problem is what sort of punishment in Mr Anderson going to give us?

"Okay, students because you admitted fault and told the truth, you will have to only clean up the mess you made."

"But... Mr Anderson?" Everyone questioned simultaneously.

"No buts or ifs, this decision is final! You are going clean it today and I will ring your parents and tell them where you are. Now get cleaning," he shouts.

"Yes, Mr Anderson," we all say collectively at same time.

Mr Anderson stood up and took us to the janitor's closet.

We grabbed all the equipment needed; mops, chemical sprays, rubber gloves, wipes and our dignity. Maybe I should see this situation as a glass half full not half empty; maybe this is the chance to enhance my cleaning skill? Mr Anderson then went off and we walked on own to the cafeteria. Everyone else in the school had gone to class and the mess of the cafeteria was indescribable, I was speechless, the mess made would take us years to finish cleaning all of this.

There was no time procrastinating, there was a lot of work and we wanted to get it over and done with. I put on my yellow cleaning gloves, grabbed some plain cloths and got stuck into the work. We decided to work in sections to get the job done faster.

"Hey Richard get over here!" I hear Darlene Bunch call out. I came to see what the fuss was about. It was the mark of a head as food was splatted all around it.

"That's pretty cool," remarked Darlene.

"We better get back to work," I told everyone but would anyone listen? No, they took their own time even though they wanted to get out of here as fast as they could.

Not all of us were trouble makers, the only exception was me, I really felt like the odd one out but I was here to get the job done, well I was in trouble. I just couldn't get over the fact that I was in trouble.

I started to scrub again, watching the food disappear in front of my eyes, the people who made the cleaning chemicals must be geniuses to invent things like this, on the other hand, you wouldn't want to touch these chemical with your bare hands, and your hands might as well catch on fire!

Time flew because we were having "fun", that was because I was the only doing the work, scrubbing and scrubbing until my gloves broke, my hands broke until everything broke. By the time had been three hours, I had done 75% of the cafeteria, I have had enough, and I sat down and slept.

Richard came up to me, "Malcolm, we're finished, it's time to go." I woke instantly, I checked the time on my phone, and it was 6:00PM! Did we really take three and a half hours on cleaning? No wonder I was tired!

I felt like I couldn't even walk properly then Mr Anderson suddenly walked in to inspect our cleaning job, our parents were notified and they all came to pick us up. I was scared that the conversation I would have with parents, them shouting at me, punishing me, like banning me off something, like my laptop or my Maxoid Game Simulator 2 ½. It really was a nightmare that has come true.

As soon as I exited The Community School of The Gifted, I saw the VFN Kompensator pull up to the school; the moment of truth had arrived.

Mother pulled down the window, "Malcolm! Get in the car now!"

I was screwed, my parents were going to kill me and I have always been a good boy but why now!?

I tried to reason with her, "Mother... About earlier today..."

"Enough already! I know about it and you're in big trouble young man!" Mother shouts back at me, disallowing me to make my case.

I stayed silent; there was nothing more to say, just take the shouting and punishment.

Mother then started to mumble about me, about what had happened, "How could of Malcolm have done this? I thought he was a good boy and was going to stay out of trouble and have better friends. I'm disappointed."

Mother thought I had not heard a word she said but I was right next to her I could hear every word she mumbled. I couldn't believe she's disappointed; I've only done one small thing wrong. Could it be that big of a deal? I waited until the car arrived to my house and in front of the driveway was father standing there with a stern look on his face. It was father's turn to tell me off.

I got out of the car, "Malcolm, your mother and I need to have a word with you." Father told me in his stern voice.

Father took me into the study. "Malcolm, we know about your food fight incident that happened earlier today and the principal, Mr Anderson called us and told us what had happened and that you have been constantly in trouble." My father said to me calmly.

"That's a lie!" I exclaim back, why would Mr Anderson lie? What have I done to deserve this?

"Don't accuse your principal of false claims! Why would he be lying to us?" He shouts back.

"The food fight was the only bad thing that I have done, he just hates with a passion for no reason." I reply

"Then why would he hate you?" He asks.

"I just told you! He just hates me!"

"Really? I don't believe you."

"Just ask Claire, she will tell you the truth!"

"Wasn't Claire in trouble too?" Father asks, knowing that we hang out together thinking that she's the source of the trouble.

"No, I and four other kids in trouble even though there were at least a hundred kids that had done the wrong thing."

"Mr Anderson said that you hang out in this group of delinquents."

"That's not true; I mainly hang out with Claire."

Father then started talking to mother, wondering what they are going punish me with.

"Okay, your mother and I have come to a decision, we are banning you from the console and your other presents for a week but if you do something wrong again, we will punish you even more. Understood?"

"Yes, Father." I agreed, it couldn't be any worse.

I couldn't believe how that went, I still feel bad about what I have done even if it wasn't entirely my fault. Maybe I needed to get away from it all again, not go on a trip but maybe just stay out of the house for a day?