The Office

Elliot comes out of the confrontation with his parents to stumble upon a familiar person. He sees Nellie again and after deciding to go to class may have found a new friend.

Sweat dripped from my hair as I walked up the stairs leading to the main office. I opened the door and could see two people standing there. My parents were right in front of me. They both looked the same but their faces seemed twisted with greed and corruption, seems that Anna’s death had more an impact than I thought. I was right, these people are not my parents, but now maybe monsters. They were dressed in designer labels, covered from head to toe in luxury. It was disgusting to look at. I walked forward and my principle greeted us and welcomed us to sit down. I sat down in the leather chair next to my parents. I stared forward trying to focus at the conversation but I could not stop my mind from drifting.

“Mr. and Mrs. Hanson, I have brought you here because your son has not been attending classes,” my principle started saying.

My parents turned to look at one another and then my father answered him.

“Why is that a problem?” he said with a smirk on his face.

“His grades are suffering.”

My principle turned his gaze towards me and I could tell he was feeling sorry for me. He could tell as much as everyone else that my parents did not care about me. My parents remained silent but eventually I could not take it anymore, the only reason, I think I rushed here was to give them a piece of my mind. Nellie’s words rang in my mind.

 “I hate sad stories,” she told me.

She was right, my story was sad and maybe this was my chance to make even a small part of it better. Forgiving myself was not going to happen anytime soon but now I can speak my mind to my parents. At this point, with time flying, passing by I was more open to forgiving my parents. They played a hand in this game, and I was tired of flushing.

“I didn’t do it,” I started saying.

“What?” My father said rather disgusted.

“You heard me. It was not all my fault,” I said turning to stare at them.

My principle tensed up and automatically became uncomfortable. Tension filled the room and it was not going to leave anytime soon.

“I do not want to waste my time talking about this,” my mother added.

“Then just listen!” I said trying to keep my hands from trembling.

“Enough! Please everyone. I just called you here to let you know if Elliot does not start coming to class, we will remove him from this school,” Mr. Johnson interrupted.

“Fine but we will pay as much as you need, just keep him here,” my father said.

“I’m afraid that….”

“Just do it,” my father interrupted.

He nodded to my mother and she got up from the chair and they both walked out of the room, heads held high and egos as high as the ceiling. I looked at my principle who was very flustered. Without a word I left the room and the office. As I walked out of the room a familiar set of pigtails caught my eye. When I turned my head I could see Nellie, walking alongside who I assumed to be her mother and sister. Nellie was smiling as bright as ever but her mother seemed annoyed. I didn’t want to say anything but Nellie saw me as I tried to walk away. She gasped and tried to call out my name but her mother grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

I was surprised. No, it was not that I saw her but more of the amount of force her mother used. For a moment it seemed like Nellie was just a dog to her. I brushed off the thought and continued on my way. I wondered what it would be like if I actually did go to class, but if I did that would mean less swim time. I was not going to waste my time doing something other than swimming, especially if it involved being lectured. I was tired of being talked to. It was strange how there was a part of me that didn’t want to get kicked out of school. Where would I live? Where would I swim?

The torture of sitting through a class was better than having to sleep on the streets, or that’s what I thought at the moment. It was surely a coincidence how I had seen that little girl twice in one day. I looked at the clock, which ticked obnoxiously in the middle of the hallway. If I hurried I would be able to make it to one of my classes. Walking faster than normal I headed in the direction I thought it was. The hallway was full of posters, warning on the effects of drugs and the occasional cafeteria menu. I peaked inside the classroom when I approached the door. The class seemed full and the teacher stood facing the board. I stood there for a moment with my hand on the doorknob. Just as I looked down the door swung open and smacked me in the face. I jolted back and my head started throbbing.

“I’m sorry!” I heard someone say.

I looked up and softly responded “That’s alright.”

It was a girl I had never seen before but I had never really seen anyone in this school before. She reminded me of a fruit, just another thing in a basket that was full with varieties of things. Plus, I had developed a particular hate for fruit. I tried to walk around her but she cut me off.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked me.

I nodded my head and moved around her. I could hear her faint sigh and my ears pounded with the sound of kids tapping pencils, the squeak of chalk and the whisper of gossip. The teacher, a man, who wore a very slick suit snapped his gaze towards me. He dropped his chalk in its rightful place and signaled for me to take a seat. There were no other seats available in any good locations. The seats by the windows were taken, so I could not daze out the window, all the seats in the back were full, so I could not fall asleep. There were only two open seats located near the front of the room. I sat down in one of them and the teacher continued on as if I was not even there. I figured he knew who I was, the kid that just never showed up.

The class passed by in a blur but eventually the girl who hit me with the door came back. She took what I assumed to be her seat which happened to be next to me. She smiled at me but I just continued to look forward. The class was over and I was relieved the teacher did not pull me to the side. I walked towards the door or more like dragging. I was ready to go back to the water. Yet again the same girl stood in the way. Her smile somehow made me feel uncomfortable. Her hair was long and dark brown, but he bangs were pushed to the side.

“What’s your name?” she asked me.

I was hoping she would just leave me alone, so I answered her.

“Elliot,” I said.

“I’m Ellie,” she said holding out her hand.

“Nice to meet you,” I said ignoring her hand.

“I’m sorry…again,” she said looking down.

“No problem,” I told her.

There was a moment of silence and I slipped through the door, heading straight for the scent of chlorine. After swimming I sat in my desk chair, staring at a blank piece of paper. A lot happened today and for me it was in a sense exciting. Seeing my parents, now that was the climax of the day. I was happy to get some things off my chest. At least now, in my mind, we shared the burden. I picked up my pencil and starting writing another poem for Anna. My mind was going back to the times when Anna used to come home from school. She would always be so happy to show me what she made that day. There was one day, they had made angels out of paper, glitter and feather. Oh and those pipe cleaner things. I don’t remember what she named it but I just remember she made my mother tape it on her bedroom wall, so when she woke up she could see it. She used to always say she wanted the angel to watch over her. It seemed that the angel didn’t watch over her in the end or maybe I was the one who destroyed all hope. I could feel a tear slowly forming in the corner of my eye. I tried to fight it back but it feel straight on the paper. I had destroyed her life before it ever really began. Anna never got to be a dentist or doctor or baker. Heck, she never even made it to her first day of the fourth grade. Why? I couldn’t save her because I couldn’t swim.