First of all, you have to wait

You arrive at the principal's office and knock on the door.

"Come in," a woman's voice calls from inside.

When you open the door, you hesitate for a moment. The person sitting at the desk isn't Mrs. Perez, the secretary who has worked here for as long as you can remember. Instead, there's a woman in her twenties with long red hair and a curvy body. She's wearing a white blouse that barely contains her breasts, a pencil skirt that rides high on her thighs, and stiletto heels.

A nameplate on her desk tells you her name is Ivy Jenkins.

She looks up at you with obvious annoyance, her green eyes narrowing. "How can I help you?"

You swallow hard. "Mrs. Moore sent me here."

She sighs dramatically and waves her hand dismissively. "Fine. Sit down on one of those chairs and wait for Principal Myers to get back."

You do as she says and sit uncomfortably on the wooden chair while Ms. Jenkins picks up her phone and starts scrolling through TikToks, her perfectly manicured nails tapping on the screen.

You wait for what feels like an hour, though it's probably only thirty minutes. Through the door, you hear the school bell ring, then the sounds of students flooding the hallways to their next classes. Eventually, it goes quiet again.

When the door to the office finally opens, you freeze.

It's your mother.

Damn. Why is she here?

She looks at you with disappointment, shaking her head slowly. Without saying a word, she walks over to Ms. Jenkins' desk and asks, "What happened?"

The secretary glances up from her phone sheepishly. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but you'll need to wait for Principal Myers to return. He'll explain everything."

Your mother sighs in frustration, then walks over to you and sits down on the chair next to yours.

"Why are you here, Mom?" you ask quietly.

She doesn't answer at first, just crosses her arms. Then: "What do you think? I got a call from the school. I had to take the day off to come here." She looks at you seriously. "I don't know what you did, but this will have consequences."

"I didn't do anything wrong," you protest.

She says nothing, her expression making it clear she doesn't believe you.

Finally, after about ten more minutes, the door opens again and Principal Myers walks in.

As he approaches Ms. Jenkins' desk, she immediately puts her phone away and looks at him sheepishly.

He asks, "Did anything happen while I was gone?" and casually rests his hand on her shoulder.

"Not really, sir," she says. "But there is this boy here who was sent over by Mrs. Moore."

She points at you.

Principal Myers turns around and sees you and your mother sitting in the corner. He nods, acknowledging her, then tells Ms. Jenkins, "I'll handle this."