Principal Brown’s Office

“I’m going,” Becky said out loud.

“We need time,” the book said.

“You’ll get your time, but first, I’m doing the right thing.”

“Fine,” The book muttered.

***

Becky took a deep breath and turned the knob to Principal Brown’s office. She was twenty six minutes late.

Brown stared daggers at Becky from his big mahogany desk. He said nothing.

“Hi Principal Brown, sorry I’m late,” Becky said, barely above a whisper.

She had been **** by supernatural tentacles, transformed before her very eyes, and was now forming an acquaintanceship with an unholy nightmare book, and yet this moment held more terror to it that anything else. Ice flowed through the young woman’s veins.

“Yes, you’re late. You were apparently late to every single class you had after we met as well. So late that you never showed up at all.”

“I can explain,” Becky squeaked.

“Oh, I doubt that,” Brown hissed. “Your Mother has been called. You will, at the very least, be suspended. You’re lucky you aren’t being expelled after a day like today.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

Brown shook his head in disbelief.

“How do you not mean to skip two whole classes?”

Becky didn’t have an answer to this.

“Look. We’re going to talk. I want an apology, not an explanation. You’ll also be writing a formal apology to each teacher whose class you skipped.”

Becky felt very small. She breathed in short, shallow breaths, causing her breasts to jiggle slightly with each inhale and exhale. They felt alien and clumsy on her now. Everything was falling apart.

“I’m sorry,” she began. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. You’re right, I don’t have an explanation. I screwed up. I’m sorry.”

She was beginning to cry.

Brown seemed to mull over these words. He seemed unsatisfied.

“Not good enough,” he said finally. “Do better.”

What the hell was she supposed to say to that? How could she apologize more?

“I’m really sorry, I am. I was late when I promised to be here. I skipped class. I don’t know why, but I know it was wrong. I’m sorry Principal Brown.”

“You’re sorry you were caught,” Brown snapper back. “Becky, I’ve always treated you kindly because you’re one of the good kids. Well, you _were _one of the good kids. Today, you’ve changed my mind on that.”

“No, no, that’s not true. I’m still good,” Becky whimpered. “This is just one day. Give me the rest of the year. I swear, I’ll turn it around.”

“Not if I treat you like one of the good kids. See, I treat bad kids a different way than you smart ones. I have to. Now that applies to you.”

This was humiliating. Years of quiet, modest behavior, good grades and better behavior, all being tarnished for one fuck up. Becky burned all over, and not in a good way.

“You don’t have to put up with this,” the book whispered in Becky’s head.

She ignored it. She needed to accept this fate.

“First things first,” Brown continued. “You have after school detention for the next two months. Normal, standard detention.”

“Yes sir,” Becky said.

“Next, that college recommendation letter for Brown you asked me to write? It’s cancelled. I can’t in good conscience write a letter for someone who lied and disrespected me.”

Becky’s eyes went wide. That was a major tent pole in her application process. It could sink her to lose that letter.

“After your display today, I have to wonder if you even need to apply. This was shameful and not becoming of a future scholar.”

His words hit like a slap, digging into Becky’s insecurities. Suddenly, she felt anger rising in her heart like bile.

Again, the voice of the book came.

“You don’t have to put up with this.”

It was getting more and more seductive to hear those words. Just a peak at the book wouldn’t hurt. The right words existed somewhere in its pages to let her slip safely out of this predicament.

“Are you even listening to me, Rebecca? What is wrong with you today?”

Becky ignored him. She opened her mind to the book, considering it’s offer.