Gwynn felt restless. Did they buy uncomfortable chairs in the office intentionally— a sadistic torture to further the uneasy experience of being there?

Gwynn's left knee bounced in time to a marching rhythm beating at the edge of his consciousness. He'd never been in the office. Almost finished high school and he managed to keep his head down and never attract much attention. Now he'd smashed the nose of the reigning school football hero. No doubt, he was a dead man.

After a seeming eternity, the principal's door opened. Gwynn's guts twisted as he caught a glimpse of the now familiar heart-shaped face. Thankfully, the murderous intent in her dark eyes seemed to have vanished.

"Thank you very much Fuyuko, I appreciate it," Mr. Davis, the school principal, said.

Fuyuko gave a slight bow and left the office.

Mr. Davis turned to Gwynn and sighed. "C'mon in Mr. Dormath."

The words, Dead man walking, echoed in Gwynn's head as he trudged into the office.

Mr. Davis shut the door and assumed his seat behind a large desk, barren except for a computer.

"Let's get right to it, shall we." Mr. Davis steepled his fingers. "You're here because of what happened in the cafeteria?"

"Yes."

"Well, I'll give you some points for coming here yourself. At least it shows you're willing to accept the consequences of your actions. That said, striking another student is unacceptable."

"I know sir. I'm sorry." Gwynn searched for an excuse. Something to explain what happened. In the end, he had to admit the truth. "I don't know what came over me."

Mr. Davis' smile held some sympathy. "Fuyuko tells me Mr. Haze goaded you into it. Given what happened to you and Miss Murray, I can understand why you reacted the way you did."

Gwynn tried to process what Mr. Davis said. "Fuyuko? You mean the girl who was just in here?"

"Yes, a new transfer student from out of province who started last Monday. She saw what happened and felt she should tell me. I guess she figured I would believe her because she's impartial."

Gwynn started to feel the noose loosen around his neck. "Did you?"

"Gwynn, Eric Haze has a certain reputation in this school I am well aware of. Yes, I do believe what Fuyuko told me, but that doesn't change the fact it's a serious infraction, and you need to receive some form of punishment."

"Yes, sir." Gwynn shrank in his chair.

"I think you should go home for the rest of the day, and take the next two days off as well. Officially, it's a suspension. But I think you and I can both agree you need some more time off to...relax."

Gwynn tasted rising sick. Jaimie would be pissed.

"Yes sir," he gulped out the words.

"Is there anything you need to get from your locker?"

"Just my coat."

"Good. Your Aunt is coming to get you. I'll accompany you so you can get your coat."

For nine years, Gwynn had an obligation to be a model young man for Jaimie. She'd taken him in. He had no one else. She'd abandoned so much for him. He appreciated it. He valued her. The feeling of letting her down was a punch to his stomach.

"Mr. Davis?" he hesitated. Maybe he should keep quiet.

"Yes, Gwynn?"

Desperation took hold. Gwynn needed answers.

"I was hoping to see Sophia, to talk to her about what happened. But I haven't seen her all day."

Mr. Davis cleared his throat. "As far as I'm aware, Miss Murray has been away from school since the incident. I don't think she was severely hurt, but she hasn't been well enough to come back to school."

"Okay. Um, thanks." That had him worried. Pridament said Sophia left the hospital before Gwynn woke up. Had he lied? Were Sophia's injuries worse?

Mr. Davis escorted Gwynn to his locker. Thankfully, the hallways were empty as it was still the lunch hour. When they returned to the office, Jaimie arrived. Mr. Davis explained Gwynn's punishment and the events leading to it. Gwynn couldn't read Jaimie's eyes. He wished she would yell at him; hit him, anything other than be the calm, understanding Jaimie. His insides twisted so bad they managed to overpower the continuous throbbing in his arm and head. Gwynn trudged behind her to the car and crashed into the passenger's seat.

"I'm sorry," Gwynn said when Jaimie finished putting on her seat belt.

Jaimie closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "I'm not mad you hit Eric. Hell, it's about time someone took that kid down a peg. It's lousy timing. You fought me so hard about staying home a bit longer."

"You were right. I should have listened."

Jaimie opened her eyes and smiled. "You're a good kid. This shouldn't have happened. First that damn house, now a suspension on your record. You don't deserve this. It seems unfair. I think that's what upsets me most."

"Thanks, Jaimie."

They drove home in silence. Once there, Gwynn went up to his room. At first, he flopped down on his bed. But his legs bounced, and the throbbing in his arm and head wouldn't let him relax. Instead, he ended up pacing his floor. Halloween. He replayed the night in his mind. Maybe Pridament would be able to clear up some of it. The man seemed to want to talk more. Gwynn caught sight of him several times while at the hospital. More than anything else, Gwynn wanted to know what role Sophia played. Only she could answer that for him.

After a few minutes, he went downstairs. Jaimie shuffled about the kitchen. She seemed lost.

Gwynn cleared his throat.

Jaimie turned, her face red and flustered. "I was going to start dinner, but then I couldn't remember what I was going to make." She sank into a chair.

"You know it's only two o'clock, right?" Gwynn asked.

"I know. I was hoping to make something...happy."

Tears stung at Gwynn's eyes.

"I'm sorry I let you down."