task 18
Timothy sat outside the principal’s office. Blood dripped from his nose down the front of his shirt. It wasn’t like him to get into fights. He was typically such a passive child, but he just couldn’t take his classmate picking on him anymore. He knew he needed to stand up for himself. Savanna certainly would if she was in his position. Timmy was trying to be more like her because he admired that about his sister. She always stood up for what she believed in, whether it be a friend, family member, or something she was passionate about. What Timmy didn’t account for was the outcome of his actions. Not only was he in trouble, but Palm Valley Elementary had a zero tolerance policy when it came to fighting. He would have to serve a three day suspension for punching another student, even if it was in self defense.
“Are ya sure we need’a call my mom an’ dad?” At this point he was on the verge of tears. Things had been rough at home and the last thing Timothy wanted to do was disappoint his mother. She had enough to deal with between Savanna and her bed wetting, David and the custody battle, DC and his multiple personalities, Dottie moving out of Limbo, and Ransom overworking himself… He didn’t need to add anything else to her plate. “Can’t I just…. What if I just come here every day an’ do my work here?” The eight year old tried to negotiate, but Principal Dennison wasn’t having it. “I’m sorry, but you know I can't allow that.” He spoke softly but sternly. “We will discuss the terms of your punishment after I speak to your parents.” The principal told him before he picked up the phone and called Victoria.
—————
“He what?” Victoria questioned with her cell phone pressed to her ear. She was already on high alert because the kids' school was calling. That was never a good sign. Her initial reaction wasn’t that Timothy or Savanna were in trouble, but that one of them got hurt. They were good kids and rarely misbehaved, especially at school. “Timothy... Timothy Thorne?” The brunette was in disbelief because her Timothy didn’t get into fights. Victoria thought Savvy had to be involved in some way, shape, or form.
“What’s goin’ on, Vic?” Declan asked, but she held up her finger to prevent any further questions from him. “We’ll be right there.” She told principal Dennison before she ended the call and turned back to Declan. “Timmy got into a fight at school… Why do I feel like you put him up to this?” She arched a brow. She knew the two had been spending a lot of time together. Declan had been filling the void that David left when he stopped making an effort to be in his children's lives.
“Me? I didn’t put ‘im up ta nothin’. I swear.” DC replied defensively. He tried to hide the smile forming because he knew it would only make Victoria more angry. “If he hit’a kid, I’m sure the lil’ fucker deserved it.” His comment earned him a shove and an eye roll. Whether she agreed with Declan or not, her kids knew that violence wasn’t the answer. If they were having problems with a classmate they were supposed to go speak with a teacher, not punch another kid in the mouth. “I’m glad you think this is funny.” She glared at him as she grabbed her car keys. “Because you’re comin’ with me. Let’s go.” Victoria held the door open for him and made sure to lock up before the two of them headed for the car.
—————
When they arrived at Palm Valley Elementary, they could immediately see Timothy sulking in the corner of the main office. His glasses were broken and his shirt was stained crimson. Did he even get to see the nurse? Why didn’t she clean him up? Wasn’t that what they sent extra clothes to school for?
“Mrs. Deschaine. It’s a pleasure to see you again… I’m sorry it has to be under these circumstances.” The principal told her as he shook her hand, then Declan’s. “...I don’t believe we’ve met.” He turned to extend the same courtesy to Declan. Timmy had yet to make eye contact with either of them. He didn’t want to see the look of disappointment in their eyes. “So ya got us out here… Care to explain the situation, principal?” DC was quick to skip the introductions. “My kid got into’a fight, huh?” His kid? Victoria heard the comment but didn’t correct him. Declan had been more of a father to Timmy in the last few months than David had been in the last year. Where was David now? Did the school try to reach out to him? Did he shrug it off like he did most of his responsibilities? “Please step into my office and I’ll explain.” Principal Dennison showed them the way to his office and Declan caught Timmy’s gaze. He gave the boy a thumbs up and a wink to let him know he was on his side… No matter what.
—————
“Are ya gonna keep wastin’ everyone’s time, or are ya gonna tell us what happened?” Declan asked as he took a seat. The door was closed so Timmy couldn’t hear the conversation. He’d get the opportunity to tell his side of the story soon enough.
“Well, Mrs. Deschaine…” The principal didn’t address Declan directly because, until today, he had never seen the man on school grounds before. “It appears that your son was involved in a fight with a classmate.” Declan immediately scoffed. “Appears? No shit… Ya’ see tha’ kid’s shirt covered in blood?” Victoria nudged Declan to let him know he needed to back off. Of course they were going to defend Timmy, but they needed to hear the whole story first. “As I was saying…” The principal continued. “We’ve spoken to both students and it’s unclear who started the fight, so to make things fair we’re giving three days of out of school suspension to both of them. We have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to violence. Regardless of how this came about, we feel this is the best decision for everyone involved. Perhaps even a change of classrooms so this kind of behavior doesn’t continue.”
Declan was trying to remain calm, but his fists were clenched tightly inside the pocket of his grease stained hoodie. “Yer school has a bullyin’ problem an’ ya think the best solution is ta take my kid out’a his classroom...away from his friends?” Victoria had never seen Declan stand up for Ransom the way he did for Timmy. She couldn’t even recall a time when he referred to Ransom as his son, but here he was doing it for David’s child. David Thorne, a man Declan despised. David Thorne, the man who stole his wife. Now here he was, sitting in the principal’s office, vouching for David’s offspring as if Timmy were Dottie and she was in trouble for fighting in school.
“I ain’t sayin’ what happened was right, but Timmy doesn’t get in’ta fights. If he punched’a kid...The kid prolly deserved it.” Victoria wanted, so badly, to cover DC’s mouth to get him to stop talking, but she had to agree with him. “Glad ya’ got’a nurse down here ta’ look at ‘im.” The comment came out sarcastically. “Good thing I brought one with me.” He was referring to Victoria. She’d do a better job assessing the damage than some underpaid school nurse anyway. “Yer runnin’ a fine establishment here, sir.” Another sarcastic comment earned him a sharp jab to the ribs. “Declan, you’re not helping…” Victoria spoke in a hushed tone through clenched teeth. “Maybe you should wait outside.”
It was different being in the principal’s office when he wasn’t the one in trouble, but it still brought back old memories. “Declan…please.” That was all Victoria had to say for DC to remove himself from the office. Truth be told, he preferred to be in the hallway with Timothy anyway.
—————
Declan removed an unused napkin from his pocket and extended it to the boy for his nose. They would have to tape Timothy’s glasses together until they could be fixed properly, but DC would work his magic with duct tape to make them look good as new. “Is mom gonna ground me?” The eight year old questioned. He still couldn’t look at Declan. He was wallowing in self pity. That was evident. “I didn’t mean ‘ta…. I just... “ It was hard to find the right words when he was on the verge of tears. “I just wanted Dylan ta’ stop pickin’ on me.”
Silence hung between them for a moment. Declan wasn’t used to giving fatherly advice and he wasn’t quite sure what to say. “I think she’s gonna be mad ‘bout the suspension, but we both know yer not’a violent kid.” He lifted Timmy’s chin to get a better look at his nose. It didn’t appear to be broken, just bloody. He did have a nice shiner forming under his left eye. DC assumed it was caused by the impact of his glasses. “Tha’ kid really clocked ya’ huh? We’ll have ta’ put some ice on that when we get home.”
“Mom’s not gonna’ make me go live with dad, is she?” Timmy’s question caught Declan off guard. “Why would’ya think somethin’ like that?” He replied with an arched brow. “Cause the teacher said I’m not’a ‘loud back in her class.” The little boy said sadly.
“You listen ‘ta me…” DC began as he placed a reassuring hand on Timmy’s back. “Ya never have’ta worry ‘bout yer mom an’ me sendin’ you away.” A smile formed and Declan leaned in to whisper the next part. “Between you an’ me… The lil’ fu…. kid deserved it. Just tell me one thing….” His voice got softer. “Did ya’ get ‘im good?” Timmy looked around to make sure the coast was clear before he smiled back and nodded. “Knocked his front tooth right out.” Declan seemed pleased with the response and chuckled softly. “Good for you, little man.” He knew there would be some form of punishment when Timmy got home, but Declan was proud of him for finally standing up for himself. It seemed the boy was capable of fighting his own battles after all.