The Aftermath
Dec. 9th, 2015 02:07 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
momsthewordThey make their way home in silence. Lacking a car, they take the familiar route home on the bus, Michael swinging his legs while sitting in a way he hasn’t done since he was much younger. His feet, on the ends of longer legs, scuff the floor, and after a few brushes Lorna side-eyes him and he falls still, shrinking in his seat.
Other than that, Lorna keeps her gaze fixed firmly forward, jaw clenched and keeping half an eye on the gently swirling clouds outside. They don’t seem to be getting any worse as they ride through the district and so she’s left to her thoughts and the upcoming discussion. She’s got the whole journey to plan out what she’s going to say once they’re home and out of public view, but when they finally get there and are stood at opposite ends of the narrow kitchen, nothing she’s thought of seems right.
‘I don’t know what to say.’
Michael looks at the floor, his hands shoved deep in his pockets.
‘M’sorry,’ he mumbles.
‘Sorry?!’ she repeats with a shocked laugh. ‘I should damn well hope you’re sorry after that. Too bad you couldn’t tell the kid that though, hm?’
He flinches, biting his lip and still not looking up.
‘If you ever see that boy again, you will apologize to him most sincerely, do you understand?’
Finally he looks up, surprise in his expression, of all things. ‘Why wouldn’t I see him again?’
‘Were you not listening to the discussion? You might be expelled, Michael. Heaven help me, but I wonder if you deserve it. Suspension certainly, but we’ll have to wait for the headmaster’s verdict.’ She rubs her forehead. ‘Regardless of that, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if his… were they his brothers? If his brothers move him to another school entirely. I know I would, after the way it sounded like that poor child had been treated. If that had been you, I would have you out of there as soon as possible. I’ve half a mind to look into other schools since it’s clear that one is incapable of taking proper care of all of its students.’
Michael’s eyes widen in alarm and his hands come out of his pockets.
‘But my friends are there!’ he exclaims.
‘From what I’ve just seen, you and your friends just beat up a boy younger and smaller than you and broke apparently valuable equipment that gives him one of his basic senses,’ she snaps. ‘If that’s not a bad crowd, I don’t know what is. You’re not to hang out with them again.’
‘You can’t do that!’
‘I can and I bloody well just did! I brought you up to respect other people, not hurt them like this! Clearly I didn’t make the lesson solid enough, but I will not have you mingling with people who think something like that is an okay thing to do, especially when they seem unrepentant of it afterwards, and God knows their parents were just as bad, if not worse. Unless those children get some serious lessons, they are going to grow up to be bad people and I will not see you fall into that life with them. You’re so much better than that.’
Angry tears fill Michael’s eyes and he brushes them away roughly with his sleeve, only for more to replace them. He opens his mouth to say something, but ends up just shaking his head and trying to keep the tears from spilling over.
Lorna pinches the bridge of her nose, taking deep breaths and trying to calm down. She rubs her forehead again, harder this time, but the lines there don’t smooth out.
‘I thought it was you on the receiving end of the fight when I got the message,’ she says, quieter, if no less strained. ‘I thought I was going to get there and you’d crossed the wrong kids. Refused to give up your lunch or something. I never thought…’ She trails off and has to wipe her own eyes and take several more deep breaths. ‘How long have you been involved?’
Michael doesn’t say anything, his gaze back on the floor.
‘Michael, I asked you a question.’
‘Few weeks,’ he mumbles.
‘And you didn’t, in all of that time, think that what you were doing was wrong?’
A shrug.
‘I want an answer.’
She doesn’t get one, and after a long wait, she lets out a long breath which she just manages to keep steady.
‘Go to your room and think about what you’ve been part of. I’ll be expecting better answers later. You’re grounded for the foreseeable future and I’ll discuss your full punishment with your father when he gets home. For now, I need to call him and let him know what’s happened since he only knows you were involved in a fight. Now get out, or I swear, I’m going to slap you.’
Michael turns and leaves, dragging his feet a little in a way that would usually make her narrow her eyes and tell him to pick his feet up. But she doesn’t and soon he’s gone and Lorna’s left alone in the kitchen, leaning heavily on the counter and gradually wetting the hand covering her eyes.
Other than that, Lorna keeps her gaze fixed firmly forward, jaw clenched and keeping half an eye on the gently swirling clouds outside. They don’t seem to be getting any worse as they ride through the district and so she’s left to her thoughts and the upcoming discussion. She’s got the whole journey to plan out what she’s going to say once they’re home and out of public view, but when they finally get there and are stood at opposite ends of the narrow kitchen, nothing she’s thought of seems right.
‘I don’t know what to say.’
Michael looks at the floor, his hands shoved deep in his pockets.
‘M’sorry,’ he mumbles.
‘Sorry?!’ she repeats with a shocked laugh. ‘I should damn well hope you’re sorry after that. Too bad you couldn’t tell the kid that though, hm?’
He flinches, biting his lip and still not looking up.
‘If you ever see that boy again, you will apologize to him most sincerely, do you understand?’
Finally he looks up, surprise in his expression, of all things. ‘Why wouldn’t I see him again?’
‘Were you not listening to the discussion? You might be expelled, Michael. Heaven help me, but I wonder if you deserve it. Suspension certainly, but we’ll have to wait for the headmaster’s verdict.’ She rubs her forehead. ‘Regardless of that, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if his… were they his brothers? If his brothers move him to another school entirely. I know I would, after the way it sounded like that poor child had been treated. If that had been you, I would have you out of there as soon as possible. I’ve half a mind to look into other schools since it’s clear that one is incapable of taking proper care of all of its students.’
Michael’s eyes widen in alarm and his hands come out of his pockets.
‘But my friends are there!’ he exclaims.
‘From what I’ve just seen, you and your friends just beat up a boy younger and smaller than you and broke apparently valuable equipment that gives him one of his basic senses,’ she snaps. ‘If that’s not a bad crowd, I don’t know what is. You’re not to hang out with them again.’
‘You can’t do that!’
‘I can and I bloody well just did! I brought you up to respect other people, not hurt them like this! Clearly I didn’t make the lesson solid enough, but I will not have you mingling with people who think something like that is an okay thing to do, especially when they seem unrepentant of it afterwards, and God knows their parents were just as bad, if not worse. Unless those children get some serious lessons, they are going to grow up to be bad people and I will not see you fall into that life with them. You’re so much better than that.’
Angry tears fill Michael’s eyes and he brushes them away roughly with his sleeve, only for more to replace them. He opens his mouth to say something, but ends up just shaking his head and trying to keep the tears from spilling over.
Lorna pinches the bridge of her nose, taking deep breaths and trying to calm down. She rubs her forehead again, harder this time, but the lines there don’t smooth out.
‘I thought it was you on the receiving end of the fight when I got the message,’ she says, quieter, if no less strained. ‘I thought I was going to get there and you’d crossed the wrong kids. Refused to give up your lunch or something. I never thought…’ She trails off and has to wipe her own eyes and take several more deep breaths. ‘How long have you been involved?’
Michael doesn’t say anything, his gaze back on the floor.
‘Michael, I asked you a question.’
‘Few weeks,’ he mumbles.
‘And you didn’t, in all of that time, think that what you were doing was wrong?’
A shrug.
‘I want an answer.’
She doesn’t get one, and after a long wait, she lets out a long breath which she just manages to keep steady.
‘Go to your room and think about what you’ve been part of. I’ll be expecting better answers later. You’re grounded for the foreseeable future and I’ll discuss your full punishment with your father when he gets home. For now, I need to call him and let him know what’s happened since he only knows you were involved in a fight. Now get out, or I swear, I’m going to slap you.’
Michael turns and leaves, dragging his feet a little in a way that would usually make her narrow her eyes and tell him to pick his feet up. But she doesn’t and soon he’s gone and Lorna’s left alone in the kitchen, leaning heavily on the counter and gradually wetting the hand covering her eyes.
