"Hey, um, Chris," Miss Ball fumbled, her cheeks flushing pink. "Do you need help with something? Is it about our date tonight?"

Mr. Lee cleared his throat awkwardly before replying, "Actually, Miss Ball, I'm here to see Zak." He turned to me, his face tightening. "The principal wants to speak with you immediately."

My stomach twisted in fear. "Am I in trouble?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

Mr. Lee’s face darkened slightly. "Not that I know of, but he was very clear. He needs to see you in his office right away."

Of course. I should’ve seen this coming. It was always the same story—every time I got called to the principal’s office, it meant one thing: trouble. Scolding, punishment—it never ended well. This time would be no different.

The worst part wasn’t even sitting in the principal’s office. It was the phone call that would follow, the one where they’d inform my parents about whatever it was I’d supposedly done wrong. And my dad… I didn’t even want to think about how he’d react. Damn it. He never asked if it was really my fault. No, he just assumed it was. Every. Single. Time. Sometimes I wonder if he even cares about me at all—if he even sees me as his son.

I nodded to Mr. Lee and gave a small thank you to Miss Ball before following him out of the nurse's office. We walked quickly, not daring to keep the principal waiting—he was the kind of man you didn’t want to anger.

We climbed the stairs to the first floor, turned left, and walked down a long, silent corridor until we reached the staff department. Mr. Lee led me through the hallway until we stopped at a large brown door at the very end. He opened it, and there it was—a sight I knew too well. The principal sat behind his oversized leather desk, and standing in front of him, with a smug look on his face, was Lucas.

"Ah, Zakir," the headmaster said, looking at me over his spectacles. "Please stand here."

I did as I was told, moving next to Lucas but keeping a safe distance between us. The principal gave both of us a neutral glance before pulling out a piece of paper and a pen from his desk.

"I was informed by Mr. Romford here that you accidentally slipped and dunked your head into the toilet. Is that true?"

I shot a look at Lucas, who smirked back at me, making my blood boil. Without thinking, I blurted out, "No!"

The principal raised an eyebrow, his pen pausing mid-air. I kept my eyes forward, trying to stay calm. "Then what happened?" he asked.

"It was Lucas, sir. He shoved my head into the toilet," I said, forcing my voice to stay steady.

“And why would Lucas do that?” He didn’t even look up, still writing.

“Because I refused to give him my mathematics mock paper,” I replied, feeling my heart pounding in my chest.

“And why would he want your paper?” he asked again, his voice steady, almost bored.

“To... to do better in the exams, sir.”

He finally looked up, his eyes filled with disbelief, like I had just told him the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard.

“So you're telling me that Mr. Romford—who has aced his mathematics exams every year for the past three years—suddenly needed your mock paper? You, who have consistently ranked at the bottom in math for the last three years? Do you take me for a fool, Mr. Osman?"

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The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I felt my chest tighten, desperately trying to hold onto what little defense I had left. “I'm telling the truth, sir. I was going outside for a break, Lucas ambushed me by pushing me inside the toilets tried to snatch my mock paper. When I didn’t give it to him, he tried drowning me inside the cubicle. You can check the cameras if you want.”

The principal leaned back in his chair, sighing. “We don’t put cameras in the bathrooms, boy. That would be a breach of privacy.”

"Then... Nikhil... yes, he was there too. He saw everything," I added, my voice shaky as I desperately tried to defend myself.

"Nikhil went home early because of an emergency," Mr. Lee said, his words landing like a punch to the gut.

"Well, we can ask him when he comes back," I shot back, my voice rising with frustration.

The principal rubbed his forehead, clearly losing patience. "Please stop, Mr. Osman. It's becoming obvious that you're lying."

"I'm not a liar!" I shouted, my chest tightening with anger and fear.

"Enough," he snapped, his stern look warning me to back down before things got worse.

I turned to Mr. Lee, who was standing by the door, and saw something I didn’t expect—fear. Why was he scared? He had been there. He saw what Lucas did. So why couldn't he just tell the truth?

The confusion must have been written all over my face because Mr. Lee avoided my gaze, clenching his jaw, as if the guilt was suffocating him.

The principal stood up, moving to the window. He stared out at the cold, grey world outside like it was some masterpiece. I couldn’t understand how he could look so calm while I felt my entire life was crashing down around me.

"Do you know why we offer scholarships at this school, Mr. Osman?" His tone had that air of superiority, like he wasn’t really asking but making a point I was too lowly to understand.

"It's to give better opportunities to those less fortunate, so they can rise above their circumstances." He turned back to face me, his eyes narrowing. "And then someone like you comes along and ruins it for everyone with lies and deceit."

I felt my throat close up. The weight of his words crushed any defense I had left. I glanced at Lucas, who wasn’t smirking anymore. Even he could feel the tension tightening in the room.

"So, here’s what I’m going to do, Mr. Osman." His voice was cold and final. "Since this isn’t the first time you've been mixed up with Lucas, I’m going to teach you a lesson. One that I hope you'll remember." He paused for a second, letting his words sink in. "I’m suspending you. But before I do, I’ll ask you one last time: did Lucas really take your practice mock exams?"

I swallowed hard, my voice barely a whisper as I forced out, "Yes... he did."

He sighed, and I knew exactly where this was going. "You are suspended until Christmas. You’ll return in January. Until then, you’re only allowed on school grounds for exams. Teaching materials will be available on the school portal."

My mind spun. Suspended until Christmas? This was insane. This was going to destroy my studies. Sure, I struggled, and yeah, Mrs. Burton helped me a lot, but this? How was I supposed to keep up without proper lessons? It was my last year, and I was trying to get into university. How could he just throw that away like it meant nothing?

I wanted to speak up, to defend myself, but the weight of his presence crushed any words that came to mind. Still, I couldn’t let this go. I fought against the knot in my throat, forcing myself to say something—anything.

"Sir, this punishment is too much. I have my final exams coming up, and this will ruin them. My future’s on the line here."

He locked eyes with me, cold and unfeeling. "You should’ve thought of that before wasting my time with your poor decisions," he snapped, his gaze hardening. "And my time, Mr. Osman, is incredibly valuable."

The anger boiled inside me, hotter than ever. It was so unfair, but I swallowed it down. I couldn’t let him see the rage simmering beneath the surface. My fists clenched at my sides as I heard Lucas behind me, stifling his laughter. This place—it’s suffocating me. I hate everything about it—the students, the teachers, even the walls. Worst of all, I hate myself for letting them break me like this.

"Mr. Lee, escort Mr. Osman off school grounds immediately," the principal said, turning his back to me as if I were nothing. "And hand this paper to the receptionist. She’ll record his suspension and notify his parents."

Mr. Lee took the paper without a word. He folded it neatly, tucking it into his pocket. He didn’t even look at me as he opened the door and gestured for me to follow.

"And one more thing, Mr. Osman," the principal called out just as I was about to leave. "Make sure you clean yourself up when you get home. The smell of urine in here is unbearable."