I'm actually scared of getting home for I have no idea what's going to happen next. It is said that humans fear the unknown more than what they know because our imagination runs wilder than any reality. Right now I'm a living proof of that theory. My parents are strict, narrow minded and uptight, and this problem will certainly give them reason to believe that straying from my studies is a bad idea and I should stop all this none sense of living the present. Even if I try to tell them it has nothing to do with it, they will use this event against me every time. This is their evidence and as people of science they will not hesitate to use it against me to break every single attempt I make to change their minds.

I feel at loss here.

And now that I've had time to actually think of what happened I realise the unfairness of it. Even if they were at fault, Zeke and Butch were both suspended without a fair trial. In no moment the headmaster gave them the chance to plea their case or to at least explain what had happened. He didn't even look like he wanted to listen to. I'm aware that these kinds of situations happen too often, but that doesn't mean he should skip the protocol. In addition, they didn't even listen my part of the story and I was punished, too. If this had been democratic my parents wouldn't have been called and I wouldn't be in this predicament. And to make it worse, I have to go to college tomorrow with one of them. What is this? Secondary school again? It's totally unfair it actually makes me really mad. Suspending Butch won't do anything to stop him from bullying other kids. This fed up attitude of them won't fix the problem inside the establishment. Why does Zeke have to be suspended when he was just standing for other people? If the headmaster had seen the way that poor girl was shaking, at the edge of crying, then he would've realised Zeke was just trying to help and instead of suspending he could've just given him some other sort of punish and try to take control of the situation.

Why didn't I ever notice these problems? It makes me so angry that I was so caught up in the plans for a far away future and ignoring the reality right in front of me. How could've I been so oblivious to my world?

I feel this wave of shame wrapping around me like a soaked blanket that's asphyxiating me. And what's worse is that now my parents will try to push me to go back to that bubble in which everything else was so blurry that I couldn't bother try to see. I don't want to go back to that. I can't just stand aside when I see unfair acts are taking place, when I know there's something wrong.

I take a deep breath and I open the door to my house. I've delayed this moment enough by staying back with Sam, who scolded me enough for jumping recklessly in a situation in which I had no experience whatsoever. She was really worried and told me to never just butt in because I could get hurt but I couldn't agree with that. I didn't know until now but it seems that I can't witness injustice and just stand there like nothing. I don't want to get in trouble but I can't just let it pass either.

Once I set foot inside my house I get ready. I don't move further because I don't really know what to do now, whether to go and face my parents right away or pretend nothing is wrong and it's just like any other day. I realise that unless I want to make things worse for my case it's better that I go directly to my parents and receive my punishment. So, with a heavy sigh I head to my parents studio. It's probably the biggest room in the house and it's dedicated, of course, to knowledge. We have a huge collection of books of every kind-mostly science books though-and two large desks to study comfortably and even some sofas to read in the best position. However, it's a very sterile room, like the whole house. My home doesn't have this warm feeling or cosy ambient that you'd normally find. It's cold and sterile, like a laboratory, it's all mostly white. Sometimes I think it looks like a house in some dystopia book.

I know my parents will be inside the studio because it's where they normally go when they come home, the second place being the kitchen, but as this is not your usual day because since they've received a call from their daughter's college, I bet my life they are waiting for me in the studio.

I'm not mistaken because the moment I open the door I can see Mother working on something on the computer of her desk and Father reading a book in his chair. They both look up to face me when they hear me and they stop what they are doing immediately. The disappointment in their expressions is so evident that it feels like a slap across the face.

This is not going to be nice.

"Allison," Father calls and I close the door behind me, ready to face the storm. Oh the lies I tell, I'm so not ready but I don't have another option. "Please, take a seat," he continues in a collected voice that sounds even colder than the usual.

I gulp.

Following his commands I step further until I reach the sofa in front of his chair. Mother also approaches and takes the other chair and now both of them are glaring at me. I feel chills going down my spine.

"I received a call today," Father starts and I'm fidgeting with my fingers on my lap. I never imagined I would be in a situation like this one. "I assume you can imagine my shock when a TA walks in the laboratory telling me I had a call from your college. I actually believed something bad had happened to you."

I look down with shame burning my skin not only because I've disappointed them but also I made them worry. Of course my father would think that somehow bad happened to me if the headmaster calls him in the middle of the day when I've never given any kind of problem before. The last thing he could imagine is that I got in a fight. Sort of.

"I'm sorry," I mutter but they ignore me.

"When they told me you were caught in the middle of a conflict I really believed they had called the wrong number. My daughter would've never done something so irresponsible. But they insisted it was you, that you pushed another student," Father's voice raises one octave and I tense up, terrified. My father has never raised his voice. Never ever. He's always been a cold and collected man.

"Allison, you could've been suspended if not for your impeccable record," Mother intervenes and I can't meet their eyes.

I know well that I did nothing wrong. I didn't just push him, I stopped him from bullying an innocent girl. But even if I know that my parents have the power to make me feel like I've actually committed a crime. As if I were the one who had bullied the girl and threw punches around.

How's possible that with just their intonation and word choice they can make me feel this guilty even if I'm innocent? I want to confess and cry for forgiveness even if there's nothing I could be forgiven for. Okay, maybe for making them worry. But in my defence, if the headmaster hadn't gone to such extend this could've been avoided.

"I'm so sorry," I say anyway, barely looking up just to see my father rolling his eyes in annoyance.

In my seventeen years I've never seen him do that.

"What's happening to you, Allison? Why are you acting so out of character? This is not the girl we've know for seventeen years," Mother questions and her voice sounds restrained, like when she's dealing with a problem that seems impossible to solve.

"It's not exactly what it seems, Mum. The headmaster didn't allow us to explain and just gave the sentence but there's more to it," I try to argue but Mother shakes her head.

"Don't you see the problem here, Allison?" Mother retorts and I look down. "It's not that there's more to it because of course there's more, especially from your perspective. Don't treat us like idiots because we are not. The problem here is that you got in a situation like this one, whether it's a misunderstanding or not, you got indeed involved and that's something that never happened before and that worries us, Allison, because you're not like this."

"But I'm like this!" I refute raising my voice.

How can they believe that I'm like they used to see me? That wasn't me; that was a shell because the real me was so busy working that forgot to look up and actually get out. The real me was trapped and now I've finally stepped out, but my parents can't even accept that. "This is who I really am, Mum. I care about the things I see happening around me. If I see a poor girl being bullied I can't ignore it. I reckon I didn't do it in the best way, but I didn't do anything wrong. It's not like I wasn't like this before, it's that I never saw these things happening until now because I was with my nose so deeply buried in the books that I was blind to everything else. But I see now, and what I see is unfair. How could you expect me to just stand and watch?" My voice keeps raising and I know I'm not fully explaining what's happening, I'm just ranting now but it frustrates me.

"Allison, don't raise your voice," Father scolds me and I shake my head, so frustrated with this situation.

"Dad, Mum... A girl was being terribly bullied and I just stepped in to stop the guy from keep tormenting her. That's not bad, is it? I was helping someone. This guy is a terrible person, always making others miserable. And he was trying to pick on me, too, but Zeke stepped in and stopped him. He was protecting me but he got suspended just like Butch. That can't be fair! And the headmaster didn't even ask us for the story. How can that be correct? You should know better than anyone that the only way to come up with a fitting conclusion is by collecting all the data. The headmaster failed at that. He didn't provide you with the whole picture, he didn't even care about what actually happened! Am I really wrong about this?" I ask and I'm so fired up that my breathing is heavy now.

My parents look at each other, communicating without words and it's the first time that I notice how they actually are a couple. They always are like this, they work together. They are a team.

"No, it's not wrong," Father concedes and I sigh.

"But it wasn't the way to approach the issue at hand. You are more clever than this," Mum adds and I blink, noticing once again how they are actually completing each other's sentences.

I guess they didn't just get together for an experiment, they are really a couple.

I'm sorry for not noticing it before, I say in my head, ashamed that I even thought they didn't love each other.

"We don't even know how to proceed after this. It's the first time," Mother muses and I see confusion in her expression. In her, the woman who can face any problem because everything has a solution in this life but death.

"I'm sorry, I know I was reckless but believe me, I've learnt from this. Isn't that how we work? We learn from mistakes so the next time we tackle a problem we can do it properly. Without mistakes, the experience is not complete," I try to put them at ease a little bit.

Father sighs but he doesn't look mad or disappointed anymore, just tired. "Just for this one we'll let it pass because we trust in you, Allison, and we know we won't have this kind of situation again. It's just a warning so take it seriously. If this repeats, we'll stick your nose in the books, understood?"

I smile widely when I realise my parents are reasonable for they listened to me. Of course they would, what was I thinking? They are sensible people, logical, rational. They are not emotional, they listen to the facts before making a judgement. I didn't have a reason to be that scared.

See? Imagination is worse than reality.

"Thank you," I say still smiling. "And don't worry, I won't disappoint you. I'll be better than this."

-:-:-

See? Her parents are not that terrible, they are just... too rational. Anyhow, I hope you liked the chapter! I'll try to write the next one soon. Comments always help to get inspired ;) and add a bit of pressure, and I work under that kekeke

Bel, xx