Anthony sat in the hard, plastic chair outside the principal’s office, his arms crossed and his jaw clenched. Kenny sat a few feet away, casually slouched, seeming unbothered as if being sent to the principal’s office was just part of his daily routine. Anthony couldn’t believe the nerve of him. After all the cruel things Kenny had said, Anthony had expected at least a hint of remorse. But of course, Kenny had none. He hadn’t even looked his way since they’d been hauled in here after their fight, except to flash that annoying smirk of his.

The door to the principal’s office was closed. Anthony could hear the muffled voices of the principal, Mr. Wilkins, along with his parents’ voices blending with what he assumed was Kenny’s father. The minutes dragged on, and with each second that ticked by, Anthony’s stomach twisted tighter and tighter. He could only imagine what they were saying in there, probably listing all his recent infractions, the missing assignments, and the last detention he’d had for being late to class. His parents were going to be furious.

Just when Anthony thought he might burst from the tension, Kenny turned to him with an exasperated sigh. “Well, this is fun,” he said dryly, his eyes narrowing with a hint of amusement. “Guess we’ll be stuck in detention for a while.”

Anthony just glared at him. “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you.”

Kenny’s smirk didn’t falter. Instead, he shrugged nonchalantly. “Whatever, LaRusso. If we’re going to be stuck in detention anyway, might as well use the time to work on the project.”

“Why do you even care about the project?” Anthony muttered, his voice bitter. He didn’t want to admit it, but Kenny’s suggestion made sense. Still, he wasn’t about to make this easy for him. “You just want to make sure you get credit without actually doing any work.”

Kenny scoffed. “Please, as if I’d need your help. But if I have to sit around in detention with you anyway, I’d rather get something done than stare at your sulky face for hours.”

Anthony clenched his fists, forcing himself to stay quiet. He couldn’t believe he was even considering going along with this. After everything Kenny had said, after the way he’d insulted his family… But deep down, he knew he couldn’t let his grades slip any more. With a reluctant sigh, he muttered, “Fine. But don’t expect me to do all the work.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Kenny replied, rolling his eyes.

They lapsed into silence after that, the quiet stretching between them. Anthony tried to focus on anything else, but his mind kept drifting back to the argument, to the insults, and to the humiliation of the fight. He kept replaying it over and over, but even in the heat of his frustration, he wondered why Kenny was so… complicated. One minute he was insulting Anthony’s family, and the next he was suggesting they work on the project.

Finally, the door to the principal’s office opened, and Mr. Wilkins stepped out, gesturing for both of them to come inside. Anthony’s parents were sitting in the office, looking as furious as he’d ever seen them. Johnny was tapping his fingers against his knee, a sure sign of impatience, while Daniel looked tired, his face drawn and tense. Kenny’s dad, who Anthony didn’t know well, stood beside them, arms crossed.

Anthony stepped inside, trying to ignore the way his stomach sank under his parents’ intense gazes.

The principal folded his hands on the desk, looking between the two boys. “This behaviour is unacceptable. We’ve talked with both sets of parents, and here’s what’s going to happen: you’re both suspended from school for a day and will be serving detention together every afternoon for the next two weeks.”

Anthony’s heart sank. He’d expected detention, but a suspension? That was going to go over well at home.

“Go gather your things,” Mr. Wilkins said, dismissing them. “Your parents will be taking you home for the day.”

Anthony nodded, not meeting anyone’s eyes as he grabbed his backpack and followed his parents out of the office. Kenny walked off in the other direction with his dad, without so much as a backward glance. He could hear the faint laughter and whispers from the other students in the hallway, all of whom had probably already heard about the fight.

The drive home was silent, tension thick in the car. Anthony stared out the window, his thoughts swirling as he braced himself for whatever was coming next. He could already feel the disappointment radiating off his parents, and he didn’t want to face what they were going to say.

Once they got home, his dads wasted no time. Johnny closed the door behind them and gestured for Anthony to sit on the couch, his expression a mixture of disappointment and frustration.

“Alright, Anthony,” Johnny started, folding his arms. “What happened? Why’d you get into a fight at school?”

Anthony hesitated, looking down at his hands. He didn’t want to tell them about the things Kenny had said. They wouldn’t understand. He knew they’d both just react in their own ways, with Daniel preaching about balance and Johnny urging him to stand up for himself. It felt like no one could really get what he was dealing with.

Daniel gave him a steady look, though his voice softened a bit. “Anthony, you know we love you, and we just want to help. But we need to understand why this happened. You know fighting isn’t the answer.”

Anthony clenched his jaw, forcing himself to look at the floor. “It… it just happened,” he mumbled, avoiding their eyes. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Johnny let out a frustrated sigh. “Anthony, you’re not giving us much here. We’re trying to help, but you’ve gotta meet us halfway. You can’t keep shutting us out like this.”

Daniel placed a hand on Johnny’s shoulder, clearly trying to calm him down before he continued. “We know things aren’t always easy, but this behaviour isn’t okay. We need you to be honest with us if we’re going to figure this out together.”

Anthony could feel the frustration bubbling up again, his eyes starting to sting as he held back tears. He wished he could explain, but he didn’t want to look weak in front of his dads. They wouldn’t understand what it felt like, the constant jabs, the sneers, the way Kenny’s words stuck with him. They’d never get it.

The silence stretched, and finally, Daniel let out a long breath. “If you’re not going to talk to us, Anthony, there are going to be consequences. You’re grounded for the next two weeks.”

Anthony’s stomach sank even further. “Two weeks?” he whispered, unable to keep the hurt out of his voice.

“After school, you come straight home,” Daniel said firmly. “No hanging out with Devon, no tablet, and—” he reached over, taking the controller to Anthony’s PlayStation off the shelf “—no gaming until we can trust you to make better choices.”

The weight of his punishment settled over him, and he couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. He quickly blinked them away, not wanting to let his parents see how much it hurt, but the lump in his throat only grew.

“Fine,” he muttered, barely able to keep his voice steady. Without waiting for a response, he stood up and headed toward the stairs, ignoring the way Johnny called his name.

He could feel their disappointed gazes on his back as he fled up to his room, the embarrassment and anger making his face burn. As soon as he shut his door, he let himself crumble, falling face-first onto his bed and pressing his face into the pillow. The tears came freely now, his frustration and loneliness overwhelming him. Why couldn’t they just understand?

He hated this. Hated that he couldn’t seem to escape the constant pressure, hated that no one seemed to understand what he was going through, and hated that he was stuck in this mess with Kenny of all people.