I got into trouble. Why did I take that cigarette?
Would they have done that if they were in my place?
There's no use thinking about it, I already know the answer: they don't even know who I am.
Imagine if they would have gotten into trouble for me.

"Wait, here!" The gruff janitor indicates for me to sit on a bench outside the principal's office.

I nod and he enters the office.

All I have to do is sit down.
In front, there is a painting filled with colorful flowers nestled in a green lawn. The author has imprinted many red, yellow and purple dots on the canvas with a brush. It seems that someone took a cue from this painting to decorate the flower beds in the courtyard.
Perhaps the principal is a lover of flowers...
And of this painting.

I smell my fingers. What a stench. I want to go wash them right away.

I take out my phone and open the Whatsapp group I have with Karol and Miriam.

Me: You can't understand where I am ☠️.

I send the message. Miriam is texting.

Miriam: At Paul's house? 😉

She cracks a smile at me. What a fool!

Me: Silly!

Karol is writing.

Karol: You stole the yellow flowers from the yard and now there's the janitor chasing you? ☠️

Me: Almost.
I'm outside the principal's office.

Miriam: 😱

Karol: What happened?

"You can come in." The janitor's voice thunders behind me.

"Yes, here I am."

Me: I'll explain later. I go in.

This is the moment when I have to take responsibility.
I inhale and, throwing all the air in my lungs, go through the doorway.
I have never been in the principal's office.

I smell old wood and something that's supposed to be furniture wax. It sounds like the wax Mom uses.

The ticking of a clock echoes like a deafening sound in the room that would be silent without it.

"Please take a seat." The principal's austere voice makes the lump rise in my throat. He indicates me to sit in one of those black chairs in front of him.

I advance fearfully on a soft carpet that covers the whole room.

He is in a brown leather chair. His arms are resting on the armrests and he peers down at me from behind that imposing wooden desk of his.

The walls are pastel green, and framed on the walls are pictures of students winning medals and cups.

"Make it quick. We don't have all day."

I quicken my pace hesitantly, move the black chair to the left, and sit down.
What a comfortable chair.

Near a lamp, with a dark green lampshade, sits a golden plaque with the school motto written in black letters:

"Unity is strength, discipline makes a difference."

I feel my heartbeat in my throat.
I adjust the headphones of the Walkman on my neck.

"So, tell me. What happened?"

I salivate and swallow before speaking.

"Principal, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"You didn't want to what? Tell me what happened."

I start torturing the headphone cord with my fingers.

"Stand still with your fingers and tell me what happened!"

I stop weaving the thread with my fingers, and the lump in my throat tightens even tighter.

"I... I was in the bathroom minding my own business and at some point two girls came in."

"What do two other girls have to do with it now?"

"Nothing! I mean... They..."

The knot in my throat becomes unbearable and begins to make tears fall from my face.

"Don't cry up!." The principal's voice becomes more tame.

But what's wrong with me? I can't speak.

He opens the drawer on his right, takes out a package of tissues and hands them to me.

The tears have started by now and I can't stop myself. I pull up with my nose and awkward noises come out of my throat.

He insists on giving me the tissues. "Take these."

I grab the packet of tissues and pull out two. I feel like such a fool.

I wipe my tears with one and blow my nose with the other.

"Take a few deep breaths."

I take the advice, but the first breath barely comes out of me. The others start to go a little better.

The knot in my throat has melted away. I think I've calmed down.

"Take another breath."

I do.

The tone is still calm. "Now I'll tell you what happened, so you can confirm what happened."

I nod.

"The attendant explained to me that you was caught in the bathroom smoking. Is that so?"

I want to tell him that I didn't do it, but I can't.

I nod. I'm a fool! Why am I defending those two?

"Fine. Do you know that smoking is not allowed in school?"

I begin to cry again, but this time quietly.

"Don't cry. Don't cry."

I take a new tissue and wipe my face again.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

The principal looks at me dejectedly and lets out a sigh. "So it's your first time in this office, so I won't be too harsh."

"Thank you very much. I'm very sorry, I won't do it again."

"But I'll still have to give you a punishment."

I take a deep breath for courage. By now, I realize they work.

"I'll have to seize those headphones from you."

I gasp. "No, please! The headphones, no!"

"I'm sorry. Either headphones for three days or suspension from school activities for one day."

The knot in my throat reforms. "How can I go for three days without headphones?"

"I remind you that, according to the regulations, smoking in school results in a one-day suspension. I decided to change the regulation just for this occasion."

"Can we make it a day?" Tears flowed nonstop and interval sobs to irregular breaths.

"It's not proportionate as a punishment. Anyway, three days without headphones, it's not like it's the end of the world."

"It is."

"Don't say that. I remember that suspension could jeopardize promotion at the end of the year. Think it over."

What a shitty situation. I didn't do anything. Why didn't I mind my own fucking business?

How can I choose between promotion and the only thing I have left of my father?

Three days is a long time, and flunking would be a harm I do not deserve.

I have to choose one of these two options, and one hurts more than the other.

Dad, what should I do?