Page 102 of Vulnerate

Daniela

Aprincipal’s office always makes me feel like I’m in trouble. It’s not even my school and I’m an adult, but nerves swarm me as we get closer. It turns to anger seeing Viktor’s face set in hard lines. His friend is sat next to him, both of them have wrinkled clothes and matching red knuckles on their little hands. Two boys sat opposite four older boys. Bullies.

Val turns into an executioner and his knuckles crack from the force he’s using to clench his fists. He softens slightly when he reaches Viktor, and he holds his chin checking the redness under his eye.

“It won’t bruise,” he confirms before muttering, “weak bitches can’t even fight.”

The receptionist glares at me as I try not to laugh, and I turn so it’s hidden from the children. The other kids are at least three years older, and all have a mix of bloody noses and lips. One of them must have got the worst of it with his eye already swelling. The principal steps out of her office and has that face that tells you you’re already in trouble. It falters when she sees Val and her eyes track his tattoos.

Swallowing around a lump in her throat, she gestures towards her door and tries to sound powerful. “Mr. Vartanov, if you’d like to join the rest of your family.”

He’s menacing and doesn’t show his confusion while mine is written all over my face.Val walks over to my side and guides me with him. I try to keep myself back, but he gives me a deadly look that has me moving. I don’t know which family I expect to see when we step inside, but it isn’t Tali, Ana, and Katya.

The principal tries to hide her fear, but it doesn’t work as she slowly sits behind her desk and explains what happened.

“I’m sure you agree it’s a peculiar situation when I have a student’s aunts and uncle at the gates eating popcorn while there’s a brawl.”

I drop my chin to my chest to stop from laughing out loud. I know which one was eating the popcorn as Tali spreads his legs and puffs his chest out with pride.

This family is so fucked up and she continues listing their wrongdoings.

“Add to that the altercation that occurred during drop off, I’m unsure how to handle it all. Your brother was also cheering while the other two were giving Viktor, what I believe were tips on how to fight.”

There’s nothing but pride on everyone’s faces. The twisted fucks are happy about what they’ve done.

Raised voices come through the wood before Val can say anything and it’s Viktor’s shout that has us all moving as one. “Get out of my face, you’re old and screaming at a kid like a little bitch.”

He doesn’t curse, ever.

He sounds older and I hate it. Val is a blur of movement and the middle aged man that was leaning over Viktor hits the floor. He drags him up by his collar and Tali loses all playfulness, even Ana and Katya become deadly. I’m a lamb surrounded by wolves as I move forward to check Viktor is okay. Some stupid bitch grabs my arm, looking me up and down with disgust.

I can handle the look, that doesn’t bother me, but her words have me acting like everyone around me.

“You need to teach your son not to be an animal, he broke Leighton’s nose!”

My fist flies out without any idea on what I’m doing, and pain rattles my bones. “Now yours matches.”

Stupid cunt.

Viktor’s not an animal. He’s a boy and the other kids are older than him. They should know better. I go to his side and his mouth is open, brows raised, while I ignore the fact that I’ve broken my hand. Checking that he’s okay and that the old fuck didn’t touch him, I gently close his mouth so he’s not catching flies.

Val and Tali keep the man restrained and his face is all red. I recognize him from magazines but not enough to know his name and the older kids are silent. I’m pretty sure Ana is trying to work out if she should throw her own punches when heels click against the floor. The newcomers join our affray, and it gets weirder with Vlad and Inessa walking in. Tali nudges my foot and looks like a puppy again with his whispered, “The parents are here.”

They’re all weird as fuck, this isn’t dysfunction. There has to be another word for people who have a full on brawl in a school when they’re not even children. Vlad goes to play mediator or bruise up the principal while Inessa is different than I’ve ever seen her. She’s like a shark and her eyes bore into the older man as she assesses him.

“Mr. Lehman, is it?”

How the fuck does she know his name?

When he nods with fear I gain a new respect for her. She smiles but even that’s cold as she looks at the older kids then back to him.

“Do one of these children who attacked my nephew belong to you?”

His face slowly falls, and he drops his anger towards Viktor as he turns to his kid, the one that’s the most bruised.

“What have you done?”

There’s so much fear in his voice and everyone sinks back as Inessa takes a step closer to him and whispers, “Your business proposal was as weak as your son. Consider this your formal rejection.” Her voice drops further and it’s too low for me to hear, but he pales as he audibly gulps at whatever she’s saying with a smile on her face.

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