MICK

I’m staring out the window

minding no one’s business but my own

because Ms Arthur is teaching maths

and that’s not really my go.

What do we have calculators for?

Charlie Deakin from 5C comes in with a note

and Ms Arthur tells me the Principal

‘requires my presence in his office’.

So I follow Charlie along the verandah

and he’s smirking the whole time

because no one gets called out of class

for good news,

it’s always trouble,

but I don’t say anything

and I don’t act nervous

because I haven’t done anything wrong,

not lately anyway.

Well, not that Mr Hume knows

and I trust my classmates not to tell anyway.

Charlie Deakin is still grinning

like he’s won a prize,

yeah, first-prize boofhead.

He knocks on the Principal’s door

and says to me,

‘Hume’s madder than a nest of bull ants.’

Charlie Deakin opens the door

and walks away down the hallway

leaving me standing there

with Mr Hume looking at me

and he’s not smiling.