Julia Lelieveld and the fifth element

That I could let myself be known by such a jerk of a teacher and a stupid bitch. I wasn't one to get angry or unreasonable easily, but I really couldn't take this for a while.

As I walked up the stairwell, it suddenly occurred to me that I didn't know where the principal's office was at all. I sat down on the stairs and took the map out of my bag. I noticed the office was on the ground floor. At the end of the long hallway. I put the map back and buried my head in my hands. What a start, what would Daddy say?

I breathed in and out a few times to calm down a bit.

Suddenly I heard the door of the stairwell open behind me. I looked up. A boy looked at me questioningly. He had dark brown hair. It was nice, casual and a little messy. He had hazel eyes and dark, expressive eyebrows. I recognized him immediately. It was the same boy I had asked for directions to the supermarket last week. And he still looked nice.

"Everything alright?" He had a beautiful voice.

He still looked at me questioningly.

"Yes." I smiled at him briefly.

He looked at me for a moment and then smiled. He also had a beautiful smile.

He came and stood next to me and looked next to me. "May I?"

"Yes of course."

He sat down next to me. "Today is your first day."

It wasn't a question, it was a confirmation.

"Yes, today is my first day."

He nodded and said nothing. A man of few words.

Then I will take the initiative myself.

I extended my hand. "Julia."

He answered me with a firm handshake. He had beautiful, muscular hands. They felt a little rough. "Lucas."

We looked at each other for a moment and then let go of our hands. He looked at the note that was crumpled between my fingers in my other hand.

He nodded at it. "You'll get that done quickly."

He smiled and pulled a similar note from his back pocket. "Walk up together?"

His laugh was infectious. I laughed too and stood up. "Yes, that's okay."

We walked to the principal's office. "What year are you in?"

"Junior." I looked at him. "You?"

"Senior."

"Then you must have had Mr. de Wit too?", I asked him.

"I still have him. Were you expelled from him?"

"Yeah, he didn't like my behavior."

He looked at me questioningly. "Don't ask anything," I told him.

To my surprise, he started laughing. "I have to say that I only managed to get kicked out of him after the second lesson." He looked at me mischievous but also impressed.

My stomach jumped for a moment.

"We're here, this is Mr. Grotenbos' office. He's pretty okay."

He shrugged and sat down in one of the chairs next to the door. I looked at him questioningly.

"You can go first, you were the first to be sent out." He winked and I smiled back at him.

"Thanks anyway. I'll see you when my verdict is handed down."

He laughed. "Good luck."

I raised my eyebrows and knocked on the green door.

"Come in," a jovial voice came from behind the door.

I opened the door and saw a bald man of about 50 sitting behind a large wooden desk. Looks like he loved good food. He had a big mustache. I couldn't help but think of a walrus as I saw him sitting behind the desk. He didn't like being a school principal at all.

"Good morning, a new face. You must be Julia Lelieveld if I'm correct." He smiled broadly, his mustache moving with his laugh. He stood up and held out his hand.

"I am Mr. Grotenbos, the principal. What can I help you with this early morning?"

He was wearing dark blue trousers with a white shirt with blue checks on it. His pants were held up by black suspenders.

I walked over to him and shook his hand.

"Good morning sir, I am indeed Julia Lelieveld. I was sent by Mr. de Wit."

I handed him the now wrinkled note I had received from my great friend.

The walrus looked at me questioningly. He picked up the note and began to read it.

"Ah, could you tell me what happened?"

"Mr. de Wit had become angry that I did not immediately give a good answer to his question and forgot to address him as Professor de Wit. He warned me if I did that again, he'd send me out."

"And?" said the principal.

“I had an altercation with my neighbor in the back. One of the rules is that you can't talk unless you're asked. So I was sent out. I'm probably not really used to such rules."

"Too bad it has to start like this for you, Julia," he said.

"Yes, I agree." I shrugged and looked down.

"I've given the teachers the freedom to use their own rules during their lessons, so I can't change that. Not even the punishment you get."

"Punishment?" I looked at him questioningly.

"Yes, Mr. de Wit gave you a week in detention."

He looked at me regretfully.

"A week?!" I looked at him in disbelief.

He nodded.

Come on Julia, just accept it.

"Oh well, I can't do anything about it now," I told him. What I had been trying to teach myself lately was to look at things soberly.

The principal looked at me for a moment and then said, “We haven't received your personal file from your previous school yet. This will arrive one of these days. So what I'm saying is we don't have any background information on you yet."

He looked at me somewhat defiantly.

My stomach cringed at these words. No, I didn't want everyone here to know about what happened to me and my family in the spring. This was a new start, I don't want people looking at me with their curious looks or their compassionate words anymore. They didn't know how I felt.

The principal probably saw the panic in my eyes.

Suddenly his voice had a very different tone. A stern tone. Then I knew right away that it was actually a school principal.

“Julia, I don't know what I'll read in your file, but I hope you'll behave yourself. We don't like troublemakers here. I hope not to see you here for a while," he said in a compelling tone.

"This week you will have to stay in detention after your last class in room 007, which is in the basement. Every day you will be monitored and you will be told when you can go home. You are allowed to do homework during detention. Is that clear?"

For a moment he looked like Mr. de Wit.

I looked at him. I felt sad. My courage had sunk in my shoes. I so hoped that this would be a fresh start, and now this.

Mr. Grotenbos looked at me, as a reaction to my look he seemed taken aback.

A moment later he had his face straightened again.

He walked to the door and held it open.

As I got up he said to me, "Try to stay out of trouble, Julia."

I nodded and walked out the door.