Chapter 3: Hidden Thoughts

Natalie's POV:

The immaculate mirror reflecting their ideal version of themselves shattered, the sound grating to the ears. The shards depicting her reputation had no where to descend, but lay afloat in the void of minds of the mass, where the seeds of malevolence lurked. The broken pieces could be gathered, glued together with profound effort, but would it ever be the same. The cracks still existed, and they irked hatred from the insecure. The remnants of a fallen, just a sustenance to the envoys of evil.

The converging pedestal holding up her glory, crumbled under the weight of an abyssal ocean depicting inhumane nature. An aura of twisted satisfaction emanated from the people she called friends. The maws of malice creeped out of their shells of falsity; showing her the error of her ways. They revered the chosen but hungered for the fallen in a depraved manner.

The distance between 'her' and 'them', were at a hands reach, but it became a chasm she could never reach. At the center of the maelstrom she despaired, she wanted to be swallowed by the mist of the forgotten, but how could she when the blood of the perpetrator wasn't spilled.

***

A beast caged in an inescapable prison always keeps its fangs and claws sharpened to the limit. Release it and you get what you asked for. Lucas lost himself to the bloodlust, or rather he let it consume him. Relinquishing his control brought the demons out to play, and unfortunately for their prey, they were relentless.

The jerking sound of knuckles impacting flesh and bone resounded melodically. Alfred had no time to defend himself from the unexpected attack. The pain of was faltering, his vision disoriented from the impact. Blood flowed down his chin staining his shirt. The taste of iron forced him to regain his composure. He found himself sprawled down the ground like a dog.

Lucas wasn't a a saint to give his opponent a chance to recover. Beating a dog while its down was in the tenets of retribution. He should have been apprehended by now, but it seems lady fate was in his side today. He took advantage of it by sending kicks targeting vital points, further crippling Alfred's chances of retaliation.

Before he could deliver the finishing blow, he was flung to the ground with extreme prejudice. The saviors of the day came a bit late, Alfred was already suffering the fate of his actions, but mildly.

The school officers handcuffed Lucas and gathered the involved parties to escort them to the principals office for further deliberation. The crowd dispersed afterwards.

Weirdly enough, no one paid attention to Deborah, the silent instigator of the whole incident. Like a spider watching its prey entangle itself on the encompassing web of deceit. She hid a smile that could captivate anyone, but its intent could bring chills to the observant.

She followed onwards with the escorting personnel. Her thoughts inscrutable, but her gaze never left Lucas.

***

Alfred winced in pain as he tried seeking comfort from the whirlpool of suffering he was in. Though his injuries weren't grievous. His swollen eyes gazed at Lucas indignantly.

Lucas sensed his gaze and returned a shit eating grinning. His current situation didn't lessen the triumph he felt after giving the asshole a beat down.

"If I could do that everyday how satisfying would life be." he thought. Though he was currently worried about Natalia's state. He was handcuffed to the chair, preventing him from keeping her in the plane of sanity.

Natalia sat with her hands hugging her knees. She stared blankly at the floor. The world was in a hue of gray, an enlightenment to the fake paradise she was in.

The principal sat at the throne of judgement, contemplating on the report and his subsequent decisions, but he heard a few words to quantify his thoughts. "Some folks don't deserve to be parent's."

Speaking of the devil, the progenitors of the troublesome children arrived promptly. The five adults scrutinized their children. After reading the atmosphere and their states, their angered gazes congregated on Lucas.

Lucas realized he was in deep shit, but he assured them while pointing at Alfred, "Don't look at me, he had it worse."

"Why is that bastard still here! He should be locked up in jail by now," the woman presumably Alfred's mother, exclaimed after getting the news out of her son. If it wasn't for Martha's murderous intent fixated on Alfred, she would have clawed Lucas's eye out. Ronald's forehead was creased from stress. They already received half of the news back at home. There was a hint of disappointment flickering in his gaze towards his daughter.

"So your golden trophy has been tainted, and clearly your not happy about it, Dad," Lucas thought, not missing that glint of expectations strangled at its crib.

"Mrs. Rissiel, can we sit down, and discuss amicably then we can come to a conclusion," the principal said as he approached them. This was his home ground and he wouldn't let uncontrollable variables to destroy his prestige. " I know an unfamiliar face might ruffle your feathers so I'll introduce myself, I'm Mr. Ballard Smith, and I'm new here, I was transferred last week."

"The former principal was transferred in allowing me to take his place. The new government regulations for education, reinstated new reforms, so please forgive me for the unfamiliarity between us.

"I know you all had busy schedules, but we need to discuss about a case involving your children's recent activities," the principal said. Then pointed to the empty seats, "Please have your seats so that we can proceed."

They all sat after his impeccable display of control over the overall situation. A parent's worry about their children's well being might make them agitated to act inappropriately.

"The circumstances involving your children could have led to disastrous consequences if it wasn't for the timely involvement of a certain someone, I won't name the person for now, but the results are still irrevocable for the involved," Mr. Ballard adopted a solemn atmosphere as he spoke. He paused for a moment as he flipped through the documented report of the incident.

"Mr. Bernard, your son released an illegal video depicting unsavory content to the public network involving Natalia Arnold. I won't recite the potential consequences awaiting, but her current state is enough to prove your son's deplorable actions..." he finally put his papers down after summarizing the important points. He hoped they could put their differences aside and solve this issue. He sensed tension between the two families.

Mr. Bernard just stoically stared straight about the principal, his lack of sympathy provoked a scowl from Ronald who cursed in his mind, 'Bastard. Just wait.'

On his side, Martha brought her daughter closer. Her heart was pained witnessing the once angelic girl broken into a mess.

She kept her sights on Alfred, whom avoided her presence by looking the other way. Lucas didn't know what her intentions were but it didn't spell well for the Russiels if she had no qualms for vengeance. Though their family couldn't cause sufficient damage to them, her other side of the family could.

"Lucas Arnold assaulted Alfred leading to grievous injuries. Though it was understandable due to his close relation to the victim but it doesn't excuse his actions. He should have been behind bars by now for excessive violence. Though the sensitivity of this issue is explosive if handled carelessly..."

"Principal, can I speak for a moment?" Mrs. Rissiel interrupted him. She couldn't continue listening to this unfair proceeding.

"Just refer me as Smith, Mrs. Rissiel." Mr. Ballard forgave her intrusion and let her speak her views.

"Ok, Mr. Smith. Though my son ired, people make mistakes when their highly emotional, but it still doesn't warrant any form of leniency towards Lucas. I've known him for some time since were good friends with his family. Looking at his parents attitude towards him speaks volumes about him. A rebellious and uncouth personality he has, but there's a reason why his own mother can't stand the sight of him. So please elaborate to me why your harboring a dangerous element in the vicinity of the school grounds. The safety of the student lies on you. I'm really curious about your moral background as you were to us." Mrs. Russiels words brought all the attention to Lucas who squirmed in the seat uncomfortably. He silently cursed been the center of attention again, 'Why open old wounds, bitch.'

He knew his parent's won't put a word for him, so why should he care about the preordained conclusion of this meeting. He decided to distract himself by trying to take a read of the mysterious woman, representing as Deborah's guardian. Her elegant attire woven with delicate care concealed most of her body with a combination of silky cloak and eye shades hiding her countenance, in addition, her uncaring air made her unapproachable. Lucas felt that she wasn't even preoccupied in the happenings in this room. She sensed his gaze, then smiled. Deborah gave her a disapproving look then continued whatever she was doing on her phone.

"After further deliberation, we intended to expel him, but his sister's circumstance made this more thorny for the administration," the principal answered Mrs. Rissiel's query. She barely kept hold of herself after listening to his alleged admission of minimizing the culprits punishment. She had attempted to bring the police, but her husband thwarted her well intended plans of reclaiming her sons pride. "I'm pretty sure his your son but why are you not even defending him, why are you silent?". She screamed in her head.

Mr. Ballard could see the woman's state of mind and diverted the conversation to Mr. Smith who was successfully keeping his body language and deviations unreadable even to the most observant.

'Perks if being a lawyer.' Mr. Smith scoffed inwardly. He already went through the records of his guest, and he was impressed. Though the sense of disgust towards him couldn't diminish with the knowledge of the lawyers true nature. His face never betrayed his true feelings, he commented onwards to clear Mrs. Rissiel's confusion,

"My hands are tied, Mrs. Elizabeth, can I refer you as that? Your name doesn't quite roll with my tongue."

"Its alright, I take no offense."

"Thank you, back to your inquiry, I'm afraid it can only be answered by your husband and especially this esteemed lady present before us." Mr. Ballard directed her gaze to the unsuspecting individuals. This was very interesting development for Lucas while a banal to Deborah who preferred been anywhere, but here, she kept herself entertained by stealing glances at Lucas who was unaware.

Ronald leaned closer after things started making sense. Since he entered, he never spoke a word, but listened closely as he kept his daughter company. Martha noticed Natalia paying attention to Mr. Ballards as he started redirecting the narrative to the two people connected to her nemesis. The normal rhyme of the conversation was turned strange after the principals reluctance to proceed with the administration's decision on the matter.

The aggrieved party turned her attention to Bernard for answers. The others also waited for his revelation but he disappointed them by keeping his lips zipped. He was in deep contemplation about something that eluded Elizabeth, since she couldn't force his hands, she decided to scavenge from the somehow vulnerable party beside her.

"Mrs. Harriet?" she said, inwardly glad that she recalled this woman's name when she introduced herself earlier, "can you please enlighten me on what's your involvement in my son's quest for justice."

Mrs. Harriet slowly turned to the right, her view occupied by the peasant daring to question her. The veil covering her face failed to diffuse the contemptuous intent surfacing from her first impression.

"Mr. Bernard are you reneging from our agreement." she delivered her words with a husk in her voice accompanied with a timbre of authority.

Elizabeth confused and enraged by the blatant disregard and a taste of betrayal, rashly put her foot down. "Bitch, if you dare try, interfere in what, clearly isn't your business, I swear to God I'll tear you and your slut of a daughter to pieces and feed it to the pigs."

The still air seemed to part with trepidation, the branches of shadows seemed to writhe from fear, and Lucas seemed stupefied to a whole new level. A loud smack followed by, which was a predicted outcome from the intuitive observers, that woman clearly needed a reminder on the unapproachable.

The spectators didn't need to intervene further since Bernard withdrew his hands that were used for his wife in a rather violent way.

"Mrs. Harriet, I apologize for my wife's blatant disrespect. I'll make sure to educate her on her lamentable ways," those who were referred to as narrow minded found their tunnel vision widening significantly after witnessing the absurd spectacle of the paragon of justice treating the unremarkable woman like royalty. Elizabeth leaned on her chair with her hand on her slightly swollen cheek. Disbelief couldn't describe her emotions. The pain remained obscured but near enough for a vivid remainder that she passed her boundaries. This wasn't the first time, but it was still humiliating in public. The status of Mrs. Harriet wasn't as simple as she thought.

"Elizabeth, I've warned you many times to mind who you offend, maybe my words lack a certain charm, so hold on to that pain and never cross people you should never provoke." Bernard whispered then composed himself back to his seat. It seemed a normal occurrence in the couples relationship. Mr. Ballard wasn't shocked at this conjecture. His assessment of this man mentally prepared him.

"I don't usually approve of men raising their hands towards women, but I can't say that I wouldn't do any worse, since am a woman myself." Mr. Harriet commented with a chuckle. Elizabeth realized that her fate would have been worse in that woman's hands. She realized her husbands hidden attempt to save her. She felt glad and scared all the same.

Ballard decided to guide their discussion back to course but Ronald interrupted him,

"Mr. Ballard, can I have a moment to speak? "

"Of course. I took your silence for granted, I apologize."

"I understand. It's not everyday you find your daughter been disparaged online. Humans are cruel when they put their minds to it," he ruefully said as he recalled his shock when his work mates revealed the semi-nude video of his daughter.

"My daughters reputation is in tatters, and nothing in this world can mend her broken soul," his voice out vied the silence in the room. There were no discernable qualities to his voice to decipher his true outlook on this matter. It was flat and direct, contradicting his passionate words.

"I don't want to hate, but is it that easy. I looked at Alfred like a son, but I never expected this from him."

"Listening to your disconcerting statement of a game been played by the blue bloods of society, its sickening." Ronald referred to both Mr. Harriet and Mr. Bernard," I just want to recover my daughters pieces of dignity that are salvageable. Is that so hard to ask."

For once, Lucas felt that his father was somehow likeable. His words resonated with him intrinsically. He might have dirty thoughts about his sister once in a while, but he was willing to sacrifice himself for her sake.

There was a silent communication between the lawyer and the mistress of the unknown.

Bernard decided to speak up after Ronald's piece. "Ronald, we've known each other for years, I truly value our relationship. We might have drifted from uncontrollable circumstances between us, but believe me that I never intended for my son's shameful conduct towards Natalia."

"Before the police could be tasked for your son's arrest I already withdrew the charges towards him and with some few ways of convincing the top brass. He's free." He confessed, the open revelation of his extensive influence in the police department didn't faze him.

"That doesn't change my daughters circumstances," Ronald said, he was more concerned about his daughter.

"I'm getting to that. We had to call some few experts to wipe your daughters infringed video from every website. Though it can still reappear, because whatever goes in the internet stays forever, we have managed to make some few concessions to monitor and wipe any recurring upload in future," Bernard delivered the golden words allaying the Arnold's fear of the future. "We won't be suing your son for now, or retaliate in any given form or manner, you can be assured of that."

'I better stay clear away from them;' Lucas didn't miss the key word; 'for now.'

Though he was grateful that he won't be passing time wanking behind prison bars. He knew the lawyer sacrificed a lot to manipulate the current proceeding to favor1 the Arnold's.

Ronald was quite puzzled by the sudden change in the situation. Though he was fighting for his daughters dignity, he didn't expect a total shutdown of the plaguing source of her suffering. Martha was elated but deflated immediately after noticing Natalia's lack of enthusiasm over the news. To her it didn't change anything because it didn't matter anyway. Data could be deleted but memories persevere. She only raised her head to her brothers direction, his eyes only existed to make her feel wanted.

Mr. Ballard sat silently as the conflicting parties came to a peaceful resolution. 'You're quite lucky she was involved.' He thought of the woman who was currently fighting her impatience to be somewhere more important. The tea on the table had turned cold, his mental energy was depleted and a hot cup of coffee might be a great remedy after he sent his guests away. He decided to end the meeting with a few minor adjustments.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to say a few words. I've decided to give Lucas and Alfred a one-month suspension, which is quite lenient for them considering the depths of their actions."

"Mr. Ballard, sorry to interrupt you but I forgot to inform you about his future placement," Bernard spoke up, "I've decided to transfer Alfred to another institution that are very well equipped on handling cases like him. He won't be attending this school from this day on."

"If that's what you feel is right, I applaud you on your decisiveness to ensure his proper upbringing." the principal spoke after mulling over the parent's decision.

Alfred felt like the world was against him as the walls pushed him to its tendrils of despair. He envied Lucas who was also mutually feeling the same towards him. He felt that Alfred was having a blast of his life. 'A day away from his parents is a lifetime vacation.'

Everyone knew that he meant a military school. Elizabeth wanted to refute her husbands rash decision, the sharp sting on her cheeks made her docile afterwards.

Though the principal would lose out on a prospective member of the schools football team, it was better than a chaotic element harboring in the school.

The girl who never spoke, even once, vied his attention. He commented, "Concerning Deborah, she might be the trigger to the subsequent events, but I have no comments on her part. It wasn't her fault. I'll advise you to be careful of people you involve yourself with." he advised.

"I've nothing more to say, you can take your leave," he politely asked them out. The adults left first, Lucas followed last as they headed to their designated cars. Deborah's silhouette reflected in his eyes.

'What more are you hiding?' The amethyst hue of the rose slowly desquamates, the hidden black became more prominent. Lucas slowly realized she wasn't who she showcased to the oblivious. His ignorance won't be his flaw thanks to her.