Timing is Everything

The Nurse Breaks the News(Chapter 21)

* Your POV as Jughead *

It feels like forever until you hear familiar footsteps at the front of the nurse's office. Your mind is telling you to look up and see who it is. But physically you can't lift your head up, it's like you are fixed in this position of keeping your head down, a natural look you normally have while at school. It's not until you hear his voice that you find the strength to look at the visitor in the room.

"What the hell happened?" your dad fumes in narrowing his eyes at you.

You look up at him with wide eyes and quickly give the nurse an apologetic look, as if to say sorry you need to deal with this outraged man. Your family was different from most families. Your family is from the south side having ties to a gang, while most north side families whose children attend Riverdale High School appear to have everything in order, and would certainly not make a scene at a school.

"Dad..." you barely whisper still holding onto your ribs. You blink a few times at him, trying to comprehend this image of seeing your dad at school. He's never even remembered to attend the parent-teacher conferences, and now he's face to face with you at your most vulnerable state in the nurse's office.

"You wanna explain to me boy, why I got a call from your school to pick ya up?" he shouts at you hands clenched.

You haven't had the school call home since elementary school, and you've prided yourself in staying out of trouble in school. But when trouble finds you, it's Jones luck that it's over the top kind of attention at school that requires a phone call home. You know your dad, and receiving that message over the phone from the school nurse just kills him inside. Despite your good track record, he's going to assume initially that it was you who did something wrong, and it is you who needs to be taught a lesson. The Jones name already carries a bad stigma around town. The last thing your dad wants is for his teenage son to make things worse, which is essentially what it looks like. 

Nurse Smith quickly stands up between your dad and you, facing him with a stern look, "Sir, I'm going to ask you to please calm down and let me inform you of what happened to Forsythe." She motions him calmly to a chair by your side.

FP unwillingly sits down. He shifts his eyes at you and then looks back with a hint of anger consuming his pupils. You feel your cheeks turn red, knowing he is finally taking the time to notice the bruises on your face. You bite your lip and try to look away. Now your dad is glued to the words Nurse Smith is about to say, wanting to know exactly what happened to his one and only son.

Nurse Smith clears her throat and holds on to your file, glancing at it a couple of times. You're assuming she may feel uncomfortable around your dad. But then again, you admit you're uncomfortable around him right now, knowing him too well and his past tendencies.

"Nice to meet you Mr.Jones" Nurse Smith smiles extending her hand. "Let me just say before I begin that your son is the politest student I have helped at Riverdale High. He courteously obliged to all of my requests during the evaluation."

FP snorts nodding at you after shaking her hand. "Thank you ma'm. But I do have to ask before we go on with all of this..." he shoots you a look causing you to pick up the speed in your breathing ever so slightly, "....did uhhh.... did my boy cause this? Did he start whatever happened? Because if he did..."

Nurse Smith interrupts FP, "With all due respect Mr.Jones, the school has never received any complaints about your son. I am glad to inform you that Forsythe was minding his own business when another student provoked a nasty fight with him." She watches your dad as he calms down rubbing a hand over his eyes slightly embarrassed that he assumed it was you who was the culprit. But then again, you're not totally shocked by this. Your dad has always known you are a good kid, but that didn't mean he gave you a pass on anything.