Nem stepped back into a classroom’s doorway so as not to be seen.

“… and if you were pushed, and I don’t believe you for a moment, young man, you brought it upon yourself. You hear me? You can’t go around calling other children flippery maggots.”

Ben’s head hung low, as though too heavy for his neck. The exposed skin on his chest had turned a blotchy red and his shoulders hunched so much he could be Gollum’s twin.

“Well,” she said, reaching out and shaking him by the shoulder, “what have you to say for yourself?”

“Yes, miss. Sorry miss.”

“Miss what?”

He looked up, and the tears that rolled down his cheeks and dripped from his nose dissolved Nem’s heart. The little guy didn’t even bother to wipe them away. The droplets fell from his face to drip on the floor at his feet.

What a bully!

“Ye… es, Miss Pension.”

“Much better. And why does your mother need to see me? I hope you told her the truth of how you broke your arm? More time wasting while I tell her exactly what happened. I’ll be sharing my impression of you too and your foul mouth. You’re the dangerous one. Now get out of my sight. And blow your nose, for god’s sake. Call others beggars? Well that’s how you look this minute. A pathetic beggar yourself.”

Miss Detention turned, shaking her head, and stormed off along the hall, fortunately in the opposite direction. Last thing Nem needed was to bump into the furious woman.

Ben hadn’t moved. His chin appeared glued to his chest and his arms hung limply as if drained of all energy.

“Hey,” Nem said, as she walked toward him, bending to the side to catch his gaze. “You okay?”

The little boy looked up with saucer-wide eyes. For a second she imagined he might come at her and attack, like the bullies had attacked him.

Had Miss Detention been right about him being dangerous? Then he appeared to stop himself. Without saying a word to her, he wiped the back of his hand across his nose and turned away, disappearing at full run down the corridor, his arms pumping.

Whether he’d made the older boys angry or not, teachers was meant to help students and the Vice Principal obviously didn’t like children. She shouldn’t be a teacher, thought Nem. In fact, she shouldn’t be allowed near a school ever again.

“Don’t you worry,” she said under her breath. “She won’t hurt any more kids.”

Miss Detention did receive her just deserts. Ben’s mother, it seemed, had an anger problem too. The parent-teacher meeting the following day between the Vice Principal Pension and her did not go well. She’d brought a box-cutter and…

Michelle Reid (nice girl, but usually in trouble) discovered Miss Detention when she arrived for her own appointment with the Vice Principal. Her screams were heard in every corner and classroom of the school. Louder than the bell, everyone agreed later. There was blood in the meeting room. Lots, as if sprayed from a hose. Michelle was the celebrity for weeks, detailing what she’d found.