Sitting quietly wasn’t her style, and this was proven in how she shifted on her stool. She kicked her feet as she leaned back against the old cracked wall. How long had that crack been there anyway? She was sure it had been there when she first came to the school, but that had been along time ago and that memory was now blurry.

Bo watched as Marry quietly sobbed in the corner. Her hands over her eyes. With a proud smile she crossed her arms and rested them on her lap. At least she had taught that stuck up Marry a lesson. Always bragging and putting her down, she had deserved that punch in the eye as far as Bo was concerned.

“Sit still Bo!” Snapped the receptionist as she looked up from her computer. “You shouldn’t be smiling either. I called your Grandmother and she is on her way.”

The receptionist  then looked over at Marry.

Oh here it comes. Thought Bo as she watched Marry look up.

“Oh dear don’t worry the nurse will be here with some ice in a few minuets.” That tone had completely changed. Bo glared hard at Marry. She had been the one to start the whole incident by tossing paint onto Bos project.

The sound of the outside bell rang out loudly. “Oh Gingerbread,” the receptionist stood up quickly. “You two remain in this office. I need to monitor the halls. Today of all days! Why is it that every thing goes wrong when Mr. Hubbard is out sick!”

There they were, the two of them. Bo was still glaring at Marry who was had stopped sobbing. She was now calm, apparently she had been faking her tears. This was not a surprise to Bo.

“Your going to get it!” Marry said with a smile.

Bo looked away.
“It serves you right,” she twirled her finger around her long blond hair. “I mean really, your such a brute.”

Just ignore her, just ignore her.  Bo knew that Marry was trying to start a fight again and she wanted to avoid anymore punishment.

“Do you know what my mother says about you?”

Ignore her, just try, try very very hard.

“She said that a dirty little farm girl like you should just stay in the gutter.”

Bo dug her fingers into her arms as she folded them even tighter across her chest.

“She also said that a burden like you should have been given up. She said that your parents were lowlifes and were ran out of town.”

“SHUT UP!” Bo screamed  as she leapt to her feet. Her face was burning with anger. “YOU SHUT UP!”

Marry quickly covered her face as the door of the principals office swung open.

“What is going on?” Asked Mr. Sprat as he stared down at the girls.
Marry’s fake sobs started again.

“All I said was. . .that I ho. . .ho. . .hoped that we could be friends. I only wanted to help Bo. . .bu. . bu. .but she yelled at me.”

“Miss. Peep,” his voice was actually kind as he leaned against the receptionists desk. “Why don’t you go into my office. I’d like to talk to you for a bit.”

Bo turned on her heal and walked into the small principles office. Outside of the door she could hear the soft deep mumbling voice of Mr. Sprat as he spoke to Marry. Looking up her eyes fell on the school crest that had been positioned above Mr. Sprat’s old leather chair.

The crest wasn’t anything amazing, but Bo had always liked it. A ram, a sheep, and a yew. All being watched by a man holding a crooked cane in one hand and a large book in the other.  Tears began to trickled over her cheeks.

“Now then,” Mr. Sprat said as he walked into the room.

Bo quickly wiped her eyes before looking at him.

He was very tall and thin. There was a popular rumor that his wife was the opposite. Bo had never seen her but Tom had. Tom had told her that Mrs. Sprat was very short and fat. He even swore that he had seen her eating all of the food off of Mr. Sprats plate during the sheering festival. Bo never really believed Tom. Tom was always making up crazy stories.

“Would you like to tell me what happened?” Mr. Sprat motioned for her to sit down.

Flopping down on the soft green chair, Bo remained silent.

“I under stand that your sheep are growing well. Do you think they will produce nice wool?”

“Just go ahead and do it.” Bo said.

“Do what?”

“Punish me,” she said.

“Do you think you should be punished?”

This question, it had to be a trap. Bo stared at Mr. Sprat, waiting for him to laugh and say “Ha, ha what a dumb kid. Your defiantly going to be punished.”

“I hit her,” Bo said.

“Yes, yes you did.”

“Hard,” Bo said putting her hands on the arms of the chair.

“Oh yes, very hard. Her eye will be purple by tomorrow afternoon. The nurse tells me it might not go away for two weeks.”

Bo must have looked confused, because she definitely felt that way.

“Miss. Peep,” his voice was soft again. “I know what happened,” he raised his hand quickly to silence Bo. “Miss. Contrary  threw paint into your map of Charmed Forest.”

Jaw opened Bo could only stare at Mr. Sprat.

“It’s not that I approve of you actions,” he said in a kind but firm voice. “However, Marry Contrary is the one who started this whole mess.”

“Your tricking me,” Bo said standing. “Your tricking me!”

“No,” he said. “I am not. I may be new to this school, but I know what is going on. Miss. Peep,” he stood up and walked over to the window. “Do you know why you were waiting for so long out there in the main office?”

“You wanted to make me sweat?”

“Did it feel that way?” Mr. Sprat laughed. “Oh my.”

“Your. . .you’re a weird adult.”

“Yes, I get that allot.”

Bo wasn’t sure what to say as she watched him walk around his office.

“I was sending a messenger to your Grandmother. I explained the situation to her. She sent a message back.” He lifted a small piece of paper and stared at it. “Would you like to know what she said?”

“Uh. . .beat her?”

“Good lord no child!” His voice was offended as he opened the paper.

“Well then what does it say? She’s always telling me not to get into trouble. Ok so she’s never hit me but last week when . . .”

“Let me read it.”

“Ok.” Bo could see the harsh writing of her grandmother. There were embarrassing smudges on the paper and Bo was sure that Mr. Sprat was having a hard time reading it.

“Good for her.” Mr. Sprat said suddenly.

“What?”

“She wrote ‘Good for her’. She goes on to say that you need to pick up some bread from the bakery on Drury Lane. Oh and some milk. . “

“Wait, I’m not in trouble?”

“Well no not really. But you will have to spend the next week washing the new yew’s. Marry will be feeding them for a week. I dare say that her mother will be up in arms. But what can you do. This has been taken care of.”

Bo smiled as a small bird land at the window and began to tap on the glass. Mr. Sprat quickly raised the window allowing the small bird to hop into the room. Slowly he lifted the bird and untied the small message from around its leg.

Bo watched as the bird flew away and Mr. Sprat began to read.

“Oh my,” Mr. Sprat said laughing. “Miss. Peep I’m afraid your needed down by the yellow rose garden. It seems that your little black sheep has been found. I suggest that you hurry. Mrs. Pitcher is not very happy about him eating her praise flowers.”

Bo jumped up.

“Darn it, I thought I tied him up.” She ran out of the room, down the hall and outside.  At least there was a person who believed her now.