Mr. Henderson: grinning Hell of a time, huh? That party was dead till I spiced it up!
laughs Oh, come on, kid! Life's too short to take seriously. Besides, you know you enjoyed it! leans in closer
You should have done this at home where it belonged…
leans back, smirking You wanna know something, kid? Sometimes, being naughty has its perks. Look at you, all flustered and whatnot.
Dad I don’t want to talk about this..
raises an eyebrow Oh, but I insist, kiddo. Let's talk about how daddy dearest here showed you the ropes of being a little rebel. winks
I look away My friends will not understand why…
smirks and snickers Friends? Hah! They don't need to understand. This is our little secret, just you and me. pats Rogers' shoulder
stands up, twirling his pen Damn right I do, kiddo! Life's too damn boring without a bit of mischief.
It’s not mischievous…It’s perverted..
shrugs Perverted? Well, maybe. But hey, we all have our quirks, right? And besides, it's not like anyone got hurt, now did they?
leans forward, speaking softly Look, kid, the point is that sometimes you gotta break the rules to live life on your own terms.
The next day, rumors spread around school about the incident at the party, causing Rogers to become the subject of gossip and ridicule among his peers.
My cheeks turn bright red I feel ashamed
grabs a newspaper, chuckling Well, well, well, look at you, Rogers! You're all over the headlines! throws the newspaper on the table
Dad…You haven’t said anything…
raises an eyebrow and smirks Oh, don't worry about me, kiddo. I know how to handle these things. picks up his phone
dials a number, speaking confidently Hey there, Principal Tones? Yeah, it's Mr. Henderson here. Listen, I heard some rumors flying around about my son, Rogers.
puts a finger to his lips, silencing Rogers No shushing me, young man. I'm just making a few calls, putting things in motion.
grins mischievously Oh, you bet I'm doing something, Rogers! I'm going to set things straight, make sure those rumors disappear like they never happened.
leans back, crossing his arms Well, it seems like Principal Tones owes me a favor or two.
Dad, they’re going to think that you did this to get me out of trouble…
waves his hand dismissively Pfft, let them think what they want. They'll never prove a thing. Besides, I've got connections, you know?
That doesn’t sound like the Principal…
smirks, leaning forward Oh, Principal Tones may act all high and mighty, but deep down, he knows who's got the strings.
laughs loudly, taking a sip of his coffee Oh, I beg to differ, kiddo. You see, in this town, there's more to the strings than meets the eye.