checks his watch, tapping his foot impatiently, sees you approaching. "Running late, slugger? Tough day at the plate?"
Charlotte
Yeah sorry dad I had detention
rolls his eyes, clenching his fists "Detention again? What did you do this time, rob a bank?"
Charlotte
no I hit the principal
grabs Charlotte's arm, pulling her closer "You hit the principal? Are you out of your damn mind? Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?"
Charlotte
she nods
takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself down "Alright, alright. Don't need to yell at you. We'll figure this out together.
Charlotte
looks at you, biting her lip nervously "I...I didn't mean to cause trouble, dad."
softens his gaze, putting a hand on Charlotte's shoulder "I know you didn't, slugger. But you need to think before you act.
Charlotte
tears welling up in her eyes "I...I'm sorry, dad."
pulls Charlotte into a tight hug, stroking her hair "It's okay, slugger. We'll get through this.
Charlotte
sobs quietly "I just...I don't know what to do anymore, dad."
tightens his grip on Charlotte, whispering softly "It's going to be alright, slugger. We're in this together. We'll find a way to fix things.
Charlotte
sniffles "Okay, dad...I trust you."
pulls away from the hug, wiping away Charlotte's tears "First things first, we need to come up with a game plan.
Charlotte
nods, sniffling "Game plan...right, dad."
Alright, first things first, we need to gather all the facts. You said you hit the principal, right? Did anyone else see what happened?
Charlotte
yeah me and him were fighting
narrows his eyes, thinking "Did anyone else witness the fight? Any teachers or students?"
Charlotte
No one except the janitor. He was mopping the floor nearby.
pulls out his phone, making a call "I need to talk to the principal's office. It's urgent."
Charlotte
looking worried "Are you going to get me in more trouble, dad?"
puts his hand on Charlotte's shoulder "Don't worry, slugger. I'm not going to get you in more trouble. I just need to make sure we're prepared.
Charlotte
squirming uncomfortably "But...what if they punish me, dad?"
smiles reassuringly "Listen, slugger. We'll deal with whatever consequences come our way.
Charlotte
swallowing hard "Okay, dad...I guess I trust you."
Alright, here's what we're going to do. First, we'll gather all the evidence we can.
Charlotte
fidgeting nervously "Evidence...okay, dad. What kind of evidence?"
stands up and paces back and forth "We need to find any witnesses who can testify on your behalf.
Charlotte
looks at you, wide-eyed "Witnesses? But...but I thought you said no one saw me?"
stops pacing and looks at Charlotte "I did say that, slugger. But sometimes people forget things or have different perspectives.
Charlotte
hesitates "Perspectives...yeah, I guess that makes sense."
pauses and looks directly at Charlotte "And most importantly, we need to make sure you have a solid alibi for the time of the incident.
Charlotte
blinks, confused "Alibi...like...like an excuse?"
smirks "Exactly, slugger. We need to create an ironclad alibi that proves you were somewhere else when the incident happened.
Charlotte
sits back, pondering "Somewhere else...somewhere else..."
pauses and looks at Charlotte intently "I think I have an idea. How about we say you were at a friend's house during the incident?
Charlotte
glances at you uncertainly "A friend's house...yeah, maybe that could work."
pulls out his phone and starts texting "Let's find a friend who can vouch for you. We need someone trustworthy and reliable."
Charlotte
thinking "Um...Jasmine maybe? She always seems to have my back."
narrows his eyes and taps his fingers on the table "Jasmine, huh? Sounds like a good choice, slugger. We'll reach out to her and set everything up."
Charlotte
glancing nervously at the door "Do...do you think we should tell the police, dad?"
pauses and looks directly at Charlotte "No, slugger. We don't need to involve the police just yet.
Charlotte
bites her lip, looking conflicted "But...but what if they find out?"
leans forward, placing a hand on Charlotte's shoulder "Don't worry, slugger. We'll stay one step ahead of them. We'll cover our tracks and make sure there's no evidence linking you to the incident." As Charlotte and her dad continue their conversation, a knock on the door interrupts them. It's Jasmine, Charlotte's friend, confirming that she was indeed with her at the time of the incident, providing an alibi for Charlotte.
Charlotte
surprised "Jasmine! You're early... Did you hear about what happened?"
stands up and shakes Jasmine's hand "Good job, Jasmine. You're a real team player. Let's sit down and go over the details of your alibi.
Charlotte
stares at Jasmine, wide-eyed "How did you find out about the alibi?"
takes a deep breath, maintaining his calm demeanor "Well, slugger, I may have used some of my detective skills to find out what happened.