This choice: Mr. Franklin spots Sam, forces him to join the meeting • Go Back... “Mrs. Hines, please join me in my office,” Mr. Franklin said as he surveyed the office area with his eyes. “Ms. Stein, would you mind bringing Mr. Hines in to my office as well? He’s hiding just outside our window now that he’s seen me,” the principal requested his receptionists help. Henry had just gotten settled as the receptionist returned with Sam in tow.
Mr. Franklin proceeded to have Sam sit down next to Henry. Henry noticed that Sam could not stop staring at him trying to figure out who was in the room with him. Henry tried to calm Sam by placing his hand on his brother’s knee and uncharacteristically said, “Relax.” This was out of character enough for Sam to have his fears assuaged. Mr. Franklin seemed unaware of this little interaction and just proceeded to recount the reason that he had called the twin’s mother to the school. Henry did his best to stick to the plan he had laid out for himself. 1) Be attentive, 2)express concern and disappointment, 3) explain the need for paying in installments, 4) get out and get back home.
“So far so good,” Henry thought to himself as Mr. Franklin concluded his explanation of yesterday’s accident. “Now on for number 2,” Henry turned on his acting gears.
“I’m shocked Mr. Franklin. I’m also incredibly disappointed in my boys. You have my word they will be punished.”
“Yes, speaking of that, we have the problem of the cost you see. The boys have destroyed several hundred dollars worth of equipment and chemicals. We will need you and your husband to take on the responsibility of covering the cost of replacement.”
“Time for the water works,” Henry thought as he started to tear up. Sam was looking on in disbelief. “Mr. Franklin, I’m so sorry. It’s just difficult to discuss,” Henry said as tears rolled down his face. Mr. Franklin reached out with a tissue for the person he thought was Mrs. Hines.
“Thank you,” Henry said as he wiped the tears from his eyes. Henry then proceeded to recite the practiced speech he had prepared about how “her” husband had just lost his job and how they were going to need the boys to get jobs to help out with costs while he was out of work. Henry was periodically pausing and wiping the tears from his face but also secretly looking for signs that the principal was taking sympathy on the family.
“Well, given the circumstances I think we can allow the boys to pay back some of the cost. Let’s say the boys cover half the costs. So we will just need an upfront payment of three hundred dollars”
Henry was taken by surprise at this suggestion. He hadn’t anticipated a halfway response that split the two extremes. In his confusion, Henry simply replied that this would be acceptable. He reached out to shake the principal’s hand to indicate that she agreed to the deal all while Sam looked on in horror. He knew that you didn’t have three hundred dollars to hand over. Henry, feeling that everything was sorted stood up with the intention of getting out, but Mr. Franklin was persistent.
“Erm, about that payment?” He said reaching out his hand.
“Oh, of course,” Henry responded as he went to open his hand bag. Starting to panic, Henry was thinking fast on his feet. Of course, Henry had no money in his bag. Henry was now visibly flustered.
“Is everything ok Mrs. Hines?”
A beat, another beat, Henry just needed a minute to think of a solution. A way out. Continuing to shuffle his hand through his bag it finally came to him.
“It looks like I left my wallet at home, I’m so embarrassed. Perhaps you could give me an extension to bring you to the money?”
“We would happily take a check now.”
“Yes… it looks like I’ve left my checks at home as well,” Henry responded unsure what a check was in the first place.
“Ah, well in that case, please have Sam bring the check in tomorrow. We will be hoping that Henry feels better tomorrow as well,” Mr. Franklin said as he shook Henry’s hand while escorting him out of his office. “And you, Mr. Hines, need to be getting back to class I think.”
“Yes, Mr. Franklin,” Sam was quick to reply as he exited the office and swiftly moved out of the reception area as well. He snuck a few looks back which Henry interpreted as a sign that there was going to be a lot to talk about once he got home.
Henry’s walk home was a simple one, no distractions, no disruptions. It was precisely what Henry needed to now work on the next component of his plan. Henry could only assume Sam was working out the next steps as well during Chemistry, of all the classes to be distracted in. Henry was back to making lists. Not a particularly common trait for Henry usually, but he was finding it quite effective. So the list now stood at: 1)figure out where the checkbook is in the house, 2)figure out how to use a check, 3) figure out how to acquire three hundred dollars rapidly, 4) figure out how he would hide from his parents for the rest of the day until he changed back to his own body.
Upon arriving home, Henry’s first stop was to his and Sam’s stash of cash which actually had a respectable hundred and forty six dollars. “Alright, almost half way there. Just need to find a little bit more,” Henry celebrated the small win. Henry proceeded to rifle through drawers and cupboards, not finding much of anything unfortunately. Henry worked up the courage to journey back into his parent’s room. If there was going to be anywhere that there was a pile of cash, this would likely be it. The only problem was how long could money be missing from this place if Henry did find more cash.
Searching first through his mother’s section of the closet, an unconscious choice that he didn’t originally intend, Henry was becoming more desperate. “Where would any cash be?” He thought to himself. Standing there thinking and thinking, as hard as he possibly could a strange thought entered his mind. George’s top dresser drawer “Huh? What was that?” Henry’s thoughts continued to be perplexed but he didn’t have time to wonder on the subject as it would be any moment that people would start arriving at home. He still had to figure out what a checkbook was and how to use a check.
“Top drawer, alright here we go” Henry said quietly as he opened his father’s dresser. At first he was just confronted by a supply of underwear. “Boxers, well I guess we know Dad’s not a briefs guy,” Henry chuckled to himself. Rummaging through the neatly stacked piles, Henry noticed a pile that was slightly less tidy. Lifting the pile up revealed a small box. Upon inspection, Henry had hit the jackpot. There was easily three hundred dollars stashed away. Henry took one hundred and sixty dollars out and then promptly replaced the box and the contents of the drawer.
Slam
“Oh no, the door. Someone’s home! Gotta get out of here fast.” Henry thought to himself as his anxiety shot through the roof. He was not prepared to keep up the charade of being his mother any longer. Nor could he handle it if it was his mother who was home, unlikely as that may be. Henry darted out of his parent’s room doing his best stealth mission tactics. Looking around corners, moving swiftly from obscured view to obscured view.
All of this was for naught though. A voice called out…  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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