The Many Pages of Principal Isaiah!

Iris There is a house built down the street from where we live. No one goes there. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that it housed my late father. Or maybe it is the one place where loneliness dances in. But today, for the first time in two years, I am back, sitting on the rooftop. “Dad,” I breathe, forcing the lump down my throat. “I don’t think I’m ever going to come back here. Mom is sending me to a boarding school. Did you know that? I wonder what you would have said to her. You always favoured me.” Dry laughter escapes my lips when I realize the next question he would have asked. “I did nothing,” I say exasperatedly. “Alright. Alright. Maybe I kissed our neighbor’s son and gave him a blow job, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong in that. I am a teenager with needs. God, you’ll think she hasn’t f****d anyone since you left.” Silence. “I saw a man sneaking out of her room this one time. Bald head, tall frame, diamond studs…. I think that’s the preacher from church. You remember him, Dad? Pastor Dan? I don’t know s**t about what’s going on, but I’m sure as hell that…” “Hey, Iris!” “Urghhh!” I know that obnoxious sound anywhere. “Go away, Irene.” “Mom said to call you. The bus is leaving soon.” I turn around. “The bus? She isn’t even going to drop me off?” “Stop whining, Iris,” my sister mutters, rolling her eyes. “You are not a kid anymore, so stop acting like one.” “You say that a lot, but the one time I try to not act like a kid, I get shipped off to some boarding school in the middle of nowhere.” “One time?” Irene scoffs. “You did it with Pastor Dan’s son too. Poor Charles is never going to forget how you seduced him.” “Oh spare me that bullshit, Irene,” I retort, getting on my feet. “The only reason you’re mad about Charles is that you like him and have been waiting for him to ask you to be his girlfriend.” “That’s not true!” She almost shrieks so loud that I am sure dear daddy will be able to hear us from the great beyond. “Really? Because he sure told me the last time you saw him, you told him he tells the funniest jokes. And Charles is a good lad, Irene, but there’s really nothing funny about his lame ass jokes.” This is my favorite thing to do all day long; rile my older sister up. Irene has always been the more pleasant child. Mom adores her. Valedictorian from high school, already in her second year in college and soon-to-be wife to Charles. He hasn’t asked her out or anything, of course. It’s just something Mom says repeatedly. And then, there’s me, who had to retake my senior year because I was dealing terribly with the death of our father. Of course, Mom doesn’t see it that way. I’m a brat, according to her. “Urghhh!” Irene stomps her feet on the ground like a child. “Mom should have come get you herself.” When my sister leaves, I take one more moment, staring at the empty clouds before heading downstairs. The walk back to our house is short, and I dread it with every step I take. Mom is already waiting by the door, my suitcases by her side. There’s Pastor Dan too, with his grin that makes me want to gag, just like his son almost did when he shoved his huge c**k down my throat. “Iris,” Pastor Dan greets enthusiastically. One would think he is actually pleased to see me. “You look great.” “Thank you?” “Come on, you don’t have to be sad about going away.” Can this man just shut up already? “My brother, Isaiah, is a good man and the best principal. He’s going to take good care of you, I promise.” “More like he’s going to kill me with all the punishments he has in store for me.” I don’t bother to mutter it under my breath. “You don’t have to be so nice to me, Pastor Dan. I know you don’t like me.” “God admonishes us to love one another, kiddo.” “But do you?” “Do I what?” A small frown settles on his face. “Love me?” Something seems to get stuck on his throat as he starts coughing erratically. Mom has to hit his back to push whatever it is down. If I didn’t have to go to a boarding school, I might actually have burst out laughing. Pastor Dan mumbles something about needing to be at the church when he calms down, and scurries along, leaving me with Irene and my mom. My mom moves closer to me. “Don’t you go causing trouble at that school, Iris. It’s a girls-only school so you can’t see any boys there. But don’t get into something even worse, like drugs. Be more like …” “…my sister,” I cut in, nodding. “Got it. Be boring, go to church and let someone else dry hump the man I’m hoping will marry me.” “Iris McKenzie!” “Bye, mother.” I pull my suitcases just as the bus appears down the road. I move towards its direction, not wanting whoever is in on it to see the crappy situation I have with my family. As I hurl my luggage in, someone taps my shoulder. I am quite positive it is Irene, and I am about to tell her off. But the words on my lips get cut off when I come face to face with Charles. “I couldn’t let you go without saying goodbye,” he says, eyeing the driver. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad I… I’m glad we…” “Yeah,” I chuckle. “Me too.” Charles nods. “Well, have fun at House Isarion and send my regards to Uncle Isaiah. Tell him I’ll come around soon. I’ll come see you.” I don’t like Charles. At least, not in the way he expects me to. But he’s the only one who has mentioned coming to see me, and that brings a sting to my eyes. “Charles…” “Hey kid, get on the bus!” The driver yells. Rolling my eyes, I push the rest of my suitcase in and find an empty seat at the back, avoiding the gazes of the other students. The bus jerks violently to a stop just as I begin to close my eyes. A few of the girls groan, and the driver curses under his breath. But that all ends in another second as silence sweeps through the bus. I sit forward instantly, wondering if we got into an accident. I notice everyone is staring outside, so I do the same, leaning towards the window. At first, all I see is the rain pouring heavily. And then I see the shadow of his figure. Tall, dark, holding an umbrella. The driver checks something on the dashboard before angling his head to look at me. “Iris McKenzie,” he says shakily. “The principal wants a word with you.”