Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare for Everyone Else)

  Chapter Six

  “Did I or did I not tell you that this whole thing would blow over?” Principal Francis said from behind his desk. “You doubted me—”

  “I never doubted you,” Leo said.

  “And the boys?” the principal asked.

  “Clark and Donnie were mostly innocent because they were misled by Jason. I swear, sometimes too much money makes children bored.”

  “What about the young woman who was pretending to be your daughter?”

  “I spoke to her mother, and the woman is appalled. I’m sure her mother will punish her appropriately.”

  “So there will be no need for any suspensions?”

  “I’ll leave that in your hands,” Leo said.

  “I see no reason to punish these boys any more than they have punished themselves. They will all be allowed to attend the dance. Is that all right with you, Heaven?”

  The girl nodded, shyly looking at her hands. “Thank you for not punishing any of them, Mr. Francis.”

  “Think nothing of it. If you wanted them punished, it would’ve been done.”

  “Heaven, why don’t you head home? The dance is in a few hours,” Leo said.

  “All right,” Heaven said, standing up and giving her father a hug.

  “What’s this for?” he asked.

  “I know that you confronted Clark and Donnie,” she said, giving him a squeeze.

  “How did—”

  “Andrew told me,” she went on.

  “That boy—”

  “Oh it’s fine, dad,” Heaven said. “I’ll go, though. I have to get my mask ready and Andrew is waiting for me.”

  “I sure am,” Andrew said, poking his head in the door. “Are we going or not?”

  “We’re going, we’re going,” Heaven said, a small smile forming on her lips as she released her father and walked over to Andrew. “See you in a bit,” she said to her father.

  “Good bye, Heaven.”

  “Now,” Principal Francis said, starting to close the door when a new person filled the door frame. “You? What are you doing here?”

  “I need your permission, sir,” a male voice said.

  “Permission? For what?”

  “May I sit down?” he asked, sitting in the chair next to Leo.

  “Should I go?”

  “No, sir,” the young man said. “I want you to hear this but I don’t want anyone else to know. Do you mind if I shut the door?”

  “Oh…uh, no. Of course not,” Principal Francis said, motioning for him to go ahead. “Now…what is this all about?”

  “I’ll be brief.”