Mikey returns clean and changed, carrying only his school belongings. Coach Cooper follows with the completed reflection sheet and safeguarding note, while Lucy remains behind in the gym.
Assistant Principal Stevens has Lloyd’s referral open across her desk. She gestures toward the chair opposite her, keeping the paperwork arranged in separate, clearly labeled stacks.
Assistant Principal Stevens
Sit down, Mikey. Coach Cooper’s note records your admission that you enjoyed hearing Lloyd cry, and I need clarification.
Coach Cooper
His reflection is complete, his ankle is cleaned, and he followed the locker-room accommodation. The safeguarding note records his words accurately.
Stevens studies Mikey over the rim of her glasses, then taps the edge of Lloyd’s referral. Her tone stays formal, but the question carries more weight than a routine conduct review.
Assistant Principal Stevens
Does that admission indicate a continuing risk to your classmates, or can you examine it honestly as a troubling reaction that you recognize was wrong?
Coach Cooper
This answer matters more than another simple promise to obey. I need to know whether he understands the harm, not merely the rule.
✓ Quest Accepted
Give Stevens an honest account of the troubling reaction
“I admit I wanted Lloyd to suffer, and I know that was cruel.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Conversation, rolled -1)
Mikey
I wanted Lloyd to suffer. That was cruel, and I know it was wrong.
The admission settles over the office. Stevens writes it down without softening the words, while Coach Cooper watches Mikey’s face for signs of evasion.
Assistant Principal Stevens
That is a clear acknowledgment, but it does not erase the seriousness of wanting a classmate’s pain to entertain you.
Coach Cooper
You are identifying the harm, not merely repeating that you disobeyed. Explain what made Lloyd’s suffering feel desirable to you.
Stevens turns to a fresh section of the safeguarding note and labels it reflection rather than conduct. Lloyd’s referral remains separate, untouched by Mikey’s answer.
Assistant Principal Stevens
I will record your admission and your recognition of cruelty. You will also complete a written reflection on how your words affected Lloyd, under supervision.
Coach Cooper
No punishment decision is being made from this answer alone. For now, follow the instruction, write honestly, and do not contact Lloyd until Stevens permits it.
“I explain that after receiving a paddling myself, I was excited at the idea of seeing how Lloyd reacted to one. I also admit that experiencing sore buttocks from the paddling myself, made the idea of someone else experiencing the same sensation intensely exciting to me.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Conversation, rolled -2)
Mikey
After I was paddled, I became focused on how Lloyd might react. I wanted to see whether he would feel the same discomfort.
Mikey
I also recognize that my own physical reaction made the idea feel intensely exciting to me. I know that reaction was inappropriate.
The office goes quiet. Stevens records the admission in restrained, clinical language, while Coach Cooper closes the safeguarding note against further unnecessary detail.
Assistant Principal Stevens
I understand what you are reporting. We will not discuss bodily sensations further, and Lloyd’s punishment will not become entertainment or a subject of contact.
Coach Cooper
You have identified both the cruelty and the reaction that encouraged it. Write that you are responsible for managing your response without involving Lloyd.
Stevens slides a lined reflection sheet across the desk. As Mikey reaches for the pencil, its tip snaps against the paper, adding a small, concrete delay to the supervised task.
Assistant Principal Stevens
Use another pencil and begin. Your reflection is now about boundaries, empathy, and preventing this reaction from affecting another student.
✓ Quest Accepted
Complete the safeguarding reflection honestly
“Will the Assistant Principal hide from my Mom the fact that I have received another disciplinary referral?”
NO (Unlikely, rolled 51)
Stevens sets a second pencil beside the broken one, then separates the safeguarding note from the disciplinary referral. Her expression remains firm and administrative.
Assistant Principal Stevens
Your mother will be informed that you received another disciplinary referral. I will not conceal it, soften it, or let this record become incomplete.
Coach Cooper
The referral concerns your conduct in PE and the later safeguarding statement. The reflection will be attached, but it does not replace the report.
Stevens writes the notification requirement at the top of the page, alongside the date and the names of the staff involved. The wording is precise and difficult to mistake.
Assistant Principal Stevens
Your mother may ask about the circumstances, and I will answer accurately. You are expected to complete this reflection without trying to manage what adults tell her.
Coach Cooper gathers the remaining papers into a neat stack. The office stays quiet except for the pencil rolling once across the desk before coming to rest.
Assistant Principal Stevens
Begin when you are ready. The referral is already part of the record, and your mother will learn that directly from the school.
− Scene Quest Removed
Give Stevens an honest account of the troubling reaction