Gift Zero

"I told you, nothing happened, I just fell."

It wasn't the director's voice, that much I knew for sure. It was a low, almost muffled tone, but it carried a strange weight, as if he was avoiding revealing more than he should. Despite this, there was something about the way those words were said - "I just fell" - that seemed forced, disconnected from the truth. Whoever it was, they didn't seem to be there of their own free will.

Mira raised an eyebrow when she heard the phrase, visibly curious, but showed no hesitation.

With the usual disdain of someone who doesn't seem to care about anything, Mira pushed the door open just enough for us to peek inside.

"What do you mean, you just fell?"

This time, the voice we heard seemed to be that of a girl, probably Mira's sister Lysa, who was the school nurse's aide.

"The answer is simple: I got off balance and fell, that's all."

He answered again, without any emotion in his voice.

Lysa, still incredulous at what the boy had said, decided to ask again, but this time with an air of doubt.

"Are you really serious?"

This time, the boy didn't say anything; he just nodded, confirming everything that both Mira's sister and the principal had been asking.

The director, already visibly impatient and anxious for an answer, let out a short sigh and repeated the question. This time, even I, who was standing outside the door, hiding with Mira, was curious to know what had really happened. After all, it seemed incredible that the boy had chosen to face a scolding rather than reveal the truth.

The boy was still standing there, facing the principal, with a posture that made it clear he had no intention of speaking. His eyes were fixed on the floor, as if he didn't want to face anyone - and suddenly the silence was broken by a deep breath from Principal Arden.

"Do you really think we're going to fall for this?"

Director Arden's tone was calm, but charged with a controlled frustration. He didn't seem like the kind of person who would let a matter like that pass without a clearer explanation, and clearly something was wrong.

For a brief moment, through the gaps in the ajar door, I saw Lysa lean in slightly, as if she was about to say something important. Her expression seemed hesitant, almost anxious, but before any words could escape her lips, the boy's response interrupted her, leaving everyone stunned.

"I'm not forcing you to believe anything, but I'm not here to prove anything to anyone either."

I thought to myself: if that slap already hurt me, who had nothing to do with the conversation, imagine the principal and Mira's sister, who were the direct targets.

However, something that really caught my attention was that, even with that incisive response, I couldn't perceive any malice in it.

On the contrary, the speech continued without any emotion, which made it difficult to understand whether the boy really wanted to provoke or whether he was just being realistic.

After receiving that dry response, the director probably realized that, no matter how hard he pressed the boy, he wouldn't get a word out of him. Already exhausted from the conversation, Arden let out a long sigh, showing his fatigue.

Mira, standing a little ahead of me in front of the ajar door, let out a soft sigh - a rare indication that she too was intrigued.

"That's an interesting one."

She whispered, with a half-smile that I couldn't fully interpret. It was hard to tell whether she was impressed, amused by the situation or just curious.

I didn't reply. My eyes were still fixed on the crack in the door as I tried to decipher what was going on. Director Arden crossed his arms, his countenance firm, but without losing his cool.

"Sid, if you're not willing to give us an explanation, it's going to be difficult to help you."

His voice low, but carrying a weight that only someone with years of experience could convey, Arden commented.

"But let me be clear: my priority is the well-being of the students at this school. If something has happened - whatever it is - and you're afraid to speak up, we can deal with it together. Do you understand?"

When Principal Arden asked the question calmly, trying to win the boy's trust, I realized that he was still on the defensive and only answered what he thought was necessary.

"I understand."

He finally replied, his voice lower than before, but not as distant as the first time.

"But there's nothing to tell. I fell. That's all."

Lysa, who didn't believe a word the boy said, nevertheless showed growing patience. She leaned in again, and her voice, although controlled, carried a tone of frustration that was hard to disguise.

"Don't you understand that we're trying to help? There's no point in hiding behind this headless story!"

When Mira and I realized that the conversation had come to an end and that they were about to leave the room, we looked around quickly. It was then that Mira decided to knock on the door, as if we wanted them to think we had just arrived.

As soon as we heard confirmation that we could enter from inside the principal's office, we exchanged a quick glance to pull ourselves together and, without further ado, entered the room.

Once inside the room, I saw the director sitting in his chair, behind a desk, in a rather funny scene. Only his head was visible. When I saw that image, I almost burst out laughing, but then I remembered what happened the last time I did that and decided to restrain myself.

I looked at Mira, who was also trying to hold in her laughter, but her lips were curving upwards, clearly trying to hide her impulse.

Principal Arden, unaware of our exchange of glances, remained completely focused on the boy in front of him, who at no time showed any sign of being intimidated by our presence.

To Principal Arden's right was Lysa, Mira's younger sister, with a worried expression.