Ch 421-The hierarchy

Lance shrugged arrogantly at Alex. You clearly have some weird abilities, but that doesn't mean you have power. I've been with class six since the beginning. You think you can just walk in here and take control? Even the principal knows who really has the power here.

What do you think you can do? Ah. Alex smiled. Sounds like somebody has family and politics. Lance frowned at him. Yeah, So what? My dad is important. I've known the meaning of real power since I was little. You wouldn't understand. Right.

And would he agree with you if I brought him here to talk with him myself? If you set all that again with him standing next to you. Would he agree? A strange flurry of emotions crossed Lance's face quickly before he got control of himself again.

Good at trying to get him here. I know better than to waste his time. What makes you think you can just summon him? Besides, even if you wanted to talk to him, you'd have to get through his secretary and all his office staff. He's a busy man.

It's not so easy. He's just phoning him up. Lance said with a proud smile. Alex rugged. Maybe, but as your teacher, I do have his contact information. Don't bother.

Everyone in our class is the kid of someone important, and they're not going to answer dumb calls from dumb teachers. Some of my classmates may be following your rules now, but as soon as they change their minds, they'll go back to their old ways.

Lance crossed his arms. You've got some wild ideas about the amount of respect teachers deserve. But we all understand the reality. You get paid a crap wage and you have to spend all your time chasing around a bunch of kids who will always be more powerful than you.

The second we graduate and step out here, the hierarchy will be back in order, and you'll answer to us, same as everybody else. Alex stood silently as Lance made this speech. When Lance was finished.

You let the silence hang in the ear for a long, uncomfortable amount of time. Well. He finally said. We'll see. I'll speak with him later today. Then Alex turned and left. Today, dream on. Lance called after him.

Trying to sound confident. When Eric heard what had happened between Alex and Lance, he became concerned. Aren't you worried? He asked. What if he really gets to speak to your dad today? He won't. He'll waste his time trying and then everyone will see how pathetic he really is. Lance snared.

Though not as pathetic as the person eavesdropping on us right now. Billy froze by the door. He had been listening in. But he hadn't realized the students had realized he was at the door. He desperately wanted to see Alex make a fool of himself in front of Lance's father.

But he knew he couldn't linger any longer. Eric shot a glare at the door, watching until Billy's shadow disappeared. What's with him? Lance shrugged angrily. He's got it in for Alex. But as you just saw, he comes and goes when I order him too.

Mr. Ambrose doesn't have any more power than Billy, and he thinks he can make my father drop what he's doing and come speak with him. Ridiculous. Lance had never felt so impatient to graduate. It was infuriating to have to put up with teachers. Especially ones like Alex, who seemed to think they had authority in the real world.

Privately. He was angry at the implication that his father had for meetings. His father barely had any time to see him. Let alone some jumped up high school teacher. But. He didn't want to admit this to anyone else. If he had been thinking clearly.

He might have wondered why Alex seemed so confident that he could speak with someone as busy and important as a District Council member. If he had known Mr. Ambrose, he despised was also the legendary master Alex.

He might not have spoken so rudely. But the students around him were congratulating him for taking a stand against the new teacher. So he let himself get swept up in their excitement instead.

Billy returned to his office, seething with anger. He threw himself into his desk chair, mind whirling as he tried to think of ways to use what little he had overheard. No matter which angle he looked at it from. He could not see how Alex would ever manage to secure a meeting with Lance's father. He realized there was an opportunity to be had here. After all. If Alex couldn't successfully hold a meeting with Mr. Cartwright.

Then he probably couldn't get a meeting with any of the parents of the students in Class 6. One missed meeting might go unnoticed. But what about an entire parents meeting? Billy pushed himself up and headed for the principal's office. If he could get the principal to insist on a parents meeting.

Alex would be backed into a corner. And once the meeting took place with not a single parent present. He would be humiliated. Dead in front of the entire school. Declared unfit. And finally fired so Billy could take over as head teacher.

When Alex reached his office. He quickly found Mr. Cartwright's phone number and dialed it. Mr. Cartwright was a Council member for the Central District of Baltimore. It was not his only business. But the role that chiefly occupied his time. Sure enough, it was an assistant who answered the phone, not Mr. Cartwright himself. He's in a meeting now, the young man said, with hardly any introduction. I can make an appointment for you at a later date.

Tell him that, Alex called. Tell him that if he doesn't call me back in 5 minutes, there will be consequences. Said Alex, and then he hung up. It was not an empty threat. Given Mr. Cartwright's position.

Alex was certain the man would recognize him from his many past exploits. Besides. Even if Mr. Cartwright chose not to pay attention to him, it would be easy to punish land some other way regardless.

Alex wasn't too worried about it one way or another. On the other end of the call. The assistant was glaring at the phone in astonishment. He couldn't believe someone had just dared to call the office of one of the leading council members of the Central District and then hang up on him. At the first opportunity he got. You reported the phone call to Mr. Cartwright.

The Council member barely lifted his head to acknowledge that his assistant had spoken. With his eyes fixed firmly on the document in front of him, he said. Well, that can wait. I'll make a call later. The assistant didn't dare say anything else about it. Half an hour later, Mr. Cartwright looked up with a sigh.

Right, that's done then. Now who's calling? Someone named Alex. He said there would be consequences if he didn't call him back right away, but. What? Mr. Cartwright cried out as if he had been struck by lightning. His mind was filled with images and memories of Alex's fight at the Hudson River.

The fight had been a topic of serious discussion. And as a government official, Mr. Cartwright had access to more details than most people. This was how Lance managed to have so much news to tell his friends all the time. He dove for the phone and waited breathlessly for Alex to pick up. Mr. Ambrose.

The voice on the other end was very cold. Yes. Oh, I'm so sorry. Mr. Cartwright gabbled. There was an important business. I was on a deadline. It couldn't wait. Oh, please forgive me for taking so long to call you back. The voice sighed. That's alright, I understand, Mr. Cartwright, I don't know if you are aware. But I recently took up a teaching position at Oak Ridge.

I'm now your son's head teacher. I would like to speak to you about his behavior.

Of course, right away. I'll come to the school immediately.