1

Principal Folsom was known for being an extreme. That was not to say that she never helped or was kind, she was known to regularly aid student groups in official and unofficial capacities. She even let most operate without a faculty member as an advisor, allowing for X Middle School's gargantuan student body to shine as nearly every talent under the sun was honed and competing for spotlight. Whenever Principal Folsom did anything...it was just extreme. Like her current coversation with Commissioner Valejo.

It came across more as a tirade of threats.

"If you don't contain this domestic terrorist that managed to smuggle himself into my new students, I might just find a new Olympic grade ping pong table where the Safety Patrol used to be!", Folsom told the boy.

The eighth grader had done this dance a hundred times with the principal. Valejo had been on the force his entire time at X Middle School, and was not only its commanding but most seasoned officer. Ever since his first partner, Malika, Principal Folsom had been threatening to turn the Safety Patrol's offices into this or that unless she got the result she wanted. She just wanted an orderly school so excellent students could excel...and therefore, shine. Valejo just wanted to keep the delinquents from making the halls run red. That's why Folsom nominated him to the student council and lobbied so hard for his confirmation: they actually could work toward the common goal they shared.

"Don't you worry, Principal Folsom.", the boy said as he held his enormous girth in balance on the adult sized chair. "I got officers bringing in Freeman right now. And I got others coming too. This here talking to will send the right message."

Folsom gave a glance to the other adult in the room. Her vice-principal Raycliff was treated more like a sentient smart phone than a true second in command. She mostly used him as a sounding board and for things she didn't want to bother looking up on her computer.

"You better be right, Valejo.", Folsom continued to warn. "By opening our middle school doors to elementary school refugees, X Middle School could become the poster child for experimental education of gifted youngsters. But if there is another televised mass capture of a student by the National Guard, it'll break this school in half like...like..."

"You'll break Valejo?", Raycliff offered.

The blonde blue-eyed woman nodded. "I like it. Like I'll break you in half, Valejo!", she continued.

"Ah, our star officers.", the principal declared as Cornelius Fillmore and his partner, Ingrid Third, walked in the room. "This will send the right message."

"uh, I don't think so.", Fillmore stated. "Something tells me Huey Freeman's gonna get more accusations than offers of a fresh start. And if my old partner, Wayne Ligett, hadn't given me that fresh start when I needed it...I'd still be on the other side of the rules."

Ingrid nodded, her green eyes narrowed even more than her Asian ancestry dictated. "I agree. When I transferred in, I was accused of the first crime that came up. I nearly gave up on the school. Now you want to lay in to a guy before there's even one committed? It doesn't make sense to me."

"Third, you have a photographic memory and have seen the child's file.", Folsom stated. "He's founded numerous radical organizations like...like..."

"Africans Fighting Racism and Oppression or AFRO, the Black Revolutionary Organization or BRO, The Black Revolutionary Underground Heroes or BRUH, or any other of 23 leftist and potentially seditionary groups.", Raycliff provided.

"Thank you, Racliff.", Folsom said.

Fillmore put his hands on Folsom's desk and leaned so far forward that she could see her reflection not only in his glasses but his black bald head. "He also founded the Committee to Free Shabbaz Milton K. Burough. Through peaceful and legal means, he raised enough awareness of the evidence that his conviction may not be warranted that the governor commuted the death penalty until a full review could be done."

"That's not the one I'd be swingin' at, Fillmore.", Valejo told him. "I heard rumors that his methods weren't all that above board."

Karen Tehama, the Safety Patrol's best forensic expert, stuck her head in the door. "He's here, Commish.", the Japanese girl said.

"Alright, Tehama. Have Anza bring him in.", he ordered.

Anza escorted Huey in. With his body guard training, Anza was rated as perhaps the only officer that could bring Huey in besides maybe Ingrid or Fillmore if he made an issue about it.

The afro headed boy looked around the room, laying eyes on every individual until eventually passing on to the next. Huey also marked out the positions in the room: Folsom behind her desk with Raycliff on the interior wall and Fillmore having moved to the windows. Three chairs were in front of the desk with Valejo on the inside, Third on the outside and the middle one empty. Anza and Tehama did move from the doorway.

Huey slumped his shoulders and made his way to sit in the empty chair. Then he started speaking before Principal Folsom got the chance.

"So this is how this school does its intimidation of students who may have politically undesirable leanings.", he surmised. "Well, at least X Middle School, being the largest middle school in the tri-state area, has the talent to make a first rate shakedown. Even trotting out the famous Cornelius Fillmore."

"uh, You know me?", Fillmore asked incredulously.

"The best entry man to ever hit the rackets, only to give it all up and become a sl...ervant of the system?", Huey increduled right back. "Who hasn't heard of you?

"However, I was brought here by an officer of your alleged Safety Patrol. From which I might infer the need to ask if I am under arrest, a material witness or under protective custody. All three states are subject to legal review."

Valejo shrugged his shoulders. "No. You're not. This is just, let's call it, a friendly visit. A sit down, if you will."

"I don't think I will, officer.", Huey informed him. "Because what it appears to me as is simple chastisement. I'm not currently wanted by any law enforcement or military agencies. I have a perfectly clean legal record. I'm even a holder of the Distinguished Public Service Award from the DOD for some classified events. Therefore, there was not even a reasonably plausible basis for my apprehension, accostment and eventual abasement."

"You're in elementary school.", Folsom spat. "You don't even know what any of those mean."

Huey countered. "Apprehension- taking a subject into custody. Accostment- manhandling. Abasement- attempted humiliation by treating a human being deserving of the same rights as other human beings as something less that does not.

"And after you expressly asked for the students you received from J. Edgar Hoover, you should know that despite our age we appear to be in middle school. So maybe my vocabulary isn't as out of place as the delusions of your own ignorance would like to comfort you."

Huey stood. "If you'll excuse me, I will be leaving now and this will simply be a memory that I will hold deep within me as motivation for my further, wholly legal and in accordance with X Middle School's Uniform Discipline Code, actions."

The afro headed boy walked to the only door to the room that Anza stood in front of. "That code is uniformly applied, right?", Huey tested.

Anza looked to Valejo.

The commissioner just shook his head and waved his hand. "Let him go, Anza."

Anza stepped out of Huey's way gruffly.

"Thank you.", Huey made certain to tell him as he left.

"Well, that went well.", Ingrid surmised.