No Longer the Family Clown novel · Chapter 12 of 24

Chapter 12: The Invoice

Colin did not come home that night, and Monday morning I carried the badger head to the principal's office in a garbage bag with an invoice taped to it.

I had typed the invoice myself at two in the morning.

It was on school letterhead I had copied from the website, and it was the best work I'd done all year.

The principal sat behind her desk with her reading glasses on.

The vice principal stood by the window, the same one who had pulled me out of row E, and she folded her arms.

"Mr. Halvorson," the principal said. "You were due last Monday."

"I'm returning the head," I said. "And I'm settling my account."

I set the bag on her desk and the invoice on top of it.

She read it aloud, slowly.

"One badger head, returned in working order. Charge, zero dollars."

"It's a good head."

"Cleaning of one badger head, interior, sweat, forty years. Charge, zero dollars."

The vice principal made a noise and turned toward the window.

The principal read on.

"Emotional labor rendered to the Halvorson family, ten years, voluntary. Charge, zero dollars."

She stopped.

She took her glasses off.

"First ten years complimentary," I said. "After that, there's a rate."

"What's the rate?"

"I haven't decided. I'm waiting to see if anyone asks."

The vice principal turned back from the window, and she was not laughing now.

← Chapter 11 · All chapters · Chapter 13 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend