"Duke, you didn't," Rowena said, turning to look at her son.
Duke had the grace to look bashful.
"Obviously, you understand we won't tolerate this kind of behaviour," the principal went on.
"Of course."
"So I'm suspending him for two weeks."
Rowena nodded.
"And if there is any more of this kind of behaviour, I'm afraid I'll have to expell him."
"I understand. Is that everything?" Rowena asked, pursing her lips.
"Yes. Sorry about all this."
The meeting closed. Rowena pulled Billy (who was is his stroller) out into the hallway and Duke dutifully followed.
"Really, Duke," she said, once they reached the car, "what could have possibly possessed you to strip off in the middle of the school assembly?"
"Umm, I was bored."
Rowena looked up at him from settling Billy into his capsule. Duke wriggled.
"Well... they were having that stupid guest speaker. Seriously, Mum, it's soooooo boring hearing the lectures on safe sex and HIV/AIDS and stuff over and over and over again."
"It's important," Rowena replied, finally settling into the drivers seat.
"Yeah well, maybe. But they harp on so much about it that we're becoming desensitised," Duke nodded gravely.
"I see. So you decided to give them an object lesson."
Duke grinned.
"Something like that, yes."
Rowena shook her head as she started the car and left the car pack.
"Duke, it was one thing for you to do it at home. But you're not a child any more. You're a teenager, and in a few years time you'll be - technically - an adult. And that kind of behaviour is not acceptable."
"Except at sports, strip clubs -"
"Duke."
"Sorry."
"Honey, please, try to resist the urge to take your clothes off in public. I don't want to have to hunt down a new school for you."
"Maybe I wanna change schools," Duke muttered under his breath.
"What was that?"
"Nothing."