What did she say to you?"
"Nothing."
"Oh, great. I have to try to get you out of this mess after you hit a girl for nothing," he whispered angrily. "Josephine, don't waste my time. You don't seem like a violent type. She had to have said something to rile you.
"I just don't like her. She's vain. She puts her hair all over my books when she sits in front of me in class."
"So you hit her?"
"No ... yes."
"A girl puts her hair all over your books, so you break her nose?"
"Well, I don't think it's broken, personally."
"Doctor Kildare, we are not here to give a medical opinion. I want to know what she said to you."
"God," I yelled exasperated. "She said something to upset me, okay?"
"What? That you were ugly? That you smell? What?"
I looked horrified.
"I'm not ugly. I don't smell."
He sighed and took off his glasses, sitting down in front of me and pulling my chair towards him. "I was just asking for a reason."
"Never mind," I said.
"That creep out there wants -you to pay for his daughter's nose-job. Because of that nose-job she will be a famous model one day and you'll be working in a fast-food chain because you couldn't finish your Higher School Certificate due to expulsion. Now tell me what she said."
"There's nothing wrong with a fast-food chain," I said, thinking of my McDonald's job.
"I'm really getting pissed off now, Josephine. You called me out of work for this and you won't tell me why."
"Just go," I said, as he stood up and paced the room.
"I'll defend myself in court."
He groaned and looked up to the ceiling pulling his hair. "God save me from days like this," he begged.
"Go," I yelled.
"Okay. Let him win. He's a creep. Creeps always win," he said walking to the door. "But don't think you're going to make it in a court room, young lady. If you can't be honest, don't expect to stand up in a court room and defend honesty."
"She called me a wog, amongst other things," I said, finally. "I haven't been called one for so long. It offended me. It made me feel pathetic."
"Did you provoke her?"
"Yes. I called her a racist pig due to some things she was saying."
"Is she one?"
"God, yes. The biggest.

Melina Marchetta