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Holy shit…
I just thought of him as my dad…
“Gentlemen!” Headmistress McArthur said loudly. “Calm down.” She looked at me. “This girl was attacked in her own apartment, and I won’t stand for it. This isn’t the first time we’ve had issues with this group of girls and Temperance. They have made her a target and have bullied her.”
“Why is this the first we’re hearing of it?” Rick asked, his eyes briefly wandering to mine. There was anger there, and that time, I knew itwasdirected at me.
Uh oh, Dad’s mad.
“That was my mistake,” the headmistress said, and I shook my head.
I wasn’t about to let her take the blame with all these asshole parents. Even Rick could be a dick if he believed shenanigans were going on—which he clearly did.
“No. No, it isn’t. My first week of school, I caught Melinda trying to snap photos of me in the locker room. Later that same day, after gym, she and Becky broke into my shower stall and took all my clothes. I was left with nothing but a towel. I had to walk—naked—all the way to the office to get help. When I fell, my towel came off, and pictures were taken and uploaded to the school app. I reported the incident, but I asked Headmistress McArthur not to do anything because it would only make it worse by involving the parents. She agreed, allowing me to handle it myself. What shedidn’ttell you when she just took the blame is that she then put all new doors in the locker rooms that are unable to be broken into as well as a panic alarm that will sound in the gym as well as this office, alerting a student has had trouble, or even that there is a bullying incident. She may not have told you what happened to me, and that wasmyfault, but shediddo something about it. She made sure what happened to me would never happen to anyone again.”
At first, I had no idea why I’d left Harper’s name out of that story, but then, looking at how upset and disappointed Rick was, I figured it out. I couldn’t stand the thought of breaking his heart. And deep down, as much as I hated Harper right then, some stubborn, idiotic,completelynaïve part of me wanted to protect her.
But mostly, I wanted to protect Rick…my father.
Silence filled the room for a moment as everyone stared at me. Finally, Becky’s mother spoke again. “Oh, this is ridiculous. You actually believe that story?”
The headmistress nodded. “I certainly don’t believe she strutted naked into my office on her own accord.”
“I demand to speak to her parents. Where are they?” Becky’s father asked.
“In a cemetery. Do you have a Ouija board handy? I’m sure my dad would have a few interesting things to say to you, too,” I quipped, and both Rick and Headmistress McArthur fought not to smile.
All four of the other parents looked at me with obvious disgust.
“That is adisgustingjoke, and you should beashamed! I doubt your parents would find your humor very funny. Why aren’t they here?” Becky’s mother asked, glaring at me.
“Because they’re dead!” I shouted. “I’m here on my own. Ask the headmistress. On my paperwork, my parents’ names are listed with the worddeceasednext to them. I paid for my tuition in full. I’m here on my own accord.”
“And you claim you were drugged?” Becky’s father asked. I nodded, and he turned back to the headmistress. “Do you haveanyidea how many cases I’ve seen like that? One thing is always the same. The victims can never remember anything accurately.”
“Interesting,” I said. “Well, does it help that they had the tattoo artist tattoo their initials in the wood grain on the axe handle?” My tone was completely sarcastic.
He looked over at me with shock on his face. “You could have gotten that tattoo all on your own and set our girl—”
“Enough!” Rick snapped. “This girl has been through a traumatic event, and you are badgering her when you should be demanding answers from your daughter. This is disgusting.” He looked over at Headmistress McArthur. “Please, tell us what proof you have, so they will stop arguing, and we can get to the point.” His tone was gentle. I could tell his frustration was more for the other parents than for her.
She nodded. “Of course, Senator Avery.” She looked from person to person, speaking to everyone in the room. “We reviewed surveillance and saw Becky’s car leave at approximately 8:00 PM and return thirty minutes later. We saw her car leaveagainat approximately 11:30 PM and return shortly after midnight.”
“Isn’t curfew ten?” Melinda’s father asked.
The headmistress nodded. “Indeed, it is. Which is why we lost two security guards tonight. Upon interviewing them, they each admitted to being paid off by Becky to get off grounds and back in after hours.”
Becky’s mom gasped and looked at her husband. He shook his head. “That still isn’t proof. That just shows they went off school grounds.”
“Twice. Long enough to get to a tattoo parlor not far from here and back. Stayed long enough to tattoo someone. And left long enough to get back to the same tattoo parlor before returning. Seems awfully suspicious,” I said.
“Along with paying off the guards, the initials in the axe, the time frame, and Miss Wilder’s accounting, along with past events, I believe we have more than enough evidence.” She walked out from around her desk and past Rick to open her office door. “Girls, please step inside.”
All three of them walked in, and I saw Harper’s yellow sweater.Fuck.It had been her. I didn’t want to believe it, even though I knew better, but there it was. Her eyes locked on mine, and I saw genuine fear in them. The other two looked pissed, but Harper looked terrified. While I doubted it had anything to do with me and everything to do with Rick, that same dumbass part of me wondered if maybe she’d realized she’d fucked up and regretted it.
I won’t know if I don’t give her another chance.
Shut up, brain!