Page 84 of Fractured Fates

What the hell punishment is the principal likely to hand out? She already has me shoveling shit as my obligatory chore for Pip’s presence at the college. What other treats will she have in store for us? I peer at Winnie’s face, white as a ghost now, her skin almost the same color as her teeth. I hope she has the stomach for something nasty.

Finally, just when I’m beginning to consider knocking a second time, a voice from within calls out, “Enter.”

Winnie seems frozen stiff, so I reach out, push down on the handle and open the door, stepping inside and dragging Winnie in behind me.

The principal’s office is large and grand with a wide fireplace adorning one wall and a giant-sized landscape painting the other. Unlike Stone’s office there are no books stacked on shelves and every available surface. There’s just a laptop resting on her desk and a round globe spinning slowly on its axis in the corner. The principal stands in front of her desk and to my dismay is flanked by not only Professor Stone but Tristan Kennedy and Winnie’s head of House, Fiona, as well.

It seems this is going to actually turn out to be a million times more hellish than I expected.

“Hello, girls, so nice of you to actually join us this morning. Your presence was missed yesterday,” the principal says without a hint of amusement. She’s dressed in her usual tweed suit, her hair twisted up into a French knot.

I keep my eyes locked on her face, not wanting to meet the eye of the others in the room.

“Perhaps you could explain to me why you chose to miss your lessons yesterday, lessons that I might hasten to remind you are absolutely mandatory to attend.”

Winnie’s eyes flick towards me in alarm and I can tell she’s too petrified to speak.

“I’m sorry,” I say. Tristan snorts, but I ignore him and continue. I’m not sure how best to lay out our case but I decide to go for the facts, plain and simple. “My pig went missing and we were searching for him.”

The principal rolls her eyes. “That pig!”

“Is very precious to me,” I say earnestly.

Fiona smothers a giggle. And from the corner of my eye I see Tristan leer at me.

I bet it was him who stole Pip in the first place.

“That he may be,” the principal continues, “but his temporary disappearance does not excuse the two of you from missing lessons. This isn’t a holiday camp, girls. We don’t get to choose what we can and can’t do. Lessons are mandatory.”

“Yes, Professor York,” Winnie mumbles.

I stare down at Professor York’s shoes. Sensible black heels. She doesn’t need them. She must already be verging on six feet without them. I don’t say anything, waiting for the forthcoming punishment, but I sense Stone staring at me, can feel that familiar tug in his direction. Is that what it’s like to have a crush? To want someone even when you shouldn’t. Even when you know they are totally unsuitable and most probably out of bounds. Even when you hate their guts.

It’s only as that last thought flits through my mind that I remember the goddamn professor can read them.

Crap.

My cheeks sizzle and I can’t help raising my eyes and catching his for the briefest of moments before he looks away to the principal.

“Principal York, Miss Blackwater’s pig didn’t simply disappear. He was taken.”

“Taken?” The principal frowns. “That’s rather a wild accusation for Miss Blackwater to be waving around.”

I don’t speak. I’m not about to snitch and land myself in even more shit.

“It isn’t an accusation, it’s a reality,” Stone says and I don’t know what his intentions are here. Is he trying to help me or forcing me into the shit I’m trying to avoid?

“And you know who did this?” Principal York asks him.

“I’m looking into it,” he says.

“Well,” Principal York straightens her jacket, “when you have answers, let me know.”

Stone nods and then he looks at Tristan pointedly. Like he suspects him too. Tristan, however, smothers a yawn like he couldn’t give less of a damn.

“I am sorry this happened, Miss Blackwaters. And we will look into the matter,” – inwardly I groan. No one will know it was Stone who told the principal, everyone will assume I went blabbing. Great! – “However, this still doesn’t excuse the skipping of classes. I have brought your heads of house here so that they are aware of the serious nature of your indiscretions and so that they are both aware that you are banned for a month from leaving school premises. You will also both be required to attend kitchen duties for the next week.”

Winnie nods gravely and I suppress a sigh of relief. Neither of those punishments sound that bad, especially considering the other crap that I’ve endured since I’ve been there.