I turn and see Principal Edwards sitting beside me. My gut clenches and my breaths become shallow. I always thought the guy was creepy but knowing what he was doing with Kristen makes him even creepier. And he named Jackson as Kristen's killer. I hate him for that.
"I'd rather be alone," I say, staring at the stones that line the base of the fountain.
"I witnessed your little performance just now in the dining hall."
"Yeah? So?" I turn to look at him. As much as I hate him, I have to admit, he IS really good looking. And if you don't know what he's really like, he comes off as being charming and sophisticated. Is that why Kristen slept with him? Because she wanted to be with a sophisticated older man instead of a guy her own age?
"I don't care if you kick me out of school," I say. "It needed to be said. Nobody stands up to him."
"You don't feel any loyalty to your cousin?"
"No," I say, my eyes returning to the fountain. "If I had evidence he killed Andrea, I'd be the first to turn him in. Unlike you, I don't send people to jail without having proof to support it."
"How do you know I don't have proof?"
I look at him. "What it is? What's the proof?"
He smirks. "Unfortunately I'm not allowed to release that information. The police will do so when the time is right."
Staring at his smug expression, I say, "You don't seem that upset that your stepdaughter just died."
"Of course I'm upset. I'm just better than others at hiding my emotions."
I stand up, putting my back to him. "Jackson didn't do it. You're ruining his life by doing this. Is that what you wanted? To ruin his life?"
"I wanted justice. And so does Kristen's mother. We can't let our baby girl's killer run free."
I whip around and see he's standing right next to me. "Jackson isn't the killer. I don't know why you're doing this but I'm not gonna let you lock him in prison for something he didn't do."
Principal Edwards puts his hand firmly on my shoulder. "Let me give you some advice."
"I don't want it," I spit out.
"It's time you move on from the Novak boy. He no longer has a future. But you do. You can go to college. Live your life. Maybe have a family someday."
"Jacksonis my family. And I'm not letting you take him from me." I shove his hand off my shoulder and walk quickly back toward the school. I take a shortcut through the staff parking lot and go in the back door. I swing it open and run into Ms. Adams coming out of her office.
"Rumor," she says. "Are you okay?"
"Great," I say sarcastically. "Any way you could give me a ride home?"
"Why? Are you sick?"
"I'm sick of being here. I want to go home."
"I'm sorry but I'm not allowed to take students home, or anywhere else, without their parents' permission. Could you call Brock to take you home?"
"He'd tell me I have to stay. Never mind." I walk past her down the hall. The next class is about to start so people are hurrying to their lockers and racing to class.
I sneak out the front door and call up Jackson.
"Rumor, aren't you at school?" he asks.
"Yeah, but I don't want to be here. Can you come pick me up?"
"I can't. I'm meeting with the lawyer in five minutes. What's going on?"
"Braden told everyone to stop talking to me. I blew up at lunch and told everyone in the cafeteria to stop following Braden's orders, which pissed him off and he shoved me into a table. Then I—"
