The teacher eventually spots her and straightens, a professional smile that’s fake as fuck plastered across her face. “Miss Dillion?”
“That’s correct,” Citi replies before she drops into a crouch in front of Star. “Hey, baby. Everything okay?”
Star throws herself into her mother’s arms and buries her face in her hair.
“What happened?” Citi asks the teacher, who is now eying me. I wonder what she’d think if I had my cut on, but I left it in the back seat.
“I wonder if I could have a moment of your time.”
“I’m right here. What’s the problem?”
“There was an altercation at lunchtime.”
“An altercation?”
“A fight broke out on the playground between Star and another child.”
“A fight?”
“Yes. And as this school has a zero-tolerance policy on fighting, Star won’t be allowed back in for the rest of the week.”
“I’m sorry. You’re telling me, my child was in a fight at lunch time, and this is the first time I’m hearing about it?”
“It was dealt with. There was no reason to call.”
I feel my blood boiling, keeping my gaze on the nervous-looking teacher as Citi leans back and cups Star’s face.
“Are you hurt, Star?”
Star doesn’t do anything for a minute, but eventually she lifts her hand and touches the back of her head.
“Your head hurts?”
She nods as Citi looks at me.
“Hey, princess. Mind if I take a look at it?”
She smiles and shakes her head. I move my fingers gently through her hair until she winces, which is when I see the small bald spot and a streak of blood.
“What the fuck?”
“Excuse me, but could you watch your language? This is a school, for goodness’ sake.”
“A school where Star is supposed to be safe, so tell me why the fuck she has a bald spot?”
“Wait, what?” Citi gasps.
“Little boys can be rambunctious?—”
Citi slowly turns her head toward the teacher, looking like a demon has possessed her. “A boy did this? A boy put his hands on my daughter?” Her voice is cold and lethal. I have to fight not to get hard because holy fuck, there’s a time and a place, and lord knows this isn’t it.
She presses her lips to Star’s forehead before pointing at the truck. “You see Uncle Havoc?”
Havoc, with his sixth sense, must have figured out something’s up. He climbs out and walks around the truck, leaning against it with his arms folded.
Star nods.
“Go wait with him for me while I talk to your teacher, okay?”
