“He what?How do you know?”Panic washed over her.
“He told me—actually, Zane did—claiming they all saw the video.”I gestured animatedly.
“Oh no, no, no!This can't be happening!My parents will kill me, or worse, send me away to boarding school!”She sank to the floor, hugging her knees as tears streamed down her face.My anger dissipated, replaced with a desire to protect her.
“Listen, they're the ones who broke into the art lab.Nobody knows but me.If I keep their secret, they will keep yours too.”She looked up at me, but there was no relief in her eyes.
“What?Forever?Am I supposed to be their lapdog?”
“No, just until the end of the school year.Once we're out of here and scattered across the country, who will care?You won't be around.Hopefully, I won't be either.”
I tried to instill some hope in her.“How could he do this to me?”
“Why do you think we call them theVipers?”
“Because they bite and can't be trusted?”
“Exactly.But you made the mistake of trusting one of them.”I spoke softly, trying not to sound accusatory.
“I know, stupid teenage hormones!”she groaned.
I couldn't help but chuckle at her frustration.“Come on, let's get out of here.We'll figure this out.You just have to steer clear of them.”She nodded in agreement.
We trudged to our next class, barely exchanging words until the final bell rang.Relief washed over us as we stepped outside, grateful that the day was finally over.But as I emerged from the school, I realized my day was far from finished—my mom was waiting for me just outside.
Chapter 3
The air outside was hot, reminiscent of a lingering summer heatwave.As I drew closer to my mom, the weight of anxiety made it difficult to catch my breath, fearing her disappointing gaze.
“Hey, Mom.What are you doing here?”I had no doubt the principal had already informed her of the situation.
“Get in the car,” she instructed.My eyes flicked to Emily, who looked concerned.
“Don't worry about me; I'll just take the bus home.But, what ended up happening with the principal?”she asked, momentarily forgetting the earlier drama.
“I'll fill you in tomorrow, I swear,” I replied.
“Okay, just take care of yourself.”
As Emily waved goodbye, I climbed into my mom’s Fiat.The silence that enveloped us was thick and awkward.I hadn't done anything wrong, so why was guilt gnawing at me?
“The principal called and told me what happened,” she finally said, breaking the silence.I met her gaze but remained silent, another stretch of quiet passed between us.“Your school is filled with strange kids.I just saw some kids smoking weed right outside the school,” she said, her voice rising in disbelief.Once again, I found myself at a loss for words, torn between defending my peers or siding with my mother.I wished my dad were here; he always knew the right thing to say.“Is there anything you want to tell me?”she asked, casting a quick glance my way.My heart raced.Was she suggesting I was involved?
“No, what do you want me to say?Someone broke into the school, but I don't know who did it.I honestly have no idea,” I replied, even though I knew exactly who was responsible.It was a lie.
“I saw your name all over the classroom.I saw the pictures,” she exclaimed, her voice so loud that I instinctively leaned away.
“I know the principal showed me, but I told him I didn't know who wrote it.It's probably just a prank,” I retorted, trying to keep my tone steady.
“A prank?You call that a prank?What kind of sick person would do that?”
“Mom, it's just kids being kids.It's a school.They can be cruel.Just try not to take it to heart,” I urged.
“So, some twisted kids leave a threatening message for my daughter, and you expect me to stay calm?”
“You're overreacting.It's not as serious as you think.”
“If anything seems off—any little thing—promise me you'll tell me right away.”She looked at me intently, ensuring I understood.I nodded.“I love you so much.I wouldn't want anything to happen to you that would cause you pain or distress.I need you to know that.”
