Ellie and I looked at each other in horror.
Karma, why do you hate me so much?
***
I struggled through the quiz. It’s not that I hadn’t been studying, it’s just that I couldn’t retain anything. With all the distractions in my head, I couldn’t concentrate. My eyes would scan the letters and numbers, but my mind was too full of my own problems. Between my parents, my so-called friends turning their backs on me, and Taylor and Thiago…I just hoped I could get a decent grade, I couldn’t allow myself to simply pass the test.
On my way out of class, I felt my phone vibrate in the back pocket of my jeans. I looked at the screen and rejected the call. It was my mother. No way I was talking to her. If I had my way, I wouldn’t even speak to her for the rest of the year. She called back. I ignored her again.
“Who is it?” Ellie asked. She had been walking beside me on our way to the science lab.
“My mom.”
She made a horrified face, and we both laughed. At thatmoment, the principal’s voice came over the loudspeaker.
Kamila Hamilton, please come immediately to the principal’s office.
Everyone in the hallway turned to look at me.
“What did you do?” Ellie asked.
“Nothing!”
I felt a twinge of fear. It must have something to do with those unanswered calls from Mom. What if something had happened to my parents or to my grandparents? Or worse?
“I’ll see you later,” I said, turning around.
Five minutes later, I was standing outside Principal Harrison’s office. He was waiting for me.
“Good morning, Kamila,” he said, waving me in and telling me to take a seat.
“What did I do this time?” I asked nervously.
He sat down at his desk and sighed.
“You? Nothing. Which is a welcome change,” he responded calmly. “It’s about Cameron…” Before he could go on, someone knocked at the door.
“Come in,” Mr. Harrison said, and I looked back to see who it was. As the door opened, I found myself face-to-face with the source of all my nightly fantasies. My stomach tightened as our gazes met. He looked away before I could get lost in his emerald green eyes.
“Ah, Mr. Di Bianco,” Harrison said. “I was just about to tell Miss Hamilton why I called her into the office.”
“Good morning, sir. I decided to come here and talk with Kamila directly.” Despite the circumstances, my name coming from his lips gave me a thrill.
He was so handsome. His dirty-blond hair was combed back and he had a five-o’clock shadow. He was tall, imposing. How did he do it? Why did he have to be so goddamn attractive?
“What happened to Cameron? Is he OK?” I asked,remembering all at once what the principal had been saying before Thiago walked in.
“He got in another fight,” Harrison said, his expression serious. Thiago walked over and stood next to the principal.
“I will say, sir, I don’t think Cameron is the one who started it. I’ve kept an eye on him lately, and these last two weeks he seems to be incredibly lonely. He doesn’t play with the other kids, he sits by himself at recess, he seems completely absorbed in his Nintendo. I didn’t want to tell you what was going on until I was certain, but I think some of Cameron’s classmates are bullying him.”
I felt something shatter inside me. “What?” I asked, voice trembling.
“Are you sure, Mr. Di Bianco? Because at this school, we have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to bullying. If you know of someone who—”
“It’s George Walker, sir,” Thiago said, looking over at me. “He’s the ringleader, and from what I can tell, the kids all do whatever he says.”
“Danny’s brother?” I asked. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
