“Miss Hamilton!” Principal Harrison admonished me.
Now Mr. Walker spoke up: “I will not have my son accused of something this serious without proof. He is a good student, an elite athlete—”
Thiago cut him off with a bitter laugh. “Your son is a fucking drug addict who’s only on the team because you’re as rich as you are shameless and you were able to pressure this school into not expelling him.”
“Mr. Di Bianco, you can leave now!”
“Thiago’s staying,” I said, standing and leaning over Danny and his parents. “Your son has been harassing me. Not just me, but my little brother. Momo? Are you serious? You actually think that’s funny? Scaring little kids? You’re despicable!”
Danny looked at me as though I were speaking a foreign language. “Sorry, but what the hell are you talking about?” he asked.
“Stop pretending you don’t know!”
“This young lady is clearly losing it,” Danny’s mother said. “What happened to you, Kamila? You used to be so sweet, so polite, so…”
“Stupid?” I fired back. “To think I lost two years of my life with your idiot son. It makes me want to pull my eyelashes out.”
Mrs. Walker was stunned, and despite how upset I was, I couldn’t help but enjoy watching her blush at my words. A knock came at the door, and the secretary, looking almost frightened, tried to announce over the shouting, “Mr. Harrison, Kamila Hamilton’s mother is out here and would like to speak with you.”
My mother, my brother, and my grandmother entered the office. At this point, there was barely room for another soul in there. Harrison slumped in his seat, unable to believe what washappening. Thiago tensed up again. I knew he couldn’t stand to be in the same room with my mother, and the tension made me want to scream.
“Let me get this straight,” Mom said. “You call a meeting about the harassment my children are both suffering and you don’t have the decency to inform me?”
This was the first time in my life I’d seen her take her role as a mother seriously.
“Mrs. Hamilton, I didn’t call any meeting. Mr. Walker’s parents came to the school…”
“If my daughter is being discussed, I should be part of the conversation,” she clipped.
“You should be ashamed of yourself,” my grandmother said, looking at Danny and shaking her head.
“Hey,” Danny said to my brother, who looked thoroughly lost. “Did I ever do anything to you?”
Cameron hid behind my mother’s skirt.
“Leave my brother alone,” I said, instinctively taking a step in his direction. “Cam, who’s been hitting you at school?”
Cameron looked from me to my mom. “Cam, tell us, please,” she insisted.
“But, Momo…” he said, almost crying.
I looked at the principal and Danny’s parents.
“I’m sorry, who is this Momo?” Mr. Harrison asked.
“Momo’s a creepy doll that scares kids on YouTube and sends threatening messages,” Thiago said. “But Cameron, listen to me. Momo doesn’t exist.” His voice was gentle.
“Cameron, who’s been hitting you?” the principal asked.
My brother scanned the room. “George Walker,” he finally confessed.
“That’s impossible!” Danny’s mom said, drawing her hand to her mouth.
I looked at Danny, who seemed shocked. How could he be so two-faced?
“But he only does it because Momo tells him to,” my brother clarified. Was he actually defending someone who was hurting him?
“It’s his older brother who’s giving the orders, Cameron,” my mother said, looking at Danny with disappointment. “And to think I once thought you were such a catch for my daughter…”
