“And that’s why you decided to take justice into your own hands? Goaded Mr. Murphy to ‘exact punishment’” he says, using air quotations.
He’s giving me a way to take blame for this. And I would for Jamie. But I won’t let Dr. Mérieux get away with it. I won’t let the school make me its personal punching bag. I won’t let my future pay the price.
“There were multiple witnesses who saw what Mr. Murphy did to those two boys,” he continues, emboldened by my silence. “But Mr. Murphy has a spotless record. Frankly, I’ve never seen him in this office, and his teachers have nothing but glowing reviews. So do his peers. But you”—he gazes down at the papers in front of him—“abrasive, rude, unfriendly, and not very bright. Most of all, forgettable by your teachers.”
My skin itches, and I want to scratch it off. I doubt my teachers said any of that.
“Who said that?” I ask.
“Pardon?”
“Which teachers said that?” My stomach hurts from speakingabove a whisper. “Because I have excellent attendance. I answer every question they ask me, and I ace my quizzes.”
He peers at me, annoyed. “Not everything is as it seems. We looked into your background before you were admitted to school. There were no red flags from your old school. Your father has held a job since you’ve been living here, albeit a… low-paid one, and with your mother passing away—”
“Murdered,” I interrupt, my blood heating.
He lowers his chin to stare at me. “Excuse me?”
“My mother was murdered in a hate crime.” I hold his stare despite how erratic my heartbeat is. “She didn’t pass away. She was murdered.”
He shifts in his seat, eyes narrowed, and there’s a slight discomfort in the way he’s pulling his lips together.
“All in all,” he says, as if I hadn’t said a word, “I felt this school would be a second chance for you. I thought we’d be doing good letting you in. Your father boasted about you and your artistic talent. Showed me a couple of examples of what you drew. But now I know these were just the ramblings of a parent. You’ve made a mockery of this school with the mural you drew. Yes, Miss Williams told me what she overheard what you said.”
I knew she’d tell him, but this still feels like a knife to the heart.
He looks vindicated at whatever my expression is.
“Because of this, I have no choice but to suspend you as well until the board decides whether to expel you or not.”
He waits, and I realize he’s expecting me to beg. He has nothing but Alexis’s word, which is why the police aren’t here.
“All right.” I still feel hollow, even though I expected this. It’s incredible howknowingsomething will happen never translates to how you feel about it when it actually happens.
“I was told Nicole will be filing a restraining order against you,” he says, and I think he’s trying to get a rise out of me, but this just makes me want to laugh.
It dawns on me that anger has its moments, but so does being calm. Anger was justified when Jamie used it against Mason and Adrian. But in Dr. Mérieux’s office, my calm is maddening him.
“Will I still be taking finals?” I ask, and he looks befuddled at me not caring about what he said.
“It’s up to the board,” he says through gritted teeth.
I pick up my bag, slinging it over my shoulders, and leave without saying goodbye.
As soon as I’m outside, I realize my hands are shaking as I press stop on the recording on my phone. I take a deep breath and call Audrey.
“Hey,” I say as soon she picks up. “Do you have time now?”
Audrey meets me outside the school.
“Did you have class?” I ask, and she shakes her head.
“Yeah, but we’re just reviewing chapters. And you said you’d let me know on Friday.”
“Yeah, sorry. I got caught up with everything. Do you want to go somewhere? I feel like this is going to be a long talk.”
She grins and pats the bag across her shoulder. “I’m so ready.”
