Jon turned his head, regarded Kenneth for a long second, and then snorted. “Well, you are cheating on her, and got this other young lady pregnant to boot. So I’d say that’s accurate.”
Temperature dropped about ten degrees. People were shocked, horrified, and then the yelling really started.
Kenneth’s mom managed to out yell everyone else. “Excuse me?! Who the hell are you to just make that accusation?”
Principal Evans groaned, already over this whole thing. “Ma’am, he’d know. This man is Jonathan Bane, one of the most famous Readers in the world. He can see everything about you,trust me. Abby is his apprentice. Her eyes and psychic ability are just as good, so she can tell. They both can.”
Emily burst out into tears, scared now. “Am I really pregnant?”
Her mother stared at her. “Emily? What have you done?”
“A lot,” I answered dryly. “Without protection, either, which is a whole other level of stupid. She’s about four weeks along? Jon, am I right?”
“Thereabouts,” he said with an easy nod.
The way Emily crumpled was quite telling. She really hadn’t known. Her mother was aghast, but also getting really mad at her daughter. Emily wasn’t going to have a good time for the rest of her high school career, on that I’m certain. She’d be locked away like a runaway nun.
Becca’s mom, on the other hand, was quite willing to pick up a shovel. “So, Kenneth, in the end you did prove to be an absolute scumbag. I had a feeling you’d be the cheating type. You’re never getting near my daughter again.”
Kenneth stared at the floor like his world was ending. Dramatic little asshole, wasn’t he? His mom glared at him like she was ready to drop him off at a military school and wash her hands of him, so maybe it was to his mind.
Still, for some reason, she was mad at me? Her eyes landed on me and she snapped, “You need to learn how to mind your business, missy.”
“I was safeguarding my friend,” I snapped back. How fucking dare she. “Becca didn’t deserve what your son did to her, and if he’s going around fucking other girls, he’s likely to give her an STD, which isn’t happening on my watch. So no, this isn’t my fault. How about you teach your son how to be a decent human being.”
“This happened because of your irresponsible use of your ability!” she argued.
Jon cleared his throat and in that oh so mild manner of his, drawled, “Ma’am, you’re trying to shoot the messenger now. Stop trying to blame the kitchen light for revealing there’s roaches in the kitchen. Abby only reported what she saw, to a friend, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“But she’s using her ability to do that with, which is illegal, surely!”
“Not any more illegal than a friend reporting on something they witnessed. Take the psychic ability out of it,” Jon advised. “If she’d seen your son kissing this other girl, and reported that, would you still be trying to pin the blame on her? You know she’s not the problem here. Stop trying to deflect.”
She glared harder. “So you’re taking her side, not even going to punish her?”
Jon quirked a brow at her, and oh shit, he’s about to do a Jonism. Oooh, she’s going to regret poking him.
“Ma’am. If we’re going to cast blame, then why don’t you start with your husband? Which is where your son learned his cheating ways.”
Her expression went ashen. It was her turn to stare at the floor like she didn’t know how to meet anyone’s eyes.
Donovan shook his head, sighing. “Listen, everyone, my husband will happily keep secrets to himself right up until you pick a fight with him. Then he will tell all. So please, let’s just not go there, all right? The main problem here isn’t Abby telling her friend. It’s that these two are caught out, and Kenneth apparently tried to attack Abby physically. That part is not all right. Principal Evans, what happens next?”
Principal Evans kept an eye on Kenneth and his mom as he answered. “I agree, the problem isn’t Abby. She didn’t do anything wrong. In fact, I applaud her courage in speaking up and safeguarding a friend. Whatisthe problem is that we now have a teenage pregnancy, and a young man who thinksit’s all right to attack someone instead of own up to his own wrongdoings. None of that is acceptable. Kenneth? You’re suspended for two weeks. Emily, you have permission to take a leave of absence for a week. You’ve got some tough decisions to make.”
Kenneth got hauled out of the room by his mother, and she was hissing into his ear, and it wasn’t anything good. He was in so, so much trouble.
Emily chased after them, her mother hot on her heels. “Wait, wait, we have to talk about this!”
I could hear him scream at her, “I don’t want a fucking kid! I thought you were on birth control!”
“Don’t you dare scream at her when you got her pregnant!” That was probably Emily’s mom screaming back, wasn’t sure with a wall blocking my view.
Principal Evans gave a long sigh. “We try so hard to teach kids not to do this kind of shit. I’m sorry this all happened. Becca, why don’t you take the rest of the day as a mental health day, okay?”
She gave a nod, tears still in her eyes. “Thanks. I will. Um, that said.” Standing, she came to me and leaned in to give me a hug. “Thanks. Seriously, thanks.”
I hugged her back, just feeling so bad for her. “You’re welcome. Becca, how about a girls’ night this weekend? We can eat too much ice cream and vent about how awful boys are.”
