The Upside of Heartbreak

And Into The Fire

Holy crow, I couldn't believe the outpouring of comments for that last chapter! You guys are amazing! Thank you so, so much. I'm sorry this is later than I'd hoped for, but I really stressed out on the wording. I just couldn't seem to get my thoughts to turn into sentences. I'm sure anyone that writes fanfics or has ever tried to write an essay can sympathize. Lol. I finally managed it in the end though. Hopefully you like it and agree that it was at least a little worth the wait...

______

Sitting through her morning class was torture. Expecting the very worst, Astrid kept waiting for security to barge in the door and haul her away. Surely she was going to be expelled at the very least. On the bright side, it would save her from having to sit through an hour and a half of translating confusing old Latin poetry. That had to be worse than prison. Whatever was going to happen, couldn't the faculty at least have the decency to get on with it, instead of leaving her to stew in her nervous suspense like this?!

Her wildest imaginings proved to be unfounded though. No security detail ever arrived to escort her down the halls like a prisoner on escape watch. No one even came to get her at all. It took until English class before someone actually even sent for her to bring herself to the office. "Don't worry Astrid. Dean Terribal is not nearly as terrifying as he looks," Cope offered lightly after delivering the news. Clearly hoping to ease some of Astrid's nerves with a hint of good humour.

Unfortunately that was impossible. It didn't matter that this was much less of a display than Astrid had been picturing, it was still embarrassing enough. Having never been in trouble before, Astrid had no idea how to even begin to deal with the burning ache now roiling in her stomach. At this rate, she'd be chucking up her breakfast into a garbage bin before she could make it halfway to the office.

With a sigh, Astrid quickly gathered her laptop and books. Stuffing everything haphazardly into her bag as she met Rachel and Heather's anxious eyes. "See you guys later," Astrid muttered. "Hopefully..." Both of them giving her half-hearted smiles that didn't reach their eyes. With another sigh, Astrid slung her backpack strap over her shoulder. Feeling the gaze of every other student in the room on her as well.

Astrid tried desperately to ignore the attention as she walked to the door. Likely they were all speculating just what this was about. Or, even more likely, they were wondering how accurate the rumours were and just how much trouble she was in now because of them. She couldn't really fault them for their uncomfortable stares and whispers of interest either. Astrid knew for a fact that she'd be doing the exact same thing if it was someone else getting called out of class for something this outrageous.

Her overactive mind unfortunately kicked right back into overdrive once she was out the door. What if she did get kicked out for seducing a teacher? Or worse, what if they thought Hayden had seduced her instead? After he had been so careful to avoid trouble, had she thrown it all away in one rash moment. Had she been wrong to trust Scott not to tell Alvin every incriminating detail at the first possible opportunity? Oh god, how would she ever explain this to her parents? They were going to be so disappointed in her...

Trudging laboriously down the hallway in her concrete shoes, Astrid could feel her body trying to panic and she started hyperventilating. The intrusive blue-white of the fluorescent overhead lighting growing fuzzy around the edges as her vision swam. The already long hallway seeming to stretch out endlessly before her like a yawning cave of distorted colour and shadow. Was this what it felt like for convicts on death row, she began to wonder. Clutching pointlessly at the strap of her pack with both hands as if it could offer some support.