A bullied girl meets the popular new student.
*****
"Still saying that you're perfectly okay?" Max whispers.
I'm surprised to hear that his voice is shaking.
"I'm going to find who did this to you."
*****
One time, I was the most popular girl in sch...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
My hands are trembling as I place them on my lap, trying to hold back my sobs. I'm sitting inside the principal's office. The vice-principal and the homeroom teacher are also here.
They're all staring at me with great concern on their faces.
Concern, and disappointment.
"Our school does not tolerate drugs, Ms. Klein," the principal says in a firm tone. "The consequence of your actions is unnegotiable. You will be expelled from this school."
"But I didn't do it." My voice breaks. "I never meant to consume it intentionally. I was tricked and trapped."
My heart burns as I think about the twins, Annabelle and Michelle Robinson, who led me to the pill party. I'm sure that Rory and Mikaela have made a deal with them, but I don't have any proof that they were involved in trapping me in that place.
Yet, the principal hasn't said anything about Max although he's in one of the pictures, and relief washes over me. The picture doesn't show his face clearly because of the angle, so many people don't recognize him. It's a good thing that Max was wearing a hoodie.
Thank you, God, for leaving him out of this. Thank you.
The principal sighs as the other two men inside this room scrutinize me. The vice-principal, who used to have sympathy for me, now seems to doubt me.
"We have received reports from students who received the pictures sent by an anonymous, and we will continue with the investigation," the principal says. "We will have a serious discussion with your parents too, but until then, you are not required to attend this school."
"Please, believe me, Sir," I insist, feeling my whole body shaking with so many emotions I can't control. "All of my statements are true. I never meant to consume the drugs."
"Sir." The homeroom teacher's eyes widen at whatever it is showing on his phone screen. Panic skates all over his face. "We've got an update. Whoever sent the pictures has just shared them to some websites and social media accounts. It's all over the internet."
I feel my heart stop beating, and darkness envelopes me. The principal pales and clenches his jaw in anger, balling his fist tightly on his desk. The unscratched reputation of this school that he has built for years has crumbled in an instant.
"It's Rory," I blurt out, my voice shaking as a tear finally drops onto my cheek. "It's her. Rory Parker. She's the one who caused all of this mess. She was blackmailing me--"
"So have you acknowledged it now about what you did at the party?" the principal barks, losing his patience. "Now do you admit it, Ms. Klein?" he hisses.
"No," I cry, raising my tone. "I told you, I was trapped--"
"If Ms. Parker is indeed involved in this, we will take immediate actions for her distributing the pictures," the vice-principal cuts our argument, assuring the principal about the consequences of their student tainting the reputation of this school. He then turns to me, and I can see slight empathy in his eyes.
