What Is Your Name?

Chapter 10: What About Me? (Lillian)

"Good morning, Lil," Sky crooned as soon as I fell (yes, literally fell) out of bed. "You think it's about time you start drinking coffee?" That's been an old joke between us for years. I probably could've used some coffee a long time ago, but... well... you know. We could probably round up the money for coffee, but we could also use that money on, you know, clothes, actually necessary food, stuff like that. But now...

"Well, why not? I'm sure the cafeteria serves it at breakfast." I grinned. "You seem to be in a good mood. Song going well?"

"It's going great, and a certain friend of yours got her act together."

"You and Tempest are friends?!" I squealed. "Oh my gosh! I ship it sooo hard! I have to tell Grey; we can..."

"Holy crap, Lil, we're friends," Sky interrupted. "She told me why she kept switching friend groups, that's all. Did you know?"

"Yeah. The notes... in my locker..."

"Will be no more, because I'm so beating those snobs up. Listen, I was up late working on my song last night. I'm starving, so let's go eat breakfast and then we can go train," Sky suggested.

I looked up from my phone. It wasn't a great phone, but the school insisted we have them for emergencies. Not that Sky used his much, the antisocial brat, but me... "Screw it. Grey invited us for donuts. When was the last time we had one of those?"

"I prefer to keep you on a healthy diet, so probably... our last birthday?"

"Too long. Let's go. Come on, get up, lazy!"

"I'm already dressed, just give me five, I'll meet you out front." Sky was laughing slightly at my energy. Well, excuse me. There were donuts involved!

Sky met Grey, Tempest, and I at the front gate, but he was a freaking mess. Well, that's an exaggeration. He was mostly fine. But his hand! It was crumpled and starting to swell, and there were probably gonna be some major bruises on there later. "What on earth happened to you?!" I screeched.

"I told you. The notes."

Grey put it together faster than I did. "Oh my freaking gosh, Sky's a bruiser!"

"Don't ever say that again," Sky warned.

"I would listen to him if I were you, Grey," Tempest agreed. "I'd be surprised if that poor unfortunate soul was conscious right now."

"She's not," Sky confirmed.

"She?!" I shrieked. "Sky, what is wrong with you?!"

"A lot, apparently," Lord Grantham answered. "You are at this school to fight the Shadow, not any student who happens to annoy you. My office. Now."

"What about me?" I asked.

"You did not knock out another student. You and your friends may carry on."

"No, I mean, what about me? What about punishing the people who hurt me?" I repeated. "People left death threats, literal death threats, in my locker, and you turn the other way because they're rich, like you. They don't ever feel guilt because they don't even know my dad, like you. Yet when Sky actually tries to do something about a problem you're not handling, it's considered disrespectful. So let me ask you again, oh great Lord Grantham: what about me?"

Lord Grantham didn't respond. The silence was enough of a response for me, anyway. But not for Tempest. Much to the surprise of Sky, she lit into Grantham.

"With all due respect, sir, Lillian's right. Did you even realize that your favorite students were threatening to murder a 13-year-old girl? This school isn't just about the Shadow. It's about self-defense. The Shadow just happens to be what most people need defending from. But that doesn't make him the only dangerous thing on the planet. Humans were evil before he was born and they will continue to be evil after he dies. I agree that punching someone's lights out may have been a little extreme, but it was something. Why is it that in the face of physical threats, you establish an entire friggin' school, but if no one was physically hurt, you turn the other way? Regardless of Sky and Lillian's financial status, you're the one who allowed them to come here. If you punish Sky for punching someone who finds murder appealing, you have to punish the other psycho harder. And if you don't... I'm leaving the school. Because that wouldn't be the kind of safe haven I thought you were running here."

"Me too," Grey added. "I would leave, too. Believe me, Grantham, Tempest is not sensitive. She is, emotionally, the strongest person I know. If she thinks something's unfair, you better rethink it."

"That is the most backhanded compliment I have ever received," Tempest muttered.

Grantham stared at us. We must've seemed like the boldest kids in the world, going at it with the principal of the prestigious school we were lucky to get into. But if Grantham went through with this unfair treatment of Sky, I felt better knowing he would lose at least four students in the process. Meanwhile, Sky was cartoon-character completely-stunned speechless. Students from a school he considered so prejudiced were willing to leave for him? As Grantham continued to stare, I walked over and stood by Sky. "Just so we're clear," I stated, "we both probably know you considered my little declaration disrespectful. Guess you're gonna have to take me to your office, too."

"Yeah, and I just called you apathetic," Tempest added. "Count me in on this office party."

"And I used this as an opportunity to make fun of my sister. I think I need a little punishment, too, hm?" Grey, too. Sky's snide jokes about fake progress were nothing compared to this.

You could literally see the moment it registered to Grantham how much paperwork it would be to expel this many students. And apparently he wasn't up for that. "Just bring me a donut," he sighed, giving up. Like, truly giving up. He was already walking away, and not making Sky follow him.

Grey and I started laughing our butts off, but Tempest turned to Sky. "We should get some ice for that hand of yours," she said.

"Good idea," Sky agreed.

"And we should get donuts," Grey added. "Not for any particular reason, just... donuts."

I grinned. "Grey, you are the smartest person alive."