''Ian Romero, the person I hate the most in the whole wide world. He turned the entire school against me, and then just left me alone in the hell he created.''
There's no one Cody Walker hates more than Ian Romero, who is the reason he has been bull...
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*Ian Romero's POV
Is it wrong to rejoice from someone else's misery? Well, I can't say I felt like such a horrible person when I started grinning after seeing the defeated expressions on Bryce, Jeremy and Kaleb's faces once they walked out of the office room. I was just so happy to know it was finally over and it was their time to suffer.
What was the verdict then? I can't actually tell you that, not yet, because there will be a criminal investigation that's going to take some time. What I can say is that Bryce, Jeremy or Kaleb won't be in our class anymore and most likely the first two won't ever even so much as step inside these hallways anymore.
Kaleb's punishment will be milder, since he tried to help Cody in the end, but there would be consequences either way. Jeremy is going to face criminal charges at least from the latest assault in the school bathroom. Bryce then, well, he was going to a military learning institution. Whatever that meant, Bryce's face revealed it was the worst punishment one could possibly get.
Then the principal tried to make Bryce, Jeremy and Kaleb shake hands and apologise Cody. They would have complied with the order, but Cody refused. He just shook his head and said: "You can come apologise me when you mean it."
"Why didn't you let them apologise?" I asked later when we were lounging in the spacious living room at my place.
"Because it was just another empty gesture, and some fake apologies won't heal the damage." Cody shrugged, taking another sip from his beer bottle. "Besides, I'm not sure I'd be able to forgive them even if they apologised for real."
I didn't answer, I just pulled him closer, my arm resting on his shoulders. We had one big sofa just for us, whereas Ade and Callie had reserved the armchairs and Hope and Oat had a slightly smaller couch for them. It was barely past noon and we should have been at school, but we needed to celebrate.
We had five pizzas with different toppings, ordered from a nearby pizzeria, cold beer in the fridge and a couple of bottles of wine. Oh, and apparently also sparkling wine.
"We need to toast!" Oat announced when they appeared from the kitchen with a bottle and some glasses. Hope followed them carrying the rest of the glasses and she was smiling so brightly one could hardly believe she had broken up with her boyfriend only some days ago.
The bottle opened with a loud pop, the sparkling wine foaming and nearly spilling on the floor. Oat poured some to me, Cody, Callie, Ade, Hope and lastly to themself. Then we raised our glasses.
"Well, I want to say I'm so happy this is finally over, and I couldn't be prouder of my dear Cody who roasted those idiots to the ground today." Oat was smiling heartily when they half-hugged Cody and planted a kiss on the top of his head.
"I wouldn't say —" Cody muttered, looking down.
"Oh, yes you did. Don't be modest, my friend. You did a hell of a job today." Ade interrupted Cody and grinned widely.
