Heart Me

Chapter 3

Kayla's POV

My two-week suspension was finally over. Despite the severity of my punishment, my parents had been surprisingly nonchalant about the whole ordeal. They never even brought it up. I had spent the past two weeks ignoring texts and calls from Tristan and Grace, needing the space to process everything. However, Nate had been persistent, checking in on me daily and apologizing for the mess he felt responsible for.

The morning of my return to school, both my parents were tied up with their shifts at the hospital. My older brother, Jace, was the one who drove me back. The flight to Europe was a blur, as I slept through most of it, waking only when we landed.

"Hey, sis, why are you so down?" Jace asked as we drove towards the school.

"School sucks," I sighed, staring out the window.

He laughed. "Relax, I'm not the one who suspended you."

"Yeah, I know. Can I ask you something? Promise you'll be honest," I said, turning to face him.

"Sure, shoot."

"Who is Thomas? Aunt Melanie mentioned him to Mom the day I got suspended, and I overheard Mom and Dad talking about him too. They were really secretive about it."

"You don't know Thomas? Seriously? Even Tara knows him. He's your school's chairman, the guy who suspended you—Thomas Prescott," Jace explained.

"What? And why is everyone so bitter about him?" I asked, feeling more confused.

"A few years ago, his wife had a brain tumor. Dad was her surgeon. Thomas begged Dad to save her, claiming his daughter's mental health depended on it. Unfortunately, she didn't survive the surgery. Thomas sued Dad for malpractice afterward, but I never got to know the full details," Jace said, his expression turning serious.

"I'm worried about them," I sighed, feeling a bit overwhelmed by this new information.

                                         ***

I walked through the hallways to my geography class, feeling everyone's eyes on me. It wasn't just that I had returned from a suspension; I was also still in my travel clothes, not the school uniform. Principal Melanie had sent me straight to class without a chance to change or rest. I was grateful not to share this class with Tristan and Grace, as I wasn't ready to face them yet.

Entering the classroom, I immediately spotted Nate. He smiled as I walked over and took a seat next to him.

"Hello," he greeted.

"Hey."

"Welcome back, I—" Nate was cut off by Simon, the class clown, making an announcement.

"Hey, guys! First of all, welcome back, Kayla. I missed you, honey," Simon said, blowing a kiss my way. I blew one back, smiling.

Simon continued, "Mr. Rennie sent me to tell you there's a teachers' meeting. No geography class, and no other classes this afternoon. Enjoy your weekend!"

The class erupted in cheers as students began to file out. Simon came over to me, giving me a big hug.

"Kayla, why would Emmy's dad suspend you?" Simon asked, pulling away.

"It's a long story, Simon. But don't worry, the bitch is back," I said playfully.

He laughed, and we did our little friendly finger play before he frowned.

"What's wrong?" I asked, concerned.

"You ghosted Grace and Tristan for two weeks," he pointed out.

"I know, and I'm sorry. I just needed some time to myself," I explained.