𝙲𝚊𝚛𝚖𝚎𝚗'𝚜 𝙳𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚖𝚖𝚊

Chapter Twenty One

.......
The next day in school passed by in a blur and soon it was intermission.
My head ached as the teacher's words from the last class resonated in my mind.

I had lunch alone at the cafeteria - not that i had a choice since Aisha was in the science Lab,still working on her class projects.

Soon, the bell was rung.

A few minutes into class, the door opened, and a student aide called my name.

*Student Aide: *"Carmen, the principal wants to see you."*

My heart sank as i gathered my things, feeling the weight of the entire class's gaze on my back as i left the room. The walk to the principal's office felt interminable, each step echoing with dread.

As i reached the door, i took a deep breath, trying to steel myself for what lay beyond.
I walked in.
Mrs Melissa sat and nodded, gesturing for me to sit down. I did.
Sitting in the cold, sterile office chair, my heart pounded in my chest as i stared at the floor. The principal's office was silent,too silent.
The only sound resonating in the room was the rhythmic tapping of Mrs Melissa's fountain pen against the desk and the sound coming from the soft hum of the ceiling fan overhead.
The walls were lined with certificates, diplomas, and framed photos of smiling students, but none of it brought me any comfort now. The shame of what had happened-the photos,the whispers, the looks-was suffocating. Or was it about Jason.I could barely breathe.

The door creaked open, and i didn't need to look up to know who had entered. The heavy footsteps, the sharp intake of breath-it was my father. He had arrived.

"Carmen!" His voice was sharp, louder than i had expected. I flinched instinctively, my eyes still glued to the floor. I had never heard him sound like this before-so angry, so hurt.

"What is going on here?" he demanded, his tone cutting through the tension in the room. He turned to Mrs Melissa who stood awkwardly by her desk, unsure of how to intervene.
"How could this happen?"

The principal cleared her throat, glancing at me with a mixture of pity and frustration.
"Mr. Williams, we are doing everything we can to address the situation, but-"

"Everything you can?" my father interjected his voice rising. "My daughter's pictures are all over the school, and you call that 'everything you can'? This is unacceptable!"

I felt tears sting my eyes, but i refused to let them fall. I didn't want to cry in front of my father, didn't want to seem weak. But the reality of the situation was unbearable. I could feel the weight of his disappointment crushing me, and it hurt more than anything anyone else had said or done.

"Look at me, Carmen," my father ordered, his voice cold and firm.
There's always been an unspoken rule never to look at your African parent while they spoke to you.
Slowly, i lifted my gaze to meet his. His eyes were hard, his face drawn tight with anger. "How could you be so careless? So reckless?"

"Dad, I-" i started, mu voice trembling, but he cut me off.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" he snapped. "Do you understand the shame you've brought on yourself, on this family?"

Before i could respond, he struck me across the face. The sound echoed through the small office, the slap reverberating in the air. My head snapped to the side, my cheek stinging from the force of the blow. I felt my world tilt, the tears i had been holding back now spilling over.

The principal flinched,her expression troubled, but she said nothing. This was between father and daughter, and it was not her place to intervene.

"You're coming home," my father said, his voice trembling with barely restrained fury. "You'll stay with your mother for a while, until this mess dies down. Maybe she can knock some sense into you since I clearly can't."