About You Now

The Failed Queen

The week following the tournament finals had been filled with buzz; students often talked about what happened and celebrated with the victorious team. Other students focused on various things, from studying to catching up with school work they were behind on, filling out college applications, and deciding what they wanted to do after school. Despite all that, the rumors spread like wildfire about Serenity and her being arrested the night of the tournament finals.

Some rumors indicated she had spent the weekend in the country jail, while others said she had been released that night. All, however, agreed it had something to do with the hit-and-run. The rumors hadn't quietened down when Serenity had returned in the middle of the school week, nor had they stopped when she yelled at anyone who whispered them when she walked by. Instead, her sudden attitude change toward the attention she once strived to have only caused those very rumors to grow more powerful.

It had been Friday when Vicki Guerrero had hulled Serenity out of the little room near Stephanie's office. The room had been quiet before that, with Eva, Daniel, Jinder, and Bobby Lashley doing schoolwork and studying for the upcoming exams scheduled to begin the following week. Stephanie had granted them the use of headphones if they wanted to listen to music while they studied, but other than that, nothing else had been out of the ordinary.

Only when Serenity walked to Stephanie's office did a lump form in Serenity's throat. From the brightly lit office, the girls of the mix-and-match group filed out in a neat little line. Not a word escaped them, but a slight grin crept upon their lips. They seemed different as if a weight had been lifted from their shoulders. Yet not one of them acknowledged Serenity there. Instead, they walked past with their heads held high, as if finally receiving the news they'd been waiting for.

Serenity's dread only seemed to strengthen the closer she got to Stephanie's office, so much so that she felt a knot tightening in her stomach as if the jaws of doom were clamping down upon her. No matter how hard she tried to shake away the feelings, they didn't seem to leave, just as her wild thoughts all told her the trip to Stephanie's office had something to do with the hit and run weeks prior and her subsequent arrest over the weekend.

"Sit down," Stephanie ordered when Serenity was ushered into the silent room. Stephanie didn't stand to greet her or even offer a friendly hello as she'd done previously. Instead, her voice was serious, and her blue eyes bore into the computer screen as if to burn a hole. Serenity gulped when the door closed behind her; her nerves grew so much it was as if she'd lost the power to control her limbs. Even more so when she wanted nothing more than to run away, instead her legs carried her toward the chair already pulled out for her, and her hand instinctively found her slowly growing baby bump.

"What's this about?" asked Serenity. In her mind, she'd sounded confident, fierce even, but in reality, her voice was quiet, quivering with fear and nerves as her mind raced through all the scenarios, each worse than the last. Each revolved around her failure to get what she wanted. Stephanie, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice; instead, her attention remained on her computer screen as she tapped away on the keyboard before her. Only when she was satisfied with her work and the printer burst to life with a grumble did the headmistresses attention fully turn to Serenity, however no softness could be found, just cold seriousness.

"I'm presuming you're aware the investigation into the hit and run has concluded?" worded Stephanie, her voice powerful in the silent room. Serenity could only nod; how could she forget the interrogation she'd been through over the weekend? How could she forget the hours cooped up in that little room at the police station, the trauma she'd endured? Even now, almost a week later, she still felt like a part of herself was broken, and she still had nightmares about her experiences. Still, Serenity nodded, unable to say the words out loud and reveal another weakness she had to try and conceal.