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29. Neither

Dammit, Paige. I should've known. Shit, shit, shit.

I could feel the deputy's hand tightening around my neck as I tried to turn my head. I willed for her to run out of the room, to drive off the campus and lock herself in her bedroom.

"Well, well, well. Who do we have here Li-li?" My moms voice rang in the ear that wasn't pressed against the desk and I could hear Paige's gasp.

"Hi, Felicity," Paige spoke confidently, through I could hear the uncertainty in her words.

I felt the grip around my neck lightening up and I slowly turned my head around on the table, hoping he wouldn't stop me again. When I was all the way rotated, the heel of his hand pushed into my temple.

Paige's arm was sandwiched in the other deputy's hand, he was holding it upwards so she had to stand on her toes. Her head was turned to face my mother who was standing in the corner with her arms across her chest and a smirk on her face.

"Hello," my mom smiled back, and took a step closer to Paige, signaling to the deputy to release her arm.

The deputy holding my head down finally let go and grabbed a hold of my collar to pull me up onto my feet. I saw concern spread across Paige's face and I could tell that it didn't matter how cruel I was to her earlier- she was worried for me.

"Landon, are you alright?" Paige called across the room to me with sadness etched in her face.

"Yes," I answered, only semi-honestly. Physically, yes, I was fine. But, otherwise, probably not.

"You almost got my husband caught, Paige," my mother murmured towards Paige and walked to stand right in front of her, "why don't you and my son take a seat?" She raised her hand and turned it towards the two seats in front of me.

The deputy holding me let go of my shirt and gave me a good shove, while the deputy holding Paige forcefully pushed her forward. I wanted to run and hug her, to apologize for everything today, but I couldn't. Instead, I kept my eyes on my mothers and slowly sat into the chair.

"You still pay Kyle, right Li-li?" She spoke and sat down in Ms. Keaton's chair. I heard a breath come out of Paige's nose and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Yep," I clipped. What the hell does she want? Why is she at my school?

"Good, keep paying him. Now, I need you to pay your father and I's rent," my mothers words almost didn't register in my head, I couldn't believe what she was saying.

"What?" Paige's annoyed voice confirmed what I just heard and I could see her pop out of her seat to hover over the desk in front of her.

"Sit down," I sighed and reached over to tug on the back of her shirt.

"See, your father was fired from the locksmith, thanks to you Paige, so we obviously aren't making enou-"

"That is your own damn fault," Paige yelled towards her, "that is your problem, not Landon's. His name is Landon." I could tell Paige didn't like the nickname my mother had given to me all those years ago, I hated it too, but I never said anything about it.

"That's where you come in Paige," she retorted, not phased by Paige's blow up. I watched as Paige's eyes roll and she laid back in her seat.

"I know Landon has a job at the publishing house, and you've got your," she raised her finger and spun it in a circle around Paige, "business. So it should be no problem, hm?" Her eyes bounced between the two of us and a grin spread across her aging face.

In a matter of seconds, my mother had stood from her spot in Ms. Keaton's chair and was walking out of the door behind us, the two deputies in tow.