Bad Idea (Kaylor) | Completed

Chapter 8: The Blame Game

Notes: Hey guys I'm finally back and I'm super sorry for making you wait so long but this chapter kept coming out super short and I was genuinely not feeling too good about the first half of the chapter but here's it anyway:) hope you still enjoy and let me know what you think

Taylor did her best to still her breathing, pressing hard at her eyes with the backs of her hands. She couldn't do this right now. Not while her friends were still in trouble. Her hands shook as she pressed the button to call the elevator, trying hard to ignore the lingering feeling of Karlie's hands on her waist, her breath on her lips. How did it all go so fucking wrong? The elevator opened with a soft ding. Taylor took a deep breath and entered, stilling her nerves. She was going to fix this. 

Taylor could hear quiet voices as soon as the doors opened to the lobby. A few feet from her, near the mailroom door, a sharp looking blonde woman was apparently very upset with Karlie's boss. 

"You told me she was being lenient, Josh," the woman said angrily. 

"She is! I swear!" Josh defended, his palms up. 

"Does that look like leniency to you?" She growled, jabbing toward the mailroom. 

"I have proof! There's a girl who says she's been complaining to Karlie all semester about the noise from 614, but I checked and Karlie never filed any reports about it-" As if Taylor wasn't already guilty, this revelation nearly made her sick. Karlie had been keeping her from getting in trouble all semester. 

"Those kids are from 614 you imbecile," she snapped. "Your information is outdated and useless." 

"No, only one of them is. There's this blonde girl that I've seen Karlie talking to, I think that she's-" Josh trailed off as a group of students entered loudly, tossing a football. Immediately, he noticed Taylor, looking almost alarmed. The woman followed his gaze to where Taylor stood. 

"Can I help you?" She asked, visibly irritated. 

"I think so," Taylor said, taking another breath as she stepped toward them. "I live in room 614," Taylor said. If looks could kill, Josh would've been buried by the glare the woman gave him. "And this is all just one big misunderstanding." 

The tension in the mailroom was palpable. Taylor had entered and joined her friends, having been told she'd had to plead her case with the dean of discipline. Calvin sat in one corner of the room with his head in his hands, quietly rocking himself back and forth. He hadn't even looked up when Taylor came in. Ed sat not too far away along the wall, looking completely bewildered with an arm slung over Gigi's shoulders. Martha and Ella were in the middle of the floor, lying on their backs, and Cara had secluded herself to the far corner. Taylor could only bring herself to stand close to the door. With each passing moment, she felt closer to crying. How could it have all gone so wrong? 

"So I guess she turned on you, too, huh?" Cara called bitterly from across the room. Taylor had no idea what to say to that. Karlie hadn't 'turned on her', she just didn't help. She was doing her job. Involuntarily, Taylor let out a dry sob. If Karlie didn't betray her, then why did all of this hurt so much? 

"Are you kidding me?" Gigi snapped at Cara, shrugging her brother's arm away as she got to her feet. She joined Taylor against the wall, giving her a sympathetic rub on the shoulder. 

"What?" Cara asked in the same bitter tone. 

"You're the one who invited him!" Gigi snapped, pointing an accusing finger at Calvin, even though it was obvious who she meant. He didn't look up. 

"Oh," Cara chuckled darkly as she stood. "So you're saying this is my fault?" She asked, slowly crossing the room. 

"He shouldn't have been here," Taylor said quietly, trying to still her breaths. "You should know he can't control himself."