Where There's Light | ✔

11. Drug Deal

Our shoes squeaked through the empty hall as Principal Gibson lead us to his office. I kept trying to get Nolan's attention, catch his eye, but he was too busy staring at the floor. Did he know what was happening?

There was a police officer inside Principal Gibson's office. Nolan glances over at me, his eyes asking me the same thing I was asking myself. What was this about?

"Have a seat," Principal Gibson said, taking his own seat behind his desk. "Officer Langley here is going to search your bags."

Even thought I had nothing to hide my heart beat rapidly against my rib cage. "Why?"

The officer collected out backpacks and began digging through them, one at a time. What did she expect to find?

"I've contacted your parents, Mr. Chambers," Principal Gibson continued, ignoring my question.

Nolan's hands gripped the arm of the chair, knuckles turning white. He kept his mouth shut, though.

"Miss Harris, we tried reach your mother at work, but it seems the number we have is outdated," he said. "Do you know the number to her new work place?"

"She's still working at the warehouse," I said distractedly, paying more attention to the woman going through my tampon stash. "The one on Del Rosa."

"That's the one called, but they say she hadn't worked there since last week."

My attention snapped back to the principal. "What?"

Last week? She hadn't had a job for a week? Why didn't she say anything? Where was she going every day? Where was she getting money? My chest felt tight. I tried to remind myself to breathe, but my throat felt like it was closing.

"There's nothing here, sir," Officer Langley announced, bringing me out of my head.

Nolan broke his silence, asking, "Did we do something wrong?"

"We had reports of a drug deal."

"What?"

Nolan let out a humorless laugh, running his hands over his face. "This is bullshit."

Principal Gibson dismissed Nolan's language. "We take reports like that very seriously. There is a zero policy on narcotics on this campus."

"Why would someone think we were dealing drugs?"

Principal Gibson shuffled through some papers on his desk. "The report says that you and Mr. Chambers were near building C when someone witnessed you doing "the handshake".

"The handshake?" I looked Nolan for answers. He just laughed, shaking his head. Did he know what that meant?

"She was paying me back the money I loaned her. There were no drugs."

Principal Gibson nodded solemnly. "If that's true then you two have nothing to worry about. But we have to follow protocol."

A voice came over on Officer Langley's radio. "The lockers are clear."

"Well, looks like we're done here," Nolan said, making a move to stand.

"Not quit." Nolan froze. "We still have the body search."

Officer Langley patted both me and Nolan down right there in Principle Gibson's office. Even fully clothed it felt like I was completely exposed. When I saw how red Nolan was I was glad for my extra dose of melanin so no one could see how hard I was blushing.

When she didn't find anything on us Principal Gibson apologize for the inconvenience then told us to wait in the main office for our parents and that I should keep trying to get in touch with my mom.