The Bad Girl, The Bullet & The New Beginning (on-going)

14 ~ Doomed

Lila sat slumped in a chair outside the principal's office, keeping her eyes on the ground to avoid the hawk-like glares of Mrs Sandhurst. Every few minutes she heard a tutting sound as the old receptionist shook her head and mumbled something about the "reckless youth of today". Lila just rolled her eyes – it was all very well to sit and judge her but she was pretty sure that if that wrinkly prune of a receptionist had been in her position, she'd have done the same thing. Well, maybe not make out with a teenage boy, but at least hit Jessica with her purse or a rolling pin or something.

It felt like hours she'd been waiting outside the office, even though the clock proved it had only been fifteen minutes. She felt like a prisoner waiting to be sentenced – and she knew it was going to be a lot worse than community service. No matter how she tried to argue her way out of this one, she was bound to get expelled. Principal Franklin already hated her and it wasn't like her track record had been golden over the last couple of weeks. She was doomed.

She stared longingly at the open window opposite her, wishing Mrs Sandhurst would turn her back for long enough for her to climb out and make a run for it. While she was thinking up exotic places she could run away to and start a new life, she heard a familiar voice approaching: Aunt Penny – and boy did she sound pissed.

"I knew something like this would happen," she was muttering furiously. "I tried to warn her but do you think she listened? No. And now I've just had to cancel an operation so I could-"

She suddenly appeared from around the corner, with a reluctant Uncle Jon being towed behind her, and immediately fixed her eyes on Lila.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" she demanded.

"I don't suppose you'd believe me if I said this was all just a big misunderstanding?" Lila tried hopefully. Penny's icy expression conveyed a firm no and Lila was sure she was about to receive a lecture before they were interrupted.

"Principal Franklin will see you now," Mrs Sandhurst informed them, offering Jon and Penny a sympathetic smile, which quickly turned to a glare when Lila walked past.

Principal Franklin had a solemn expression as he shook hands with the two adults, completely overlooking Lila as if she wasn't even there.

"I'm sorry to have to call you both out today," he began, "but unfortunately we need to discuss quite a pressing issue."

Penny's lips were pressed into a thin line and she took in a breath as if preparing herself for the blow.

"This morning, I was called out of a meeting due to a report that your niece had started a fight with another student, behaved inappropriately with a male student in the hallways and then caused damage to a student's personal property," Mr Franklin continued, keeping a serious face but Lila could see the glint in his eye that proved he was savouring every second of this. Penny turned to Lila with a horrified expression before sighing and tutting to herself, while Jon was trying to hide a smirk on his face by pretending to cough.

"That is a huge exaggeration and I did not start the fight," Lila protested indignantly.

"Miss Harper, I would stay quiet unless you want to make this worse," the principal told her threateningly.

"I'd just like to say that we do not condone this sort of behaviour at home and I've had multiple talks with Lila about her attitude at school" Penny stated, sounding like a professional lawyer. Lila would have been impressed if her aunt hadn't been talking about her like a rabid dog.