“Removed?” My head snapped up, my confessions forgotten. “What do you mean?”
“He’s been expelled. Security escorted him off campus a few moments ago. Now it’s only a matter of some paperwork.” He beamed down at me from his stupid faux-leather throne. Even if Reece had tried to fight it, it wouldn’t have mattered. Romero wasn’t ever going to give him a chance.
“It wasn’t his fault.”
The smile slid from his face. “Excuse me?”
“I was the one responsible.” Romero tossed his pen on the expulsion papers he’d been ready to sign.
I couldn’t let Reece go back to jail for something that was my fault. He’d only reacted because I’d provoked him. My behavior hadn’t left him any choice.
I cleared my throat, preparing to tell a story that I hadn’t quite come up with yet. Some excuse Principal Romero and the rest of the school would be willing to believe. I owed Reece this much.
“I wanted him to notice me,” I said, looking at the principal through lowered lashes, trying to gauge his reaction. “So I tried changing my hair and wearing different clothes. It didn’t work, so I did something stupid. I practically attacked him in front of a million people.” I cringed. It wasn’t entirely a lie. I’d threatened him, which could be construed as an attack . . . of sorts. Then there was the kicking, biting, and slapping . . . And plenty of witnesses to corroborate this slightly revised version of the truth.
“I understand there was blood involved? Did he hurt you?” Romero didn’t look concerned so much as hopeful. His chair creaked as he leaned into my story, waiting for it to crumble.
“No, sir. The blood was Reece’s. I guess I was a little rough.” I blinked hard, provoking a tear. It wasn’t hard, the truth cut deep. “But it doesn’t matter. He made his feelings perfectly clear.”
Romero handed me a tissue, studying my hair and my shirt, as if noticing for the first time that something was, in fact, different.
“That’s probably for the best,” he said. “Mr. Rankin tells me you’re awfully close to earning the merit scholarship in chemistry. I would hate to see you throw that away over a boy.”
I blew all my disdain into his tissue. He sounded like Mona.
“Besides, he’s a bad influence. You would do better not to associate with someone like Whelan. Trouble seems to follow him. Ever since he enrolled, there have been problems.”
I looked at him. “What kind of problems?”
“It’s none of your concern.” He pursed his lips. “The important thing for you to remember is that he’s not the kind of boy you should be friendly with.”
Something inside me snapped. I was sick of people telling me who I should or shouldn’t be “friendly” with. My voice climbed an octave and I stood up before I could rein in my reaction. “Regardless of whether or not he’s a nice guy, it was still my fault. It wouldn’t be fair to expel him for something I did.” I swallowed hard, hoping I wasn’t about to dig myself into a hole I couldn’t climb out of. “You should expel me instead.”
A silence passed.
Romero’s face was red and he loosened his tie with a finger. He only had two choices: Expel us both, or go easy on Reece in light of my admission. A vein bulged at his temple.
“I’ll take that information into consideration,” he said carefully. “Although I can’t guarantee it will change the outcome of my decision.”
We both knew it would.
I slung my backpack over my shoulder. The motion lifted the hem of my shirt, revealing a few inches of bare midriff, and I felt Romero’s gaze linger there.
I reached for Reece’s pendant as an excuse to cover my skin. Mona always said hanging out with boys like Reece would ruin my chances, make me into someone I didn’t want to be. And here I was, exposing myself and dressing in lies. I didn’t want her to be right.
“Mr. Romero?” I turned, one hand on the door. “Why was Reece in jail?” Something inside me needed to know, to reassure myself it had been a petty crime. A misunderstanding.
Romero fingered the expulsion papers, as if reconsidering. “He was responsible for the death of a student.”
“Who?” I heard myself ask.
“A senior. Shot and killed at North Hampton last year.”
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