Page 39 of My Heart to Keep
I’d heard one boy in passing say, “This year is going to be wild.”
Not in my book.I just prayed tomorrow would be better than today. Then again, without Maiken at school or living in town, my life sucked.
I wound my way down three halls before opening the glass door into the admin office.
Ms. Hobbs, the principal’s new assistant, lifted her head from her computer. “Have a seat, Ms. Thompson. Principal Sanders is in with someone at the moment.” Then she set her glasses on her long nose and went back to her computer screen.
I slid my backpack off my shoulder and sat down in one of four wooden chairs. “She’s not in with my parents by any chance?”
Ms. Hobbs peeked around her computer, her blue gaze landing on me. “No. Students.”
The clock on the wall read three thirty. Momma and Daddy should be home by now. I took my phone out of the back pocket of my shorts and sent Momma a text.
Me:Are you and Daddy back yet?
Momma:We are. The pigs are fine. All the animals are good.
Me:Great. I’m waiting to talk to the principal to find out who did this.
Momma:I hope she tells you. Your father is furious. He’s talking about pressing charges.
I wasn’t surprised. I took in a deep breath just the same. I was all for making sure whoever was responsible paid for his actions, yet I couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity for that person.
The door opened to Principal Sanders’s office.
Me:Gotta go. Celia is giving me a ride home.
Oh crap. I forgot to remind Celia to wait for me. I quickly sent her a text, and just as I hit send, Sloane Price’s voice filtered out before she did.
I lifted my head as my phone fell to the floor. I had yet to see her in school. I’d thought maybe Celia had her rumor all wrong.
Sloane’s white-blond hair had grown out and down to her shoulders, and her silver-studded nose ring shined beneath the overhead light. She was glancing over her shoulder. “Yes, ma’am.” Her voice was light, sweet, and anything but snippy and condescending, which was her usual MO. “Trevor, come on. We’re late.” Then she pivoted on her heel and locked eyes with me.
If she had any bruises from where I’d punched her over a month ago, they were long gone.
I snagged my phone before I rose, leaving my bag on the floor. “Are you responsible for the senior prank with my pigs?”
One side of her red lips ticked up as a boy two heads taller than Sloane came up behind her. His emerald eyes and shaggy hair told me he was the boy Celia had described to me that morning. He looked at me as though he’d found a new puppy.
My intuition was telling me to stay as far away from him as possible. He had one of those grins that was downright evil. I swallowed thickly, wishing upon a star that Maiken was at my side. I wasn’t a coward, but the boy gave me the creeps. Sure, he was off-the-charts gorgeous, but that didn’t mean squat.
He pushed past his sister, practically throwing her to the side, and strutted the short distance over to me. “You must be Quinn Thompson. I barely remember seeing you at your party. Shame. I would have danced the night away with you.”
I giggled for nothing more than to do something with my nervous energy. I knew if I opened my mouth, I would stutter, and no way was I about to do that. That boy was a bully, or as Granny would say, a piece of work.
I craned my neck up, my heart ready to push its way out of my chest. I wasn’t attracted to him. In fact, I was a bit frightened. There was something about him I couldn’t put my finger on. Maybe it was his size. He was as wide as he was tall and had huge biceps, just like Celia had described.
“Do you speak?” he asked.
Sloane joined her brother and touched his arm. “Leave her alone, Trevor.” She sounded like she was afraid for me.
I could feel my eyebrows coming together as I regarded her, but she wouldn’t look at me.
“Ms. Thompson,” Principal Sanders called. “In my office.”
Saved by the principal.
I picked up my bag and started to slide around Trevor, but he blocked me.
