Page 92 of Until We Burn
Gregory tosses down his napkin. “When is agong coming?”
“He will be arriving in about two weeks.” Bàba’s gaze sharpens on us all with a pointedness that makes my breath tremble. “Even though I’m moving up the date, I’m merciful enough to give you some time to prove yourself to the board until I resign. Use your days wisely.”
Gregory cocks his head at me. A little, wry smile idles across his lips. “Do you hear that, Diana?”
My hands grip the edges of my seat, and I wish they were tightening around Gregory’s neck instead.
“I’m sitting right here, aren’t I?”
He shrugs, reaching for his glass of water. “Just wanted to make sure. I thought you might have needed a reminder after skipping class, and getting fired from the Howler.”
My eyes shut.
This vile snake.
Mama gasps.“Fired?”
I fight to keep my voice measured and calm. “They let me go because of what happened with Sasha Vellair.”
“Seriously,” Mama scoffs, “Diana, was exposing your brother’s relationship and ruining his image worth all of this? You might as well takeyourselfout of the running since you now have nothing to show for it.”
The back of my head aches as I tame my tears back. “I’m sorry.”
“But I heard they’re thinking about overturning their decision,” Sophia blurts out.
I look towards her in shock.
She gulps at the attention she suddenly receives, yet she continues, “The board is overturning it because they don’t want the student body to think they support discriminatory practices. Someone on the board told me.”
The Howler’s internal affairs are known facts to every member and secrets to everyone else. But sometimes, news leaks out to partners and friends. I’m grateful people think the board is appealing their decision because they don’t want to look discriminatory. It gives me the privacy to find evidence without prying eyes looking into what I’m doing. The less people who know the real truth, the better I can hide my motives from my siblings.
“It’s final,” I assert. “There’s no going back.”
I try to stay calm, but the look I give Sophia flashes with warning.
Stay out of it.
Confusion and frustration stir in Sophia’s eyes.
After everything,nowshe decides to help me?
The air suddenly grows cold. I swallow hard and draw my attention towards the end of the table. Bàba’s expression is as dark as the skies before a storm.
“Diana, didn’t I tell you not to disappoint me a third time?”
My voice is merely a wisp of air, “Yes.”
“And you go and disappoint me again.”
“Bàba, I was doing everything I could to keep the Howler in shape, but they let me go before warning me,” I explain. “I could’ve?—”
“Warning.”Bàba chuckles, yet disdain drips from his voice. “You should’ve beenprepared.I thought I raised you to be more competent than this!”
The words cut my skin. His disapproval bleeds into every belief I try to uphold about myself and crushes it to nothing until all I can hear is him.
“You should be grateful that I’m giving you the time to reflect and better yourself,” Bàba spits. “Instead, you decide to be an embarrassment and a blight on this family.”
I fight back a choked cry. I bolt out of my seat and rush towards the door with quivering hands. Tears burst from my eyes at the first gust of cold air sweeping through my dress. I struggle to see through the blur as I text Hans to come pick me up.
