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Gritting my teeth, I strode to the door and opened it without knocking. The principal would’ve been pretty once upon a time, before she let stress pile on the pounds and too much makeup try to hide the heavy lines on her forehead. “Mr. Wild?”
I nodded.
“Good. We need to talk.”
“As I’ve been told.”
“Please, sit.” She waved at the chair in front of her. A moment of déjà vu hit me of entering another principal’s office and hearing a tale of how Della informed a bunch of five-year-olds how to skin and gut a rabbit.
The memory gave me mixed feelings of amusement and terror. She was so different to everyone else, but her differences meant we never seemed to stay in one place for too long.
Sitting down but with all my weight in my feet ready to leap up and run, I waited for Marnie Sapture to tell me why exactly I’d been summoned. The familiar weight of my goat hide knife that Cassie gave me whispered to be used.
To unholster the blade and threaten this woman the same way she was threatening me.
She ran her hand through her black short hair, shuffling paperwork with the other. Finally, she cleared her throat importantly. “I’m sure you’re aware, Della came to school today with blue hair.” She looked up, narrowing her eyes. “And I’m sure you’re aware that our policy on uniform and conformity don’t permit such u
It didn’t matter that I’d said the exact same thing last night.
Telling Della off on my own was one thing; having a stranger do it made my need to protect her at all costs surface. “Blue isn’t u
She pursed her lips, causing more lines to appear. “That may be the case, Mr. Wild, but blue in the clouds and blue on one’s head are two completely different things.”
I held my tongue, waiting for any other reason I was here. Della’s detention was hardly breaking news to call in a caregiver. The hair on the back of my neck stood up as Ms. Sapture’s cheeks reddened, and her righteous voice slipped into disgusted. “I’m sure you’re also aware that in this state, there are rules about u
This time, she didn’t look up as if she found making eye contact with me repulsive.
“Excuse me?” I hissed.
“I said u
“I heard you.” I shot to my feet, hands balled. “And just what the hell are you implying?”
She stiffened but dared look up. “I’m implying that some information has come to light that you and Ms. Della’s bond is more than brother and sister.” She tapped some papers with a pink-painted fingernail. “This is Della’s enrolment application. You signed as her brother, yet a student here informed us that a more worrying co
I couldn’t breathe.
I couldn’t see past the red haze in my vision.
All I wanted to do was grab Della and run. What had she done? Who had she spoken to? What the fuck did she say?
“Whoever said such things is lying,” I bit every word as if killing them with my teeth.
“That might be, but whenever accusations like this arise, it is protocol to call Child Protective Services.”
I backed toward the door. “You have no right.”
She stood behind her desk, eyes gleaming. “I do have a right, Mr. Wild. In fact, I have an obligation. I invited you here today to state your side of the argument, but if you have nothing to say on the matter then—” She picked up the phone on her desk. “I suppose I might as well make that phone call now and get this over with.”
Fuck.
What did I do? Waste the precious time I had trying to make her see reason or bolt now and pack up as much as I could? Where the hell was Della? I couldn’t move until I knew she was safe and—
Commotion sounded outside, the receptionist’s high-pitched voice arguing against one I knew better than my own.
Della.
Before I could spin and open the door, she shoved it open and stumbled over the threshold. Every nerve demanded I grab her, but I had to bury those urges because she wasn’t alone.
“What the—?” I said under my breath as she dragged Tom, her ex-boyfriend, into the small office and slammed the door. She held his hand with a death grip, her fingernails making white indentations in his flesh.
“What is the meaning of this, Ms. Wild? Why is another student from a different school in my office?” the principal snipped. The phone dangled in her hand, unco
“I know who started the rumour, Ms. Sapture,” Della said, yanking Tom closer. “And it’s just that. A stupid, silly little rumour that’s gotten out of hand.”
I didn’t understand what the hell was going on, and Della refused to make eye contact with me.
I’d been forgotten about as Tom gulped and hung his head. “It was me, Ms. Sapture. I started it. I wanted to make life difficult for Della.”
The principal gave him a harsh stare. “What do you mean?”
“I mean…” He flinched as Della dug her nails harder into him. “Della and I were going out, but then she dumped me, and I got jealous and made up the lie that she broke up with me because she was in love with her brother.”
Holy shit.
I stumbled backward, dragging a hand over my mouth.
Della flicked me a glance, then fixed her stare back on the principal. “As you can see, Ms. Sapture, my brother is as horrified by this as I was. I couldn’t think of a more terrible thing to say.” She glowered at Tom beside her. “Jealousy makes us do strange things.”
Ms. Sapture slowly sat down in her chair, her witch-hunt game-face fading in favour of the truth. The only truth. That Della and I weren’t blood, but we were family through and through.
Aren’t we?
Della let Tom go but not without a heated, warning look. “So you admit it? You and Tina have been spreading lies about me?”
Tom gritted his teeth as if he wanted to argue but nodded stiffly. “Yes.”
“And you have no evidence to back up this lie? No photo or video revealing the vile things you said?” Della’s eyes glittered a ruthless blue. Her blue hair matched, contrasting with the auburn and browns of her school uniform.
“None.” He blew out, his tall frame sinking. “I made it all up.”
Della crossed her arms, nodding once at Ms. Sapture. “You see? Stupid student gossip. I don’t know why it started, but it’s over now. Not a word of it was true and I’m sorry to waste your time.”
Ms. Sapture looked put out, struggling to get control of the situation that Della had so successfully commandeered. Finally, she waved at the door with bored impatience. “I’ll accept your explanation for now, Ms. Wild. However, I wasn’t born yesterday, and I’ve been around enough students to understand rumours usually start from some kernel of truth.” Her gaze found mine as she leaned forward almost in a threat. “One more sniff of such a thing and I’m calling CPS, regardless of your dramatics.”
I glowered back, refusing to let her intimidate me.
Della brushed past me, opening the door and letting Tom step out before her.
“Oh, and one more thing, Ms. Wild,” Ms Sapture clipped. “I want that colour gone by tomorrow, do you hear me?”
Della didn’t answer, and with a flick of blue motioned for me to follow her.