Page 80 of Drifting

“Mr. Davis, did you collect the papers yourself or ask a student to do it?” Mr. Sullivan questions.

“I asked a student,” he grumbles out.

“I had a private chat with that student.” Mr. Sullivan’s forehead creases as he stares down at the girls. “She admitted that Jenna told her that if she didn’t switch the papers, she would blast a certain secret about her all over school.”

The room goes crazy.

Maddie yells at Mr. Davis that he should keep his mouth shut.

Mr. Davis yells back at her, then turns to Ms. Webb for help.

Carrie yells at Maddie to shut up.

I sit quietly, covering my mouth with my hand because I can’t stop laughing at this shit show.

Peter’s and Mom’s heads bounce back and forth as they take everything in.

Nick just shakes his head with a smirk on his face.

“That’s enough!” Mr. Sullivan shouts.

Once everyone calms back down, Mr. Sullivan focuses on me. “Ms. Winters, I’m sorry this has happened to you. It’s obvious from what Nick showed me earlier and what I just heard, that you didn’t copy anyone’s paper. I will make sure that all of this is wiped off your record.”

“Thank you, Mr. Sullivan, that’s all I wanted,” I say.

“Mr. Davis, if you will head to my office and wait for me, I will be in shortly.” Mr. Sullivan nods to the door behind him.

“B-b-but I have class,” Mr. Davis stutters.

The vice-principal forces a smile at him. “Your class is being taken care of, Mr. Davis.”

Mr. Davis scurries from the room, slamming the door behind him.

“Now, onto the next matter. The cheerleaders’ cheating.” Mr. Sullivan stands and reopens the door.

Paige walks in with her head down.

Nick stands and moves down a chair so Paige can sit beside me.

I smile at her as she sits, her hands fidgeting in her lap.

“Ms. Mitchel, thank you for coming.” Mr. Sullivan smiles warmly at her. “I want to commend you for standing up to another student. I’m sure it wasn’t easy. Now, we already met this morning. Why don’t you tell everyone what you told me?”

As Paige shakes, I grab her hand, squeezing in reassurance to let her know I’m here for her. On her other side, Nick touches her knee, adding his silent support.

She relaxes a bit. “I…um…” She lets out a fortifying breath. “Since eighth grade, Carrie and Hannah have made me do their homework for them.”

“Eighth grade, Hannah?” Peter states, rubbing his forehead. “I thought it was just this year.”

Hannah lowers her head, her bottom lip quivering.

“When you say made, how did they make you?” Mr. Sullivan asks, glaring at the three girls.

“They bullied me,” Paige whispers.

“How?” Peter prompts.

I feel bad for him. He won’t like her answer.

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