Page 86 of Cruel Steps

“That was quite an article you published yesterday, Miss Adams.”

“Um, thanks.”

“You brought to light several claims I would like further information on.” I nodded, swallowing. My body heated, and I tried to rid myself of the ‘getting in trouble’ anxiety currently riding me just from merely being in this office.

Dean Adroit picked up a piece of paper and glanced at it. “You claim that ‘the mean girl of Hayward’ has been bullying you since high school, yet you didn’t name them.”

When she didn’t ask anything else, just bore her eyes into me, I nodded. “Yes.”

“Is there a reason you didn’t?”

“I didn’t want to be accused of slander or bullying myself.”

“Why write it, then?” She tilted her head, studying me.

“In my anthropology class, I got the idea and felt it was time to tell my story.” It was mostly true.

“Hmm. I see. So, it had nothing to do with a video being released from where said bullying took place?”

I flushed. “That had nothing to do with the assignment, no.”

She studied me more, her eyes zeroing in on me like a microscope. “Do you know who sent out the video, Miss Adams?” I nodded. “At Hayward, we take bullying seriously. So, while you didn’t name someone, I’m afraid these claims cannot go without repercussions. We have a zero-tolerance policy. So, if you’d be so kind as to write down the student’s name, I’ll have them expelled by the end of the day.”

She slid a pad of paper and a pencil over, then sat back, eyeing me intently.

“Excuse me?” I whispered, daring a glance at the paper. “Expelled?”

“Yes, that is what zero tolerance means, Miss Adams.”

I opened my mouth, then closed it, at a loss for words. I wanted Hope to fall from her ivory tower, but I hadn’t expected her to be expelled. When I didn’t speak up, Dean Adroit continued.

“Then, there’s, of course, the matter of how you published your article in the Hayward Chronicle. I checked with the editor, and he claims to never have heard of you. Nor was your story part of their final mockup. So, do you know how this occurred, Miss Adams? How your article came to be part of the final product?” Again, I didn’t answer. “If illegal activity occurred on school property, I’d be forced to inform the police, and that student would also be expelled. Along with anyone who helped them. Wasn’t your partner for your project Cody Rivers? He’s projected to be the next Peyton Manning. That is, if he gets to play out his college career.”

Holy. Shit.

I gaped at her, convinced I’d misheard. How had everything gone so wrong? I wanted to exercise my voice and stand up for myself, but instead, Hope got plowed by a car, and now we both faced expulsion.

No good deed goes unpunished.

Not that I could ascertain my deed was purely selfless. I wanted her to be held accountable, but I never expected any of this.

“Of course, dealing with one scandal at a time is a lot for a school, and after the viral sensation your story has become, it would be remiss of me to penalize you for a lapse of judgment… That is, if I had a person to use as an example. Checks and balances, that sort of thing.”

I white-knuckled the chair, my heart slowing at her words. Could I sacrifice Hope for myself? Hope wouldn’t bat an eyelash before throwing me under the bus, then backing up and running me over again for good measure.

But I wasn’t Hope, and I didn’t want to be.

“I’ll give you twenty-four hours to consider which name you put on that pad, Miss Adams. That’s all for now. Please shut the door on your way out.”

She picked up her phone and punched in a number. When I didn’t move, she flicked her eyes to me and motioned with her fingers for me to move.

Jumping up, I ran out of the office and shut the door behind me. Cody bolted up and kept step with me as I exited the building.

“What is it, Emerson?”

“She wants me to name my bully so she can expel her. If I don’t name someone, she threatened to expel me and you for supposedly hacking into the paper. It’s either her or us. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Cody, what am I going to do?” I paced back and forth, waving my hands constantly in front of me. Cody grabbed them, stopping my movements.

“First, you’re going to breathe.”

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