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“There was six of you!” Bella hissed. “There was agirl.”

“Nope,” Gibsie replied with a shrug. “You’re imagining things.”

“You’re a pack of liars,” Bella hissed, furious.

“You do realize you caused all of this?” Hughie shot back. “Or do you just not care?”

“Leave her alone,” Cormac quickly came to her defense. “She’s hurt.”

“She’s a parasite is what she is,” Gibsie sneered. “And you’d do well to get as far away from her as possible because you’re not acting like the lad we grew up with.”

The sound of whistling grew closer and all six of us turned our heads just as Ronan McGarry, one of the boys from my year, turned the corner of the hallway. When his eyes landed on all of us sitting outside the principal’s office, he did a double take. “What are you all doing out—”

“Keep walking, prickface,” Johnny warned, bristling beside me. “And keep your bleeding mouth shut.”

Ronan glared at Johnny for the longest moment before flicking his gaze to me. “Causing trouble again, Shannon?” A ghost of a malicious smirk teased his lips. “Why am I not surprised?”

“I said go!” Johnny snarled, rising to his feet. “Before I mangle you.”

Ronan stumbled backwards so quickly that he dropped his schoolbag, causing Gibsie to snicker.

“Ah, lad,” he said, chuckling. “Thanks for that. I needed the laugh.”

“Shag off, Gibs,” Ronan growled, red-faced, as he grabbed his bag off the floor. “I’m not afraid of him—”

“Get out of here, you little pervert.” Johnny’s voice boomed loudly and was laced with authority as he took a menacing step toward Ronan. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten about what you did!”

Ronan backed all the way up the hall he’d just walked down before disappearing around the corner.

“Brilliant.” Laughing hysterically, Gibsie slapped his thigh. “I thought he was going to piss himself—”

The office door opened inward then, causing them all to fall silent as our parents filed out—well,theirparents.

First to emerge were Bella and Cormac’s mothers. Mrs. Ryan and Cormac walked away without speaking a single word.

To my absolute shock, Mrs. Wilkinson marched over to her daughter and hissed, “Stand up.” Pouting and huffing loudly, Bella stood up, dabbing her cut lip with a tissue. “Now, give me your phone.”

“Mam—”

“Give. Me. Your. Phone.”

Wordlessly, Bella slid her phone out of her pocket and handed it to her mother. Mrs. Wilkinson tapped furiously at the keypad, stiffening when she found what she was looking for. She looked over at me, eyes laced with guilt, and then turned back to her daughter. “Go over there and apologize for what you did to that poor girl.”

Oh god…

My entire body coiled tight with dread. I didn’t want her to apologize to me. I didn’t want her to come anywhere near me ever again.

Bella groaned. “But, Mam—”

“Don’t push me on this, Isabella!” her mother seethed. “You’re lucky I’m not taking you down to the Garda station and handing you in myself! I’ve never been so disappointed in you as I am today.”

“Her friend hit me,” Bella whined. “And they know who she is—”

“I’m not surprised,” Mrs. Wilkinson snapped, red-faced. “After what you did to that girl, it’s a miracle her guardian isn’t pressing charges. Now go over there and apologize!”

“Don’t even think about it,” Johnny cut in when Bella and her mother moved toward us. “Walk your daughter away from my girlfriend and keep her away,” he ordered, tightening his arm around me. “Shannon doesn’t want her apologies. Your daughter has done enough damage. ‘Sorry’ means nothing to us. So just walk away and leave her alone.”

Mrs. Wilkinson opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it again. She cast a sympathetic glance my way before dragging Bella away.

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