Page 32 of Frayed Owner

I wasn’t the only one who laughed when she rattled off in Russian. She shoved me away and people froze.

Because that got her points off for the Wicked Challenges. It couldn’t get physical.

“Do you have points to be deducted?” I taunted. “You probably don’t even have any yet, right?” I snorted, giving her a disgusted once-over. “You wanted my attention—you fucking got it.” I walked off, ignoring when all of them yelled after me.

In Russian.

“That was badass, little sexy,” Winter chuckled. “I’ve got it on video. I thought it would be good. I’ll send it to Derek as your advisor.”

I nodded, but then a thought hit me. “How did everyone get points before video on phones?”

“Honor system.” He snorted when I gave him a look that was stupid. “And spell circles that had truth-telling laced in them. You had to stand on them to report any points. There are still a few teachers and advisors who do it that way because they don’t trust technology or people aren’t using spellsontechnology.”

“They’re smart to do it that way,” I muttered, thinking that was a better system. Annoying if you did a lot of pranks, but… You shouldn’t.

You should be focused on school anyways, not harassing people.

But it feltgoodto fight back. I ended up using the same spell on everyone who started shit or “whispered” about me and Charles Shaw. I was done just letting it roll off me or being the bigger person.

I wasn’t the bigger person.

I’d been too passive and scared to fight back.

Fuck. That.

People werepissedbecause the whole campus was abuzz about it by lunch. The number was that high by then and the spell lasted twenty-four hours or until it was taken off… By me.

And I wasn’t going to take it off.

“Do you have any idea how many you’ve bespelled, Ms. Millen?” Wyatt asked me at lunch as I was walking by his table.

I stopped and sighed. Heavily. Which seemed to amuse the teachers he was sitting with. “No, not a clue. I know I’ll get points but honestly, I was spanking brats. This wasn’t just a prank since it’s everyone who was running their mouthsslandering methat they were sure Imurdereda familiar. And it wasobviousI did it and blah, blah, blah.

“I’m so over the level of bullying and bullshit allowed at our ‘best’ school when one of our first lectures that bullying wouldn’t be allowed and was taken seriously. So fine. I will take it seriously. There are other spells and languages. I will getallof the points for the game if people won’tfocuson school like they should and insteadobsessover me and things they don’t understand!”

My chest was heaving at the end of it and I was seconds from bursting out crying. What Emma said breezed through my mind and I told myself that I wasn’t crying today.

Not today!

Tomorrow. I could cry tomorrow in my room. Or even tonight after the hearing. I was not going to cry in the cafeteria and give anyone the satisfaction that they hurt me. I had the mental image of slapping cement over a leak in my emotional dam and fixing that one hole.

“Ms. Millen?” Wyatt said a bit loudly and it snapped me out of my thoughts. It made me realize he’d probably already said something.

“Sorry, I have too much on my mind, Professor. I’m tired of all this petty and picking on who they all think is wounded and prey. How pathetic of the ‘best’ in our society.”

“I agree,” he muttered, studying me closely. “I’ll let all the teachers know that I want a full list of names of who is speaking Russian, and if they won’t speak at all so they’re not caught or counted for points, they’ll be added to the list still. I’ll also loop in the headmaster so he knows—”

“I heard,” the headmaster said from behind me, making me sigh. “And I’ll handle it. This should be brought up with the new Women’s Rights Advocate.” He moved up next to me and waited until I met his gaze. “Which the board didn’t have much choice of implementing after the debacle of Director Hensley and other problems.”

“Glad they’re finally willing to do something when they seem to be getting in the way of the investigation as to how werewolves came onto campus,” one of the other teachers muttered. “Their answer is to pretend it never happened which is why I’ve moved off campus.”

“As are many of the faculty which won’t help the situation,” the headmaster grumbled. “There are going to be other changes, and the owner of Familiar Treasures strong-armed the board. It was made clear by Ms. Anderson that no studies or sponsoring of studies would happen without some changes.”

“Well done,” one of the female teachers chuckled. “And they allowed?”

“Tostart, there will be a new Student Equity Board made up of only students,” he said as he kept my gaze. “One male student and one female of every year and one elected representative of them will have a seat on the board of directors to speak for their interests. I believe I know who will fight for the female freshman spot.”

It took me an embarrassingly long time for me to realize he meant me. I burst out laughing when I did. I honestly laughed so hard that it was obnoxious, even patting his arm as I did.

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