Page 81 of Frayed Owner

“You didn’t learn what you should,” that bitch who always harassed me sneered. “It’s a joke the way you’re always behind in—”

“Shewasbehind in Spell Circles 101,” a different woman in our class corrected. “Her point is that she’s caught up. In under a semester while getting her business sold to Familiar Treasures and all the other drama of her life.” She met my gaze. “I believe that’s your point.”

“It is,” I confirmed, thanking her. “And since it was Professor Wyatt’s first independent study, we actually did more work and I’m getting an extra credit hour.” I moved closer to Coach, stopping when Emma grabbed my arm. “Apologize. Apologize for mishandling this and making it a scene instead of calmly addressingpossibleconcerns.”

He snorted. “It’s only a scene because you blew it up and gave everyone here too much information about yourself to play the victim, Millen.”

I shook my head in disgust. “We both know that’s not what happened. I might have been too naïve to understand what happened last time and how you were tearing into me, but Ifullyunderstand this type of attack. I wasbornof people who teach master classes in this sort of bull.” I curled my lip at him. “And defending myself is never blowing things up.”

He ignored me and glanced at Emma. “I expect a report from Taylor then to say he really tested Millen. I can’t go around a councilman’s wife.” He snorted like the whole thing disgusted him. He turned around to head back to his cronies, dismissing me.

“I looked up the rules and you can’t teach with a pending lawsuit against you, can you, Coach?” I said with a dark chuckle. “Enjoy your unpaid suspension again.” I smirked when he spun around on me. “You should have just apologized.”

Coachexploded.

And Emma got her wish to fight him.

He sputtered vile everything at me as he stormed down on me and she pushed me away before squaring off with him. Nigel was there the next second to block me as well… But so were several other women from our class, getting that this could get bad.

Emma tried to de-escalate the situation, she really did, but when Coach called me a stupid whore, it was like a switch flipped in her. She shoved him back harder than needed when he was crowding her space, and that was the match that set off the next explosion. He tried to push past her and Emma took him down.

But she didn’t knock him out like she could have. She’d had the upper hand and—I’d seen her do better.

She gave me a subtle wink as she flipped Coach again. Wow. That was so cool. To have the confidence to draw out a fight so she could get her aggression out… I wanted to be Emma when I grew up.

After several minutes of dancing with him, she knocked him out and gave a look at the aides. “I’d be smart here because he’s out of a job. Do you want to join him or be up for a promotion?”

I swallowed a snort when they were all chicken and backed off, greed in their eyes.

What useless assholes. Not that I wanted Emma to get jumped—far from it. But they were just all talk and… I hated all of this so much. Seriously.

Emma ordered a few students to contact security, but one said he already had and they were on the line with him. They showed up a second later and things moved fast. Headmaster Kerwynn was called in and then Mrs. Reid as my advocate.

I wasn’t sure why that was needed when it was all on camera, but I appreciated the backup. While we were waiting for Kerwynn and a few of the school board to review the footage and take Emma’s statement, I told Mrs. Reid what I was plotting with Gloria and her friends.

Unfortunately for timing, she was laughing when the others came out and they weren’t happy about that.

“I was—someone is about to pull off a Wicked Challenges prank and they wanted to discuss it with her,” I explained. “They asked me to—I was multitasking.” I gestured around as if to say we weren’t doing anything else.

Mrs. Reid took it all in stride and focused on Kerwynn. “The witches of Morrigan are pushing the envelope now that they feel supported. You’re going to enjoy this next round.”

“I hope so because the last one…” He blew out a harsh breath.

“I just wanted people to be more positive and not such snakes,” I defended.

“None of us could have foreseen the fallout that happened, Ms. Millen,” one of the school board agreed. “And you’ve been cleared of any wrongdoing.However, Headmaster Kerwynn is going to have a talk with your other teachers to make sure this isn’t a pattern.”

I knew exactly what he meant even if he didn’t say it specifically. I met his gaze. “All of my other teachers have been professional and respectful of their students. Professor Daly is insightful and noticed I could move up to the next level, but I didn’t feel comfortable with my current course load. Dr. Haskins has worked with me—I’ve disrespected none of them.”

“Good,” he accepted. “Then it will be a quick discussion as we expected.”

To cover their asses. Fine, I had no problem with that.

Especially if it got Coach Dunham out of our lives for good.

20

Septembernineteenth was International Talk Like a Pirate Day… And we were in October. I’d mixed up the pages I’d printed out and messed it all up.

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