Page 103 of Nobody in Particular

I pause and lift my head to catch her eye in the mirror. She looks back at me, and there’s a determined grit in her expression that, just for one second, sends a chill across my shoulders and down my back.

Now, I’m pretty sure, I believe her.

FORTY-ONEROSE

My walk to the headmaster’s office is fueled by pure fury.

When I reach it, I rap hard on the door and throw myself into the nearest seat. The outside of the office has been converted into a small waiting area decorated with old staff portraits, chairs, and ornate end tables covered in copies of the school magazine. I resist the urge to kick the furniture.

As soon as the headmaster opens the door I’m on my feet. “This is discrimination,” I say, folding my arms. “And you know it.”

He sighs. “Come inside, Rose.”

I continue speaking as he ushers me through the door. “Me. Eleanor. Molly. Harriet. Amsterdam. International news. Drugs, alcohol. Someonedied. You didn’t expel us. You never even threatened to.”

The headmaster lowers himself into his chair wearily. I haven’t noticed how slowly he moves before.

“Rose,” he says. “You four have history at this school. You have ties here. I know your families, your siblings, how you were raised. You had all proven yourselves to me long before your mistake. Danni’s circumstances are very different. She’s a new student. She has no record of good behavior to fall back on. I can’t justify keeping her here and denying another, more worthy student the chance to attend.”

“So your argument is you’re expelling her because she’s a scholarship student,” I say. “That’s also discrimination.”

“Rose, the school has a strict zero-tolerance policy toward alcohol.”

“Yes. One that seems like it only matters when it’s convenient. Would you like to have a look through a few students’ social media accounts at random, sir? I have access to someawfullygood ones. I’m not sure you’ll have many pupils left once you’re done enforcing this no-tolerance policy of yours.”

We stare each other down. I have the feeling the headmaster expects me to apologize. I do not.

“And what about Harriet, while we’re at it?” I asked. “She was in those screenshots, too. That’s a second offense, no less.”

“Harriet,” the headmaster says, “like you, has a history here.”

“She has wealthy parents, you mean.”

“She received a formal warning,” the headmaster finishes.

I give him a humorless smile. “Right,” I say. “So, ‘no-tolerance, unless we like you more than the other student, in which case we’re impressively tolerant’?”

I’m pushing my luck, and I know it. He darkens. “Rose, you are not a guardian of Danni, and you were not involved in this incident, so it is not your place to speak on her behalf.”

“Sir, she needs this school—”

“As do many young women.”

“Half the school was at that party. She wasn’t doing anything everyone else wasn’t doing.”

“Rose, I’m happy to turn a blind eye wherever I can,” he says. “You know I will. But photos of Danni holding a half-empty bottle of spirits ended up in the papers. I’m left with no choice.”

“Please,give her a second chance.”

“This isn’t my decision,” he says. “If it was, I would. Believe me.” The headmaster falters at this, his eyes flashing, and he presses his lips together. “Don’t repeat that, Rose. But I would. Unfortunately, too many others disagree with me, and my hands are tied.”

Too many others? Like who? Parents? Diocese figureheads? ThenI remember Danni mentioned the alumni association. Why do they care so much about one mistake made by a fifth-year student? It’s hardly the first time a Bramppath student has been caught in an awkward situation, even setting Amsterdam aside. If Danni’s family had enemies in high places I might have understood, but Danni is just about the most inoffensive person I know.

“There’s nothing you can do to change my mind on this, Rose,” the headmaster says.

I give him a hard look and stand up. This is not over yet. I’m just getting started.

“Are you behind this, William?” I ask. “Or anybody else at the palace?”

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