Page 23 of Just a Little White Lie

Just swallow me.

Swallow me right now!

Anger at Jack burns bright. I’m facing hours of hell because of him. Oh, he is going to pay so badly!

“Hey!” Erik claps his hands, then points at the kids. “Manners. You are going to respect Miss Fillion and do exactly what she tells you to.”

“Why are you making us do dance anyways?” A girl with wild spiral curls and a look that screams “street kid” steps up next to Maverick. “I didn’t sign up for this.”

“Alexia, tuck in your shirt, and we’ve already talked about that nose ring. It’s not part of our school uniform.” He points at her.

“I’m not taking it out, Mr. V.” She puts on a plastic smile. “We’ve already talked about this.”

He gives her an assessing look before sliding his hands into his pockets and putting on a casual tone. “That’s fine, Miss Willard. If you’d like to talk about it some more, I’m sure I can find time during your lunch breaks, after school, and even in the morning. We can talk while you pick up rubbish around the school and finally decide that taking out your nose ring is the only option you have left.”

She lets out a disgusted huff, mumbling, “Whatever,” before removing the ring and shoving it in her pocket. Her unimpressed death glare sends a quiver down my spine.

“Tell us why you’re making us do dance, Mr. Van Weiss?” She mimics his tone, crossing her arms, clearly not in the least bit perturbed by the fact that he’s the deputy principal. She’s obviously not satisfied about losing the nose ring battle and has to save face.

Oh crap. These guys are going to eat me alive!

Someone scoffs from the back and calls out, “Probably to get us out of the classroom. They don’t want us making no trouble upstairs, so they’re shoving us down in the dungeon.”

“This is a beautiful dance studio.” Erik spreads his arms wide. “And you’re privileged to have this opportunity. Miss Fillion is a skilled dance teacher, and this will go toward your credits at the end of the year.”

“You just think we’re too dumb to learn normal stuff!” one of them says, raising his voice, and they all grumble together.

“I never said that,” Erik counters, but the argument seems weak, and everybody knows it. “You guys need to see this as a wonderful opportunity, a privilege that not every student in this school is allowed. You should be grateful.”

His enthusiasm is met with a pack of stone-cold glares that sends a fresh chill from my neck to my heels.

Yep. I’m seriously killing Jack this afternoon. It’s gonna be slow and painful for the guy, but I don’t even feel sorry for him. That tall godlike tower of muscle is going down… and it will be my pleasure to maim him.

“So.” Erik claps his hands together, rubbing them with a look on his face that could be argued as gleeful. “Have a good time down here. I expect an excellent report from Miss Fillion this afternoon. You kids have fun.”

My forehead wrinkles with a frown as he spins and walks for the door.

I chase after him, teetering in my heels when I try to pick up my pace.

“Wait! Wait, wait, wait.” I gush out the words, snatching the sleeve of his jacket before he takes off down the hallway. “No lesson plan, no prep, no… nothing? What am I supposed to do with these kids?”

He gives me a perplexed frown, removing my pincer grip and shrugging. “Teach them.”

And then he leaves me.

All alone.

I have to fight the urge to cry out an impassioned “No!” like they do in the movies. I could drop to my knees and scream at the sky, fisting my hair in anguish.

Instead, I swallow, splay my hand over my writhing stomach, and slowly walk back into the dance studio.

The only sound is the pok-pok-pok of my heels as I echo my way back to the students.

I open my mouth to speak, but my heart is lodged in my throat, and I’m pretty sure my lungs are now located somewhere around my kneecaps. As for my nerves, they’re frying in a vat of stomach acid.

I’ve got nothin’.

Seriously. Like, I don’t even know where to begin.

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