Page 80 of Just a Little White Lie

“I’m not sure why you think he’s arrogant.” She frowned at me. “I’d say confident, sure of his ability. There’s nothing wrong with that.” The woman seemed offended that I’d dare to suggest he wasn’t anything but exemplary.

She walked away, and I let her have the final word, knowing the argument wasn’t worth it.

But I don’t know, there’s just something about Ronan I don’t warm to, and now I’m seeing it manifest.

I move toward the boys, hoping to stop the altercation before it escalates, but I’m not fast enough.

“You’re pathetic excuses that the school shouldn’t have to carry. We don’t want to see your faces around here, so go back to the bleachers where you belong and stay there.” Ronan points toward the school fields while the tall guy behind him lets out a cheer.

“Such freaking assholes.” Alexia shakes her head, snatching her bag off the ground.

Ronan gives her shoulder a light shove, and that’s it.

That one little move makes Maverick snap. One of his own has been touched, and I see the beast take over, his muscles coiling, his upper lip curling with a growl as he launches himself at Ronan.

I gasp, running forward the moment Maverick’s fist connects with Ronan’s face.

“Stop!” I try to shout above the crowd, pushing my way between students. “Maverick, stop it!”

He can’t hear me. He’s rolling on the ground with Ronan, fists swinging as they grunt and try to hurt each other as best they can.

“Hey! Hey! Hey! Break it up!” Ezrah, the big Polynesian PE teacher, muscles his way through, snatching the back of Maverick’s shirt and hauling him off Ronan.

“Get back!” I tell the kids behind me, spinning around to disperse the crowd.

Cam, Bianca’s husband, comes running into the fray, helping me send the students away while Principal Kwan clips over.

Great. Of course she just happened to be walking by.

I know exactly what she’s going to say before she even opens her mouth. “Maverick! I don’t know how much more of this I can take! Detention! Now. You can sit outside my office for the rest of lunch. Ronan, go and get yourself cleaned up.” She shakes her head and struts off.

I frown, wondering why Maverick is the only one to get punished.

He slumps off after the principal while Ronan snatches his bag, wiping the side of his mouth. The malicious grin he shares with his friend makes my insides crawl. A couple girls gather around him, checking that he’s okay, acting like he was some kind of victim.

I turn to look for the misfits. They’re shuffling off to the field, a dejected bunch of outcasts returning to the bleachers where they belong.

My heart hurts, pulsing with a pain I’ve never felt before.

These amazing kids, these dancing champions, do not deserve this kind of treatment.

“We’re gonna prove them all wrong,” I whisper under my breath, quietly promising my dance crew. “We’ll make them see how incredible you all are.”

LAUREN

My stomach burns for the rest of the day. I have to cover Mr. Barlett’s business studies class in the afternoon, and trying to be civil to Ronan and his tribe of elitists is a challenge. I want to bawl them all out for being cruel and arrogant and superior, but I can’t say a word, because I know it will only make things worse for my kids.

My kids.

I’m beginning to think of them that way. An instinctive Mama Bear protectiveness overwhelms me, especially when I’m called to Principal Kwan’s office after the final bell.

Walking through the door with my metaphorical weapons at the ready, I’m prepared to let her have it with two barrels. Maverick shouldn’t have been punished while Ronan was able to walk away scot-free. He provoked the entire thing!

“Take a seat, Lauren. We need to talk about this dance group of yours.” I slip into the chair opposite her, my shoulders set for battle. “I have some concerns.”

“You don’t need to. The dance crew is working very hard. You should be proud of them.”

“Please let me finish.” She holds up her hand, and I decide it will work in my favor to remain calm and let her say her piece.

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