Page 86 of Princess of Hawthorne Prep

I open my pre-calc book and flip through the pages, looking for the place where we left off. I’m only half listening as Mrs. Baxter reads the morning announcements over the loudspeaker. With all the laughter and talking that hums around me, no one is really paying attention. It’s only when her voice is abruptly cut off and loud grunting fills the air that the people around me fall silent and swivel in their seats. When a long, keening moan is broadcast to the school at large, laughter erupts.

Rough grunting and groans follow.

It almost sounds like…

Like…

Someone is havingsex.

“Oh, Edmond,”a soft voice whimpers. “Yes, right there. Yes!”

It doesn’t take long for recognition to slam into me and my eyes widen with horror. Any moment, they’re going to fall out of my head and roll around on the desk.

Mom.

My hand feels as if it weighs a thousand pounds as it rises to my gaping mouth.

More guttural noises follow before…

“Who’s my dirty little whore?”

“Holy shit, that’s Pembroke,” the guy next to me shouts. “He’s getting it on with someone!”

More raucous laughter fills the space until it echoes off the walls and rings hollowly in my ears.

“Go, Pembroke!” the girl next to me calls out before dissolving into a fit of giggles.

The stunned expression on Coach Baker’s face would be hilarious if I didn’t know my mother was having sex with our headmaster.

After a handful of seconds, our teacher makes his way to his feet and raises his arms. “All right, everyone. That’s enough. Let’s settle down and act like the mature individuals you’re supposed to be. Obviously, there’s a glitch in the system.”

That embarrassed reprimand only makes people laugh harder.

“Oh, there’s a glitch in the system all right,” someone hollers back before chuckling.

“I love fucking you on my desk, Carrie,”Pembroke growls right before the sound cuts out and silence fills the air.

“Did he say Carrie?” the guy next to me asks.

“Who the hell is Carrie?” another girl questions.

Speculation runs rampant as I rise to my feet on wooden legs and scoop up my books before walking out of the room in a daze. There is so much noise and chaos that Coach Baker doesn’t realize that I’ve slipped away. I don’t know what I’d tell him if he did ask.

All I know is that I need to escape from the confines of the room that feels like it’s shrinking around me. My chest is tight, and it’s becoming more difficult to breathe with every second that passes.

As soon as I stumble into the deserted hallway, I stagger to the bank of lockers before slapping a hand against the cool metal and folding over at the waist, trying to suck fresh air into my deprived lungs. I squeeze my eyes tightly shut for just a handful of seconds as my head spins like I’m on a Tilt-A-Whirl before straightening and forcing myself to move.

I can’t believe this is happening.

I can’t believe that someone—

I falter.

No.

Notsomeone.

I knowexactlywho did this.

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