“Sure.” She grabs her phone. No more than a few minutes pass before our other friends enter and sit down on my and Raven’s beds.
Addie glances at us. “What’s the emergency?”
Raven gestures to me. Carly narrows her eyes in confusion. “Everything okay, Soph?”
I shake my head, squeezing the pillow tighter to my chest.
All three of them gather around me on my bed, shaking me to and fro as they try to get comfortable.
Addie places her hand on my shoulder. “Sophie, you’re scaring us. What happened?”
Staring at the space before me and talking in a monotone, I say, “Principal Harrington caught Damian and me kissing in his room yesterday and she pretty much kicked me out. Then just a few minutes ago, she threatened me to stay away from him or she’ll revoke my scholarship.”
“What?” they gasp.
“Why would she ban you from seeing him?” Raven asks.
I shrug. “I guess I’m not rich enough for her.”
“Who cares about money? You guys love each other, don’t you?” Carly says.
“Well, we didn’t declare our love for each other, but I’m crazy about him and I’m so worried he’s hurt or upset or something.” I bury my face in my pillow.
Addie rubs my back. “So you guys broke up?”
“I don’t know. He’s not answering his phone, so I assume she confiscated it.” I glance from one to the other. “I can’t bear to cut him out of my life, but his mom threatened to throw me out of the school. What do I do, guys?”
They’re quiet as they ponder it. “I think you need to talk to Damian about it,” Raven says.
I nod slowly. “If we can, but what am I supposed to tell him? That we’re done? After everything he confided in me, I’m just going to toss him away? I can’t do that. I care about him so much.”
“But if you defy his mom, you’ll get kicked out,” Carly reminds me.
I bury my face in the pillow again. “She thinks she has a hold over me because of the scholarship. Like I’m at her mercy.”
“Looks like you have to make a choice,” Addie says. “Damian or HBA.”
“You have to ask yourself: is it worth giving up your scholarship for a guy?” Raven adds. “Only you can answer that question.”
I’m quiet as I mull over it. Of course I choose Damian. School is school and Damian is Damian. He’s a person. He has such a huge heart and so much love to give. “It’s not even a question,” I tell them. “I can get accepted to any school and any college after that. HBA is an easy path to my future, but it’s not the only path. Schools will come and go, but there’s only one Damian. And I won’t abandon him.”
My friends nod, seeming relieved and happy with my choice.
I stand up. “I’m going to fight for him. Fight for us. No one and nothing can tell me who I can or can’t date.” I sit down. “Imean, assuming he feels the same way. What if he wants to toss me away?”
Addie’s arms come around me. “He’d never do such a thing. He’ll fight for you, too.”
I want to believe her, but Harrington has such a hold over him. She’s the only family he has. “I need to talk to him,” I say.
Raven glances at her phone. “Almost time for breakfast. I think we should finish getting ready and find your man.”
We head for the dining hall, weaving through the other students as we search for him. But I don’t find him anywhere. My friends convince me to eat something because I won’t survive the day on an empty stomach. I try to get some food down as I continue to look around, hoping to find him. But he doesn’t show.
The same happens in the school hallway. Kids are milling about and chatting, but there’s no sign of Damian. I’m about to give up, but then I spot him walking down the hallway, his backpack slung over his shoulder, his tie loose, and the two top buttons of his shirt undone.
His head is lowered like he wants to hide from everyone, the same way I wanted to hide last night. Seeing him makes my heart soar, but it also crushes me. Because he looks so broken, like he’s given up.
Leaping forward, I grab hold of his arm and shove him into the janitor’s closet. Damian glances around like he’s trying to figure out where he is and what’s going on.
