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Except I’m not alone.
And Levi and Jayden are looking at me like they’ve seen a ghost.
“What the fuck, Kenny?” Jay hisses.
“Relax, man.” Levi presses his hand on his best friend’s chest, forcing him to back off. “Let her explain.”
“Explain?” I balk. “I don’t have to explain anything to you.”
“Kenny, come on.” He sighs. “We just want to help. Conner is—"
“Don’t.” I jerk back. “Just don’t.”
“I called him,” Levi admits. “I saw you and panicked, and I thought... he said you left.”
“I don’t belong there.”
“Bullshit,” Jay scoffs. He’s usually so much lighter than this. In fact, now that I think about it, he reminds me a lot of Conner. Always laughing and joking. But not today. Today he looks positively pissed.
“You need to relax.” Levi levels him with a hard look.
“I need to relax?” he seethes. “You weren’t the one who found her...” His eyes flick to mine and my chest tightens.
I hate that he saw me like that... broken and beaten.
Shame burns through me, but I don’t lower my eyes. I can’t be that girl here—weak and afraid.
“Talk to us. What’s that piece of shit got on you? Because if you just talk to Con—"
“I appreciate your concern, I do. But do me a favor and stay out of my business.” I barge past them, unable to stand their pity stares for a second longer.
Foolishly, I’d thought being at school would give me a reprieve from being with Warren, but now I’m not so sure. Not if Levi and Jayden are going to be there at every turn.
I’m about to duck into my first class when a familiar voice booms, “Miss Lowe, my office please.”
Great.
Just what I don’t need.
A morning visit with the principal.
Principal Henderson likes to think he’s down with the kids, but the truth is, behind his back everyone calls him Principal Horse’s Son. He has a bad case of buck teeth and a strange shaped head that makes him resemble something akin to a horse caricature.
He also has a bad case of the sweats.
“I must say, Kennedy, this is a surprise.” He dabs his glistening forehead with a paper towel, motioning for me to take a seat. “When Principal Vager called me to say things weren’t working out at Sterling Prep, I was... disappointed to say the least. It isn’t every day our students get the opportunity to attend SP.”
“I thought I’d be okay to come back.”
“Of course, of course.” He relaxes back in his chair. “It’s senior year, Kennedy. The hard work is just about done, graduation is in sight. We are more than happy to see you finish up the semester here.” Something flashes in his eyes, and I can’t help but think he isn’t being entirely straight with me.
“Principal Vager called you?” I ask. “On a weekend?”
I’d been gone less than seventy-two hours. There’s no way Vager could have known... not unless someone told him.
James Jagger.
Damn him. Even now, he’s still trying to look out for me.
