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“What do you mean it was you?”
I exhaled and ran a hand through the length of my hair. “I mean, not the stealing part. I didn’t steal anything, but it was me that got you fired.I’mthe reason.”
Dad shifted on his feet, and I could all but see his thoughts churning, waiting for me to elaborate.
“Mr. Elliot, he warned me to stay away from Topher, and I didn’t listen.”
“What?” His face scrunched, clearly confused. “Why would he do that?”
“Because Topher wanted to go against his father’s wishes about something, and I agreed and encouraged him to follow his heart. I guess his dad didn’t particularly like that advice, and so when I saw him at his game that afternoon, he so much as told me that if I didn’t stay away from him and stop putting thoughts in his head that you’d find yourself without a job.”
“But that’s crazy. Even if that were the case, you only see each other at school. You . . .” His voice trailed off as his gaze flickered over my face, to the teeth currently biting my bottom lip, to my eyes surely clouded with guilt.
“We, uh . . . it was him I went to the IRL concert with. Not Scarlett.”
“You lied?”
I nodded, and my voice wobbled when I spoke. “The security guard at Elliot Landscaping caught us there afterward.”
When his eyes darkened, and I rushed to add, “We were only eating. We stopped there on the way home with our food.”
Dad’s cheeks reddened and he scrubbed a hand over his face. “I told you to be careful with the Elliot boy.”
“I know.”
“And you lied to me.”
My throat constricted. “I know,” I said, my voice thick, and I could practically hear the rest of his sentence—and as a result, I got fired.
“Go to your room.”
“But, Dad—”
“I said, go to your room!” his voice boomed through our tiny kitchen, and I flinched.
Dad never yelled at us.
I turned, swallowing back the lump in my throat and willing away the sting in my eyes. I could only imagine how upset he was. We weren’t exactly rolling in the dough, but at least he was able to provide a comfortable enough life for us. And now . . . And to find out it was because I didn’t listen. And I lied.
“And you're grounded. Until further notice,” he added to my turned back.
I paused, waiting to see if there was more and wondering why he didn’t just say that to my face. Maybe it was because he couldn’t stand to look at me. Or maybe it was because he had zero experience in such matters. Since Mom, I hadn’t so much as blinked in the wrong direction. I’d been the model child, if only to make his life easier. If only to please him.
When he said nothing else, I headed to my room, my pace swift. I closed the door behind me and threw myself on the bed, where I stared up at the ceiling.
My thoughts raced. What would Dad do for work? Would he find another job? Would we lose the house? His car?
Part of me was shocked Mr. Elliot made good on his promise. Then again, I should’ve known. With money came power, even if it was only over your own employees.
And then another thought occurred to me. Slowly slipping into my thoughts.
He wasn’t the only one that held power. Because with information came power, too.
And I knew a secret. Something only one other person knew—that he was having an affair with one of Lakeview Prep’s teachers.
TOPHER
I straightened my tie in the mirror. Dark blue with buff-colored stripes. Bucknell colors.
