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Liam’s face is all bloody and swollen. He looks like he might collapse from pain.
“My grandma would kill me if I hurt a girl,” Topher says as he grabs Liam by his long hair and raises his fist. “So your man will take the heat. You can handle it, can’t you, pretty boy? Well, you won’t be pretty now.” He raises his fist even higher.
“STOP!” I yell.
“What’s going on here?” a female voice shouts.
Principal Nakamura pushes her way through the crowd. “Stop it this instant! Gibson, grab Topher. Desmond, grab Liam.”
Gibson tears Topher away from Liam, but Topher doesn’t let go of his hair.
“Topher, release him,” Principal Nakamura orders.
With a growl, he does.
Oh, gosh. Liam looks really bad. He’s on his palms and knees, blood dripping from his lip and nose and dripping on the floor. I rush over to him and touch his shoulder. “Liam?”
“Into my office, Hastings, Fletcher,” Principal Nakamura says. “And you, too, Barrington.”
Topher glares at me and Liam before following the principal.
“Can you stand?” I ask Liam.
He doesn’t say anything as he tries to get to his feet. He doesn’t even look at me. It seems like he’s upset with himself.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” I say as I slide my arm underneath him and help him to his feet. “He wouldn’t have hurt me. Your wounds—”
“I’m fine.” He wrenches himself from me and wipes his lip.
“Let me get you some paper towels,” I say before rushing into the bathroom a few feet away and grabbing a bunch. Liam takes them from me and starts wiping the blood off his face.
“Oh, Liam.” My lips quiver as my eyes fill with fresh tears. “I’m sorry. This is all my fault.”
“I’m fine, Chloe. Nakamura will be ticked off if we don’t go to her office.”
I’m about to reach over and help him, but he twists away from me and ambles toward the principal’s office. I swipe my hand across my eyes before hurrying after him.
Chapter Eight
Chloe
Principal Nakamura’s expression hasn’t changed since Liam and I came to her office a few minutes ago. She’s looking at us like we’re nothing but disappointments. She doesn’t seem surprised to see Topher here, but Liam and I are a totally different story. We’re good kids and are never called to the principal’s office.
She asked Liam if he was okay or needed to go to the hospital, but he assured her that he’s fine—he barely feels any pain. Which is a total lie. I know him well and Iknowwhen he’s hurting.
The door to the office springs open and Ally flies in. “Liam?” Her eyes search the room and land on her son. They widen in horror when she takes one look at him. “Liam!” She hurries over and gently touches his face. “Oh my gosh. Are you okay?”
Liam pulls away from her. “I’m fine, Mom.”
“Thanks for coming, Mrs. Hastings,” Nakamura says. “We’re still waiting for Chloe and Topher’s parents to arrive. Will your husband be joining us?”
“No, he’s at work and can’t make it.” Her eyes move to Topher, who doesn’t have a scratch, and they harden. “Did this boy attack my son?”
“We’ll get to the bottom of this once the other parents arrive. Please sit down, Mrs. Hastings.”
It looks like sitting down is the last thing she wants to do, but she lowers herself on one of the empty chairs, crossing her arms over her chest and keeping cold eyes on Topher. He doesn’t look like he holds even an ounce of remorse for what he did.
It feels like forever until my parents arrive, and then Topher’s. Mom and Dad are super concerned when they see Liam and me, while Topher’s parents seem like this is a huge waste of time for them.
