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“No,” Coleman says. “Regardless of who started what or what happened between the two of you, Hargrove escalated it to a physical altercation. You’ll both have detention after school for two weeks. And honestly, Hargrove…between this and what happened in the gym yesterday, you’re lucky you won’t be expelled. On top of all that, with the way your grades are, you’re in danger of not graduating. I’mveryconcerned about you. I am going to talk to the counselor, and we’ll find a regular time for her to meet with you during the week.”
“Ally, I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t.”
Coleman shakes her head before continuing, “Anyway, Ames has a project for you two—a way you can make it up tothe school. He’s recently started adding a mural to the wall in the main gym. And now…you get to do it. Starting tomorrow.”
“With him!?” Ally asks, appalled.
“Sorry. I’m unable to arrange special separate punishments for you two. You’re just going to have to try your best to behave like the adults you’re supposed to be now and not like the toddlers I saw a few minutes ago in the hallway. I don’t know what happened between you two, and—quite frankly—I don’t care. Finish the damn mural, and then…stay away from each other for the few months you have left here. Got it?”
“Can I go now?” Ally asks. “I’m going to miss the bus.”
“You can go,” she says.
We both start to get up and grab our things, but she stops me.
“Not you, West. I’m giving her a two-minute head start.”
Ally narrows her eyes at me as she heads out the door, and I sink back into the seat, nervously tapping my foot.
“You’ve been through a lot, Devon,” Coleman says.
“Yeah, you think?”
She shakes her head. “Do you want pity, or do you want your life back? What happened to you was terrible. But it was just that:something that happened to you. It doesn’t have to define you. What you do now…thatwill.”
“More good news. Thanks.”
“Get your shit together, Devon. You can go now.”
“Ally!” Devon shouts, jogging across the parking lot to catch up with me. “Wait!”
“No!” I yell back.
“Let me take you home,” he says.
“NO!”
I look over just in time to see my bus blow past the stop.
“Was that it?” he asks. “That was your bus, right?”
“…No,” I lie.
“Yes, it was,” he says. He grabs me by my arm and turns me to face him. “Ally, I didn’t mean it.”
“You called me ugly. Inside and out. And I know—I know that’s my fault. I made you like this. I broke you, and I hate myself for it. But youknowme. You’veseenme. How could you?”
“Ally, you left me to rot in jail, remember? I was mad at you. I’m still so fucking mad at you.”
“You stole my money!” I shout. “You left me to rot in jail, too! Aworsejail. I shouldn’t even be talking to you.”
“Ally…wait…” he says.
“Give me my money back, Devon!”
“I can’t!” he shouts. “I don’t have it! I used it to pay the lawyer. It bankrupted my dad!”
