It doesn’t take long for understanding to dawn on me, though. Because the first thing Steve does after he storms in is shake Beringer’s hand and say, “Thank you for calling me. I feared something like this might happen.”
In the chair beside mine, Ella is beet red. She’s clearly embarrassed, but there’s fire in her eyes, too. Anger. Like me, she knows that Steve is responsible for this. He must’ve warned the faculty to keep an eye out for us.
“Get up,” Steve tells Ella. “You’re coming home with me.”
She bursts out with an objection. “No! You can’t take me out of school again. I’m not missing any more classes, Steve.”
His tone is like ice. “You had no problem missing class before. Francois says you were ten minutes late for first period.”
Ella falls silent.
Dad is unusually quiet, too. He’s watching me with an indescribable expression. It doesn’t look like disapproval or disappointment. I can’t figure it out at all.
“This kind of behavior is unacceptable,” Steve fumes. “This is a place of learning.”
“Yes, it is,” Beringer agrees coldly. “And I assure you, Mr. O’Halloran, these kinds of shenanigans won’t be tolerated.”
My jaw drops. “Really? But letting Jordan Carrington duct-tape a freshman to the front entrance is A-OK?”
“Reed,” my father warns.
I spin toward him. “What? You know I’m right. Jordan freaking assaulted another student, and he”—I rudely gesture at the headmaster—“totally let it slide. Ella and I are caught making out like two normal teenagers and—”
“Normal teenagers?” Steve echoes with a harsh laugh. “You’ve got a plea hearing this week, Reed! You’re facing a murder charge.”
Frustration shoots through me. Christ. I don’t need the reminder. I’m well aware of how screwed I am right now.
Then I register what he’d said. “What plea hearing?” I ask my dad.
His features go strained. “We’ll discuss it when you get home from school.”
“You can discuss it on your way home,” Beringer interjects, “because I’m suspending Reed for two days.”
“What the fuck?” I demand angrily.
“Language,” the headmaster snaps. “And you heard me. Two-day suspension.” He glances at Steve. “Ella can remain at school, if that’s acceptable to you.”
After a long, tense moment, Steve nods. “It’s acceptable. As long as he’s not here, I’m all right with letting her stay.”
Steve says he like I’m a carrier for Ebola or some shit. I don’t get it. I really don’t. Steve and I never had any problems in the past. We weren’t close, but there was no hostility between us. Now, the air is so hostile I can hardly breathe.
“Then it’s settled.” Beringer walks around his desk. “Mr. Royal, I’m releasing Reed into your custody. Ella, you may return to class.”
She hesitates, but when Steve offers a hard glare, she quickly moves to the door. Right before she walks out, she gives me the most miserable, frustrated look on the planet. I’m pretty sure I’m wearing the same expression.
Once she’s gone, Steve shifts his scowl to me. “Stay away from my daughter, Reed.”
“She’s my girlfriend,” I reply through clenched teeth.
“Not anymore. I asked you to respect her, and when I thought you were going to do so, I was open to the idea of the two of you dating. After what happened this morning, I’m no longer on board with it.” He addresses my father. “Our kids just broke up, Callum. If I see or hear of them together again, you and I are going to have words.”
Then he marches out of the office and slams the door behind him.
18
Ella
For the second day in a row, I go to school angry. Yesterday, Steve and Dinah ganged up on me about my skirt. Today, Reed is suspended because Steve has some kind of parental stick up his ass. The single good thing about my anger at Steve is that I don’t have the emotional energy to worry about Dinah any longer.
I can’t believe he ordered Beringer to tell all the teachers to narc on us. That is so not cool. I’m still fuming about it as I pull into the parking lot. Luckily, I spot Val on the front lawn, which distracts me from my rage.
“Hey, sexy,” I shout out my window.
Her dark bob spins around, her middle finger ready. When she realizes it’s me, she jogs over. “Hey! I was worried about you. Did you have to deal with the never-ending lecture when you got home from school yesterday?”
I maneuver into an empty parking space, then turn off the car. “You have no idea.”