Page 9 of Always Love You More

Principal Hansley is ancient. He was all of my siblings’ principal, too, and he’s judged me based on them since the first time he met me.

He shifts his attention to the girl next to me, and his face softens. “Sophia told me you attacked her while you were waiting for your buses.”

I turn toward her. “She looks fine to me.”

“She pulled my hair and threw me onto the ground,” the girl whines.

I bring my hand up to my face. “She got me back, so seems like we’re even.”

Principal Hansley leans forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “Self-defense is not the same thing as initiating a fight.”

“It’s not like I did it for no reason. I don’t even know who she is.”

He levels me with a hard stare. “So, why did you do it then? What happened that made you think it was okay to assault someone?”

I wave my hand in her direction. “Come on; you’re callingthatassault?”

He raises a brow. “Well?”

“Well, what?”

He lets out a long breath and turns to the girl, “Did you do something to get a reaction from Samantha?”

“I told her—”

“Sam,” I snap, cutting her off.

Principal Hansley tilts his head. “Excuse me?”

“Sam. My name is Sam. You know that. I tell you every time.”

He brings his focus back to the girl like I didn’t even say anything. “Continue,” he tells her.

She shifts in her seat and mutters, “I called her a slut.”

I watch for his reaction, but there’s nothing. No disgust. No shock. He just stares back at her like he isn’t surprised at all by what she just confessed.

He opens a drawer in his desk and says, “I see.” After writing something across the sheet, he hands it to me. “Two weeks of detention.”

“Two weeks? That’s basically the rest of the year.”

He pulls out another sheet of paper. “You’re lucky it’s not a suspension. End up here another time before the summer, and your luck will run out.” He slides the other piece of paper to the girl but doesn’t say anything.

“How long does she get?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“That’s bullshit. I bet you let her off with nothing.”

He snatches back my sheet and crosses something out. “You just earned yourself another week with that language.”

“Seriously?”

Jerking his head up, he points at the girl but keeps his eyes on me. “You might want to take a page from her book and learn to be quiet. You’re not doing yourself any favors.” He doesn’t give me any time to respond before he asks her, “Who am I calling to give you a ride home?”

After he calls her mother, Principal Hansley dials my home number. I wish he wouldn’t. I don’t want my father to pick up, but he pulls it from the system without asking.

We all sit awkwardly as it rings with no answer.