Page 68 of Justice II

She had been so comfortable talking about Justice. I could still hear her telling that other teacher how fine and paid he was. Any woman that got close to him or even attempted would get punished by me.

Ms. Lisbon wiped beneath her eyes before picking up her bag. The principal stepped aside while the substitute came into the room.

I almost smiled when Ms. Lisbon passed my desk. I caught it before she looked at me and lowered my eyes to my notebook.

She would probably get somebody to prove the pictures were fake. That didn’t bother me nearly as much as it should have. Everybody had already seen them. The boys who were laughing weren’t going to stop because somebody sent their parents an email explaining what happened. The damage was done.

I doubted she’d ever come back to this school again. The principal closed the door behind them.

Our substitute set her folder on the desk and told everybody to put their phones away. Most of them listened. The boy by the window took one last look before sliding his into his pocket.

I had finally stopped thinking about Dream’s arm.

That brat had Justice waiting on her every second, and now I had to behave because he was watching everything I did. I had been swallowing my attitude at home, helping when he asked, pretending I didn’t notice him paying more attention to her.

Ms. Lisbon had picked a terrible time to start talking about my father. I needed somewhere to put this excess energy I had.

And this drama served me. I could barely contain the giddiness as I thought about how her life could be ruined. I felt alive knowing the damage I had caused.

The girl beside me glanced at the door.

“I feel bad for her.”

“So do I,” I lied.

She nodded and opened her book. I was pleased she believed me so easily. But I wanted to go to the bathroom and laugh my ass off.

The substitute asked where we had left off.

“Page forty-six,” I answered, then raised my hand to show her the unfinished assignment on the board.

I prayed this high lasted for weeks. I was running out of trouble I could cause now that we had cameras in the home.

23

Justice

Now that I finally had some time to myself, I had been blowing Melody’s phone up. We needed to talk about everything. I believed that Storie didn’t push Dream. But there was something still there.

I needed Melody to talk to me about Roman.

The phone rang until her voicemail picked up. By now, I knew the greeting better than I knew what the fuck I planned to say when she finally answered.

I couldn’t fully blame her for not wanting to speak to me. I’d thrown her out but she hurt me too by lying.

Since I had no other contacts for her, I headed to the only people that might have known something.

The girls were at school and there was no immediate business to take care of so I had plenty of time today. Perhaps she had a new job and that’s why she wasn’t answering.

Whatever it was, I needed answers right now.

I pulled up to Ellis Care Staffing.

Somebody in there knew where the fuck she was.

I had spent days trying to find time to talk to her. Every time I got a minute, something else needed my attention. Work needed a decision. One of the girls needed me. By the time the house got quiet, I had talked myself into waiting until morning.

Now she wasn’t answering.