"Holly, is there anything you'd like to say?" Principal Sloan turns to me.

"She doesn't." Mom spits. "Not until she smartens up."

Her words are like a punch to the gut. You'd think that after three weeks of this, I'd have developed some sort of immunity, but I haven't. The single tear slides down my cheek is proof enough, and I quickly wipe it away.

"Mrs. Mathews, why don't you let Holly talk." Principal Sloan purses her lips.

"Oh, sure, fine, go ahead Holly." Mom turns to me with that triumphant glint in her eyes. "What brilliant things do you have to say for yourself now?"

It's how she looked when she tore down the fairy lights from above my bed and dumped all my makeup in the trash. When she smashed my laptop and phone while I screamed my throat raw. I begged, pleaded, told her the truth... and look at all the good that did. Three weeks, and my parents—two people who've known and raised me for seventeen years—still don't believe me, so why would Principal Sloan be any different?

"See?" Mom shakes her head. "Don't wait for Holly to say anything useful."

"Mrs. Mathews." There's a note of warning in Principal Sloan's voice, the kind I immediately recognize. It always comes right before 'you're grounded,' 'you have detention,' and 'go to your room.' Not that I have a room anymore, but that's besides the point.

"Principal Sloan," Mom gets to her feet, "if your school can't follow a few simple instructions, I'll have my daughter home schooled. And don't think the school board won't hear about it."

I give Principal Sloan a desperate look, silently begging for her help. I'd rather die than stay home with Mom all day. I don't know how I survived the last three weeks, but I can't do it. Not anymore.

"Get up, Holly," Mom snaps. "Now!"

"Hold on..." Principal Sloan stands too. I don't know if she sees something in my eyes, or if she's worried about Mom going to the school board, but for a second, she hesitates.

Please, I form the single word on my lips, a silent cry for help. I need to get out of the prison that is my house. I need to feel human again.

"Well?" Mom snaps.

"Alright." Principal Sloan gives in, and I sag in relief. "I'll have each teacher send you a progress report, and Holly can eat lunch in the library. How does that sound?"

"Make sure she doesn't go anywhere near a computer," Mom snaps, her words muffled by the school bell.

"I'll see to it, Mrs. Mathews. Now, why don't we let Holly get to class?"

"Fine. Holly, I'll pick you up at 3:15 sharp. Try not to screw anything up until then."

"Holly," Principal Sloan turns to me, effectively dismissing Mom, "I've asked one of your classmates to show you around."

"What classmate?" Mom snaps to attention. "I didn't approve this."

"Mrs. Mathews, I have Miles show all the new kids around, and he's been doing a wonderful job. He's waiting for her now."

There was only one boy waiting in the office, and my pulse spikes. I don't know if it's excitement, or fear, or both, but I suddenly feel like I can't breathe.

"Shall we?" Principal Sloan walks around her desk and gestures for me to follow her out of the office.

"Don't tell me you're talking about that punk kid." Mom shoves past me.

Miles raises one pierced eyebrow in response, but I don't miss the momentary look of hurt flit across his face.

"Now, Mrs. Mathews—" Principal Sloan frowns.

"I will not have my daughter associating with this... this... drug dealer." Mom gives Miles a disgusted look.

His brown eyes widen, and this time, the hurt is unmistakable. He turns his wide-eyed stare on me, like he expects me to tell him why this is happening. It's a question I've been asking myself for the last three weeks, and I still don't have the answer. All I know is that Miles doesn't deserve this, no more than I do, and that I can't be caught looking at him. I quickly turn away, and his face falls.

"Miles is a great kid, Mrs. Mathews. Top of his—"

"Don't sell me that load of bull," Mom shouts. "I won't stand for it!"

"Mrs. Mathews!" Principal Sloan shouts right back.

"Don't you Mrs. Mathews me. You make sure Holly doesn't go anywhere near this boy, you hear me?"

"She won't have to." Miles spins around and storms out of the office.

More than anything, I want to run after him and tell him that I understand. That Mom uses words like knives, throwing them, one after the other, right where it hurts. Then she twists them around and around, like she twists the truth, until you're left gutted and bleeding. Only for her, that's not enough, and she keeps coming back, time after time. I want to beg miles to come back so I can beg him to understand... or maybe, just maybe, so I can beg him to save me.

"Miles, wait—" Principal Sloan shouts the words I wish I could say.

"Am I leaving Holly here, or not?" Mother demands, cutting her off.

Principal Sloan takes a step toward the door, and I feel like I might throw up. She can't go after Miles and leave me here alone with Mom. She'll take me home—make me stay in that house. She'll never let me leave.

"I'll take Holly to her class," Principal Sloan says, her words barely a whisper

"Good." Mom shoves my schedule into my hand and marches out of the office without so much as a goodbye or thank you to the principal.

The moment she's gone, I let silent tears flow. I quickly look down so my hair can fall in a curtain, hiding them. I expect Principal Sloan to say something, but she stays quiet as Mom's heels click in quick retreat. The school's front door bangs open, then slams shut, and finally, I'm free.

"Holly, is everything okay at home?" Principal Sloan says, shattering the first sliver of hope I've felt in three weeks.

What does she expect me to say? That my house is a prison? That my parents treat me like a criminal? That I thought they loved me, but they clearly never have?

Principal Sloan lets out a sigh laced with sadness and gives me a gentle smile. It holds none of the anger and disgust I'm used to, and I hide my face behind my hair, hoping she doesn't see my tears.

"How about I take you to your first class?" Principal Sloan steps out of the office, and leads me down the hall. We pass the library, cafeteria, and a bunch of classrooms filled of students, then take the stairs up to the second floor. The principal's don't make a sound, while my heels click and echo with every step. The hallway is mostly empty, but the few students who rush past all turn to stare.

"Holly, this is the guidance councilor's office." Principal Sloan stops in front of a closed door and knocks twice.

I freeze. I can't believe I actually thought that Principal Sloan was on my side. She's just like the rest of them, all caring smiles and fake support, when it's all just a huge, elaborate trap.

"Come in." A sign-song voice calls from inside, and Principal Sloan ushers me in.

"Miss James, I'd like to introduce you to our newest student, Holly." She exchanges a look with the guidance councilor that screams 'this girl needs help.'

"Hello, Holly," Miss James says with fake, sugary sweetness. "It's very nice to meet you." She gets up from behind her desk and comes over to shake my hand. Her grip is light, her hand almost slipping from mine before she lets go.

I look between her and the principal, both of whom smile and nod at me encouraging. Except that I've been through this once before, and I'm not falling for it. When Mom and Dad first took me to see a therapist, I tried talking to her about my problems. Real problems, like the fact that my parents have gone insane. The therapist pretended to listen, but in the end it was all, "your parents care about you, Holly," and "this is a safe space, Holly," and "you can tell me the truth, Holly." Yeah right.

All adults really want is for you to confirm their crazy beliefs. They don't care what actually happened. They want you to admit all their stupid accusations are true, and when you do, it's still not enough.

Miss James and Principal Sloan wait patiently, like they expect me to suddenly produce a bag of heroin from my non-existent pocket. After a few encouraging smiles, Principal Sloan finally turns to me. "You can come see Miss James any time you like, Holly. If there's anything you need to talk about, she and I are both here for you."

I nod, even though there's no way in hell I am ever coming back here.

"Now, let's see your schedule." Principal Sloan takes the blue piece of paper from my hand and scans in before handing it back. It proves one thing. We didn't happen to pass by the guidance office on the way to class... of course not. It was part of her plan all along.

❀Questions?❀

❀Comments?❀

✿What did you think of this chapter? 👍/👎?✿

❁ Poor Miles! Did Holly make a mistake not running after him? 

❁ Should Holly trust Miss James? Or is her sugary sweetness all part of the trap?

❁ I keep going back to Holly's Mom smashing her phone and laptop, wondering what one possession I couldn't watch someone destroy. What material loss would make me scream my throat raw? It's not my phone, or laptop, or car, or jewelry, or makeup, or any of that--it's losing my stories. Not just the ones I've updated, but the hundreds of thousands of words sitting on my laptop, waiting for the day I'll finally send them out into this world.

❁ I feel so awful for Holly right now, I don't really have anything else to say. I promise things will get better, but how did they get so bad?

❀Shifter RP:❀ You walk into the office while Holly's mom is yelling at Miles. And ACTION!🎬