Y/n
Moments later, my younger brother and I sat in the headmaster's office.Well, the lobby that led to her office. We were told to wait so she couldhand us our welcome packets and answer any questions we might haveabout attending the academy. This task was apparently something theheadmaster did personally, and I was happy it was her since I'd actuallyalready met her.
I looked forward to seeing Principal Mayberry again, but I had to say,the wait had been awkward as hell. Bru was still mad at me, obviously. Hepretty much steamed beside me, and I'd already apologized.Twice.
I really hadn't meant to go off the handle. I never did, but it justhappened. We moved a lot, and people tended to bully us because of that.
"I just don't get why you can't keep your mouth shut for once," hehuffed, folding his arms. His head touched the back of the wall in his chair."You're going to get me fucking killed. You're going to make shit anightmare once again."
It was because I stood up for us that life at all these schools we went toweren't nightmares. I crossed my legs, my heel bouncing. "You're beingmelodramatic.""I'm not."I started to give a retort, to check him. I was the older sibling. I was incharge and needed to take care of him.
So why did I feel socked in the gut when I looked at him?He sat there completely locked up, looking at everything but me in thewide office. I think he really had wanted a fresh start here, to be normal. Idropped my leg and turned to him. "I'm sorry." I really was. I shook myhead. "We have to draw first blood. Otherwise, our blood will be the onesthat coat these pretty walls."
It was the simple "get them first before they got us" mentality, and Ididn't understand why he didn't get that. "You're so goddamn negative," he said, facing me. "Maybe if we cameat people right, they won't handle us." "You don't know that."
"You never gave us a chance to try. Always flying off the handle." Heleaned back. "It's like you're doing everything you can to be the opposite ofDad." Our dad who hadn't fought. Our dad who had stood back. He used toget so mad when he'd gotten calls about me. His stance had been to stay outof things first and definitely not my approach. I cuffed my arms. "I'm really sorry, Bruno."
"Say you're sorry by staying out of shit," he said, then we both sat upwhen the secretary said the headmaster was ready for us. Bru and I stood,grabbing our bags, but before we could go anywhere, we were met in thelobby by a familiar face.
"L/n Y/n," Principal Mayberry said, certainly different today whenshe stood in the center of the Windsor Prep crest donning the cherrywoodpanels. She wore pressed pants and a white blouse, her hair pinned backlike a disciplinarian. She pointed at me. "I mean, Y/n. I haven't forgottenthat."
And I appreciated that, smiling when I took her hand. "Good to see youagain.""And you," she said, studying me. I was different today too, I supposed.I mean, I wore a fucking pleated skirt, and that didn't happen. I even rockedthe heels with dark knee-highs, wanting to really put an effort into this. Mynavy jacket lined with orange trim was ironed and crisp, and though I didn'tpin my hair back like the headmaster, I'd braided it down. Currently, mydark hair sat at my butt, and though I'd have to avoid sitting on it all day, itwas a far cry better than my normal messy bun.
Bru had even worked mousse into his chestnut-brown locks, trying toempress too, and the fact the headmaster and I knew each other clearlythrew him for a loop.
