Misfits (#2)

4.

I've decided I hate the reception area. It reminds me of a dentist's office with the hushed atmosphere and the unnerving feeling coursing through me as I sit in this chair.

I tilt my head back and try to stop the bouncing of my legs by counting the ceiling tiles. Same as before. 54.

I try again but can barely get to twenty without my mind trailing off. I've never been in trouble and my family knows Principal Banning well. A part of our family funds this school.

The Amory name is as untarnished as a name can get. We're the perfect pictures; it's what we've been raised to be our whole lives, me and my brothers. It's reputation or nothing so thinking about what would happen if I failed a class is enough to rock tremors through my body. Thinking about this, possession of weed, makes my body want to cave in on itself.

I don't want them to find out. They can't.

My hands start to tremble so I clench them into fists and tuck them under my thighs to hide them. I need to get a hold of myself before a panic attack becomes unavoidable so I shut my eyes and urge steady breaths.

It's pathetic, I'm well aware of it. Being terrified of trouble is humiliating but I can't help it. I've never been able to. Not when consequences always loom for me.

Steady, Violet.

The door clicks open and I sit up in my seat as Principal Banning holds open the door to his office. I meet his gaze just for a moment but the subtle disappointment feels like a punch to the gut. I lower my eyes and walk in without saying a word.

"Take a seat, Violet." He shuts the door behind him and walks around to the other side of the desk.

The silence is thick. I awkwardly pull the sleeves of my sweater over them and walk over to the chair, not looking to Everest sat in the one besides me, even as he watches me.

Banning sighs and I look up to him when he speaks, "State laws determine that drug possession of any kind for minors is illegal. Punishable."

I know. My mind has run through every possible thought in the past ten minutes. Police. Court and juvie and probation and I'm trying so hard to breathe but it's getting difficult.

Set us up for embarrassment. It's all you do, Violet. All you are.

I briefly shut my eyes to snap out of it. Of her voice.

I'd die so quick in juvie. I'd probably fall asleep somewhere and bam. Shanked and I'm a corpse. I frown at the thought. I really wanted to go to Paris fashion week once before I go.

Doesn't matter. I'm a dead girl.

"You are both on school grounds. We don't tolerate drug usage here and we never have. It's irresponsible, immature and quite frankly, Violet, disappointing." His tone is harsh and I keep my gaze lowered, "I assure your family won't be pleased."

My head snaps up, "They know?"

"I'll be calling them once we're done here. They need to be called in for a meeting because of criminal activity. You two will wait in the reception." He responds.

Everest speaks up from besides me, "She didn't do shit, Banning. I said that-"

"And I listened. Regardless, Violet was seen with marijuana and protocol states that family must be inform-"

"Fuck protocol." Everest's tone is harsher and I look over to him. He's slumped lazily in his seat with his black soccer shirt and shorts, legs laid out. But his expression seems to be anything but relaxed.

He sits up, "It's bullshit, you know it. I snuck it into her bag and she threw it back at me. You've seen me smoke pot in the back alley. She's a grade A student. You don't really have to guess here, do you?"