Precious Sins ✓

Chapter 46: Love & Justice

Precious Sins

Chapter XLVI: Love & Justice

[Adrien's POV]

The moment Monday came around, I woke up that morning with nerves twisting around in my stomach. I would be going back to school today, and I wasn't ready. I haven't been to school in three weeks, and the last time I was there, Marci had threatened to spread rumours. Asher told me he hadn't heard any rumours, nor had he heard anyone talking about me at school while I wasn't there, but I was still nervous.

Preston, Asher, and Daniel had all agreed to meet me outside the school so that we could walk in together so that I didn't have to be alone. Just the fact that they were willing to do that for me made me feel a bit better, even if I was still nervous.

Not only that but like Preston and I talked about, I decided to go to the principal and tell him about what Marci and Carter did to me. I was hoping it would go well, but I was still anxious about it. I never liked to be in conflict with other people, which was why I usually tried to avoid it as much as possible, but this time I had no choice but to face it. I was just glad I wasn't facing it alone.

"Usually, this is where I would say have a good day at school..." Mom trailed off, "but that's probably inappropriate to say now."

We were parked in the school's parking lot. A few teenagers walked past through the parking lot, heading inside the school, and all I could do was watch from the car.

"Yeah, probably," I chuckled softly, glancing over to Mom. She was frowning, and I bit my lip, "I don't know if I can do this."

"I know, sweetheart, but you can't avoid school forever," Mom said, "graduation is only two months away, and then you won't have to look back."

"Yeah...I know," I sighed heavily. I closed my eyes, giving myself a mental pep talk. I can do this. I can get out of this car. I can walk into school. I can get through the day. I can do this.

I can do this.

"I love you, sweetheart," Mom told me, pulling me from my thoughts. I opened my eyes again and flashed her a brief smile.

"I love you too."

Then, I braced myself and stepped out of the car. I shrugged my bag over my shoulder and closed the car door, waving at Mom through the window as she waved back, blew me a kiss, and then drove off. I watched her go, and then turned to gaze up at the large building in front of me, the place I had been dreading to come back to, and took a deep breath.

I walked through the parking lot and headed to the large front doors of the school, but I didn't go in. Instead, I waited, and after a few minutes of waiting, and staring anxiously at the front doors as other teenagers headed inside ahead of me, I felt a hand touch my shoulder gently. I nearly flinched, but when I looked up and saw that it was only Preston, I immediately relaxed.

"You alright?" Preston asked me. I sighed and nodded my head.

"Yeah...just nervous," I told him.

"That's understandable..." Preston nodded his head, "but you're not doing this alone. You have me here with you, and Asher and Daniel will be here as well. You can do this."

"Thank you for doing this with me," I murmured softly, "it...means a lot to me."

"You don't have to thank me...you deserve to have someone by your side, to help you through the hard stuff," Preston said, and he held his hand out to me, "It was wrong of me to leave you alone at such a hard point in your life, but I promise, from here on out, that I will be here to help when you need it."