“Adeline.” The principal looks at me through her half-moon spectacles and gestures at one of the plastic chairs in front of her desk. “Have a seat, please. And close the door behind you.”
Close the door behind you. This is not looking good so far. Especially because I can see Mrs. Bennett has that pissed-off look on her face. Her already thin lips have completely disappeared.
As I sit in the squeaky plastic chair, I try to make my face blank. I remember what Nathaniel told me. Deny everything. It must mean Mrs. Bennett isn’t entirely sure she saw me.
“Addie.” Principal Higgins doesn’t look any more pleased with me than Mrs. Bennett does. I remember when she first called me into her office about Mr. Tuttle, she was so sweet and gentle with me—but that changed when she found out I was stalking him （a bit）。 Now she just looks like she’s had it with me. “Mrs. Bennett says that she saw you in the bushes outside her house last night. Is this true?”
Deny everything. “No, of course not. I was home all night last night with my mom.”
Mrs. Bennett lets out an angry huff. “I saw you, Addie. You were in the bushes, and then you ran across my lawn.”
Deny everything. “I… I don’t know what to tell you. I was home all night. Like I said, my mom was home with me. You can ask her.”
If they do ask my mom, she will confirm that I was home all night. It’s so easy to sneak out without her knowing.
A twinge of doubt passes over Mrs. Bennett’s face. I’m glad Nathaniel texted me to warn me, because if he hadn’t, I probably would’ve confessed everything. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that denying it is the right thing to do. It was dark last night. She doesn’t know what she saw.
Principal Higgins continues to look skeptical. “Mrs. Bennett tells me that you have been having some conflicts with her. That you have been struggling in the class, not putting in an effort, and she even caught you trying to look at another student’s paper during an exam.”
“I… I did take a peek,” I admit, hanging my head in shame. “But Mrs. Bennett was nice about it. She even helped me find a tutor.”
I chance a look over at Mrs. Bennett and offer her a smile. She does not return it.
“I’m sorry you thought I would go to your house,” I say. “I would never do that though.” I realize how weak my words must sound, given I was literally picked up by the police outside another teacher’s house, so I quickly add, “I learned my lesson after last time.”
Principal Higgins flashes Mrs. Bennett a look. Neither of them seem thrilled with me, but it’s not like she has any proof.
Deny everything.
“All right, Addie.” The principal leans back in her chair. “Whatever happened last night, I expect there will not be any repeat episodes. You can return to class now.”
I get up from the plastic chair, astonished that nothing more has come of this. And most importantly, they didn’t ask me anything about Nathaniel. I was so sure it was going to be like last time, when Principal Higgins was grilling me about me and Mr. Tuttle. I expected questions about whether Nathaniel has ever touched me, and I was already anxious about trying to answer them because I figured they would see the truth all over my face.
But Mrs. Bennett assumed I was there entirely because of her. Because she knows that I despise her. That I wish more than anything she wasn’t in my life.
And in that sense, she is right.
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Chapter Forty-Six
ADDIE
AFTER THE MEETING with the principal, Nathaniel doesn’t answer any of my text messages.
By the time lunch rolls around, I’m almost hysterical worrying that he hates me now. But he did try to protect me. He told me to deny everything, and the strategy worked. Even so, I’ve worked myself into a big ball of stress.
While I’m sitting in the cafeteria, trying to force down a cheeseburger that tastes like it’s three days old, Lotus plops down across from me with her own tray containing a veggie burger. I’m not excited to talk to her after the way she betrayed me, especially today. My poem might have won that contest if she hadn’t intervened.
“Hi, Addie,” she says.
“Hey,” I mumble, not looking up from my burger.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m great.” I drag one of my french fries through the little pool of ketchup I made on my tray. “I’m just not interested in being friends with someone who is two-faced.”
Lotus’s jaw drops open. “Excuse me? How am I two-faced?”