Beginnings and Endings [complete]

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty

Time stopped along with my heart.

The air in between us was so tense I couldn't move for my life. Standing there next to Dom, just having given him a soft kiss goodbye, I stared back at the principal, Sir James. He raised a finger, and my heart quickened with the thought he would hit the both of us and yell, but he pointed at me and curled his finger repeatedly. "Come with me." His voice was strained, but firm and angry.

Like a robot, I left Dom, still sitting on the stairs in utter shock, and followed Sir to his office, hoping none of the students suspected anything. No words could describe my toiling emotions. Heart still pounding, but now much more for being caught than the adrenaline earlier; my fingers were trembling, blood rushing through me as I anticipated what was coming next. This wasn't good. This definitely wasn't good.

My leaden feet carried me unwillingly into the office, straight to Sir's room itself. As he sat down, I stood frozen in front of him, straight and trying not to show fear, just regret, hoping against hope it would soften him just slightly.

Naturally, it didn't.

"Why were you there with Dominic?" he asked calmly, but I could see the white knuckles of his clenched fists. Oh, Sir was never like this.

I swallowed, a lie easily coming out from my tight lips. "I was walking up to the audi, and he was getting to class. We bumped into each other..."

"Don't lie to me!" he snapped furiously, interrupting me. That was when he launched off angrily into a long, tense lecture about what I did wrong, why I shouldn't be doing it - something about statutory rape - the warnings I've ignored...

At the end of it, the bell had rung for assembly, and he had gone up to address the school. My heart was still pounding, and I was still shaking from the pressure of tears threatening to fall. Sir had been reduced to forcing me to sit in front of the large window of the office, subject to stares and pointed fingers. It did not make me feel any better, and I constantly found something interesting on my white-laced white shoes to stare at.

Besides thoughts of what would happen to me, how badly my parents will react - because they'll definitely call them - I thought of Dom. I should've listened to my conscience this morning. I knew it was risky but I let my heart and hormones lead me instead of my head, and... What would happen to him now? His parents already mistreat him. His major graduation exam was around the corner. His leg was nowhere close to being able to walk on yet.

I buried my face in my hands. Oh, what have we done?

To my surprise, Sir let me out, until he could clear his mind to figure out what to do with me. That day was the day we collect the co-curriculum marks of the whole year, something I usually looked forward to, but not today.

Seeing Dom so close was a knife to the heart. Seeing the expression in his eyes, of regret and pain and sadness, was another stab wound to my chest. Danny stood with him, emotionless as usual, but acting as our messenger. I could barely breathe, wanting to run to him and collapse into his warm, welcoming arms despite the knowledge of the presence of another girl.

When I watched his retreating back, it was like a broken heart all over again. We were both confused, both helpless, both lost. All we could do now was hope and wish for the best.

I dragged my feet back to class, feeling even worse that I put him through this so close to his exams, but when I got back to class another surprise awaited me.

Even with my toiling emotions and pain, the confusion and the fucked-upness I was feeling, I managed to push all of it aside when I saw Summer crying, Sara at her side. "Fuck," I swore, going to her. "Summer?" I coaxed as gently as I could while feeling like I wanted to die.