Secrets of the Deep [Wattpad Featured Story]

Chapter Fourteen

Dad was not going to be happy; I knew that much. I also knew that the school had called him while he was at work and informed him that I was suspended for a day. Unless I pleaded my case, I knew he would ground me. But I desperately hoped Dad, of all people, would understand.

When I came home after school, I found him pacing in the living room.

"Rayne!" he thundered as I meekly stepped through the doorway. "You are in such big trouble, young lady!"

I shuffled over to him, already feeling guilty in anticipation of the conversation to come. "Dad, I'm sorry, but it's not what you think."

"Then tell me what you think. Explain what went through your head when you got in that fight."

"Well, there's this girl at school who has been picking on me," I began slowly. "And she's been picking on other kids, too. Her father, Coach Hansen, is oblivious to it all—"

"So you verbally attacked his daughter?"

"No! Madeleine attacked me. I mean—" With a frustrated sigh, I covered my face in my hands and tried again. "Look, first I brought the situation to Coach Hansen, hoping he would understand. But he wouldn't listen to me. He didn't even care. He—"

"Rayne, what on earth were you thinking?" Dad cried in exasperation. "Hansen is your ticket to qualifying for the Junior Olympics! What—"

"I told him that Madeleine was causing trouble at school," I continued, raising my voice. "He didn't do anything about it, so I walked away. Then Madeleine came up to me and started the fight."

"The school claims you started the fight."

"No! That's a lie," I gasped.

Dad ran his fingers through his hair, gazing at me long and hard. His mouth was set in a firm line. "Rayne, the school called and told me that you're suspended on the grounds of verbal assault, provoking a student to violence, and involvement in fighting on school grounds. How am I supposed to understand that? You've had no reason to fail me before."

I suddenly realized Dad was hurt, deeply hurt. He was right; I had never had a cause to disappoint him in such a way.

"Listen to me," I pleaded. "I may have gotten carried away, but I never assaulted anyone, and I did not provoke the fight."

He pursed his lips. "What am I supposed to believe?" he asked finally.

"Believe me," I pressed.

But he had already turned his back on me, arms folded across his chest. "We'll talk about this later, Rayne," he said wearily. "Whether you provoked the fight or not, you were involved in it. I'm grounding you for the next three days—your suspension day tomorrow, plus the weekend—and I'm taking away your phone."

For the second time today, angry tears sprang into my eyes. That's not fair! I wanted to scream. I didn't do anything wrong! But what good would it do to win this argument, anyway? My actions were clearly stressing Dad out. I hated to see him this way.

And then it hit me. Coming around to the other side of him, I demanded, "What about Kimmie? You promised I would get to see her."