When Our Nights Collide Volume 1

Chapter 7: Nearing the end of the night

A fight doesn’t end when there is a victor, but when there is a loser

“Miss Liliana Florence. Please report to the principal’s office. I repeat…”

A few days after I was kidnapped, I heard this announcement before the first class. I looked around and confirmed that Katherine was missing before I began getting out of my seat. The gazes directed at me were but distractions from the audience. Once I was out in the empty hallway, I tied up my hair with a dark blue scrunchie and mentally prepared myself. This was the stage I made, so I couldn’t screw it up.

Inside the principal’s office, besides the principal herself, was Katherine and a similar looking mature woman. When they stood side by side, they seemed less like mother and daughter and more like sisters. Seeing Katherine acting meek beside this refined woman nearly put a smile to my face, but I hastily prevented myself from slipping up.

“Mrs. Stevens, you called?”

“Yes. Normally I wouldn’t allow these kinds of issues to interfere with class but Mrs. Jones here insisted that I let her meet you.”

I didn’t know how she was pressured into it, but since Mrs. Stevens didn’t bother to hide the irritation in her tone, I wasn’t worried. I turned to the woman who was likely Katherine's mother and tried to be polite.

“You’re Katherine’s mom, correct?”

“Yes, I’ll get straight to the point. Why did you mention Katherine’s name in your report to the police?”

This seemed more like a question suited for the police station rather than school, but I expected her to come here. It probably wasn’t much now, but if she brought attention to this matter at the police station it would certainly be quickly investigated, which might put Katherine in a worse position. I didn’t know if her mother was aware of all her wrongdoings, but she didn’t trust her at least.

If no one came to address this issue, that would honestly make me very worried since it would suggest that her family could manipulate the police, and I would have to publicise what happened to me. So I was very relieved that she brought it up.

“Oh that, honestly I don’t want to recall it. I told the police everything I remembered so that I could put it behind me.”

I wasn’t sure if my act was convincing but it didn’t even matter, since I had the status of having trauma, me wanting to blurt everything out and then forget it was completely normal. And so, even if I did add a few extra details to my story, no one would be able to accuse me of lying without proof. And even if there was proof, since I was traumatized I could mix things up. I had mixed feelings about using my own troubles as tools, but those feelings didn’t get in the way of my revenge. I had trouble believing in my mental stability but that was an issue that could wait.

Katherine’s mother continued to glare at me but I had no change in my 'troubled' expression.

“Fine. You can go. Katherine, you too.”

It may have looked like she gave up, but not to me or anyone else in this room. The moment Katherine and I were out of the principal’s office, she grabbed my collar and pushed me to the wall.

“You-!!!”

“Oh, are you sure you should be doing this? If something happens to me on the day your mother comes to school, I’m not sure how that would look.”

Her face that was normally the perfect example of arrogance and beauty, had become distorted by anger in front of me, and I loved it. I knew she wanted nothing more than to see me kneel on the ground, but this time I had the high ground.