𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗤𝗨𝗘𝗘𝗡, 𝙅. 𝙈𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙠.

𝟬𝟬𝟬 prologue

So the whole situation that landed her in the principal's office was quite hilarious to her at the moment. She didn't know whether it was the alcohol talking or the molly that had finally worked its way into her system. No, she isn't an addict. Today happened to be the first day that she put the gutter drug into her body. And after her experience with the small pill, she sure as hell never planned to do it again. It was borderline controlling, giving Annabelle little to no control over her own actions as she tried to focus on Principal Luna's mouth as the woman broke the silence that had previously consumed the room.

As Annabelle sat in her seat, she could feel this movement occurring in her throat. It was as if someone was fiddling with her vocal cords, not allowing her to hold back the sudden laugh that left her lips. Though the girl on drugs thought she'd laughed to herself in her own head, she was proven wrong when the older woman seated behind the large, wooden desk stopped talking, folding her hands to give the intoxicated girl a stern, evil look.

"Annabelle Octavia Monroe! What the hell is wrong with you? You think this is a joke?" The raven-haired woman seated beside her snapped at her daughter, shutting the girl up in an instant despite the fact that Annabelle couldn't stop the euphoric sensation that seeped through every inch of her body as the clock loudly ticked in the background.

Annabelle resisted the strong urge to roll her eyes at her mother. She knew it would only wind up getting her into more trouble, so she pressed the pad of her thumb and pointer finger together, hovering it over her mouth in a straight line, basically telling the three adults in the room that she'd remain silent for the time being.

Sebastian only pinched his nose in frustration at his daughter's childish behavior, choosing not to scold her because he knew that sparking an argument in front of the principal would be highly inappropriate. Instead, he cleared his throat, sending the woman in front of him an apologetic look before parting his lips to speak. "What are the consequences?"

"A ten-day suspension." Principal Luna responded, her eyes lowering down to the paperwork sat in front of her while she continued speaking. "And once she returns to campus, she'll have to complete volunteering hours to make up for this."

Sandra scoffed at the punishment, unable to believe the words coming out of the woman's mouth. "Suspension? That's absurd! We pay $10,000 every single year for her to attend this academy!"

"My deepest apologies, Mrs. Monroe. However, your daughter should've taken the consequences into consideration when she decided to intoxicate herself behind the bleachers with her group of friends." Principal Luna formed her lips into a thin line, stapling some papers together that would now become a part of Annabelle's school records. That was definitely not going to look good on her transcripts. "I wish there was another way to solve this, but we have a reputation to maintain here. And I will not allow her to be the one to ruin it."

"Wait!" Annabelle made a sudden realization, lips up turned into a small grin. "I get caught underage drinking, popping molly, and in reward, I get a ten-day vacation? Sweet!"

"Jesus Christ, Annabelle, quit talking!" Annoyance lingered in Sandra's tone as she coldly glanced at her sixteen-year-old daughter who was seated beside her.

Sebastian arched a brow at the two, telling them to stop talking without actually saying the words. This whole situation was one huge embarrassment that he wanted to forget. He, too, had a reputation to maintain. "Is that all?"

If there was one thing the Monroe girl was one hundred percent sure of as her slumped body rested on the uncomfortable chair, it was that no one wanted to leave that room more than her father. He had made it perfectly clear since the second he stepped foot into the building. She knew he was mad about the whole situation, but her mother? Oh, she was downright furious.