PANIC ROOM • KENJI KON

II. Snape, Snape, Severus Snape

"As you are well aware of, fighting on school grounds is punishable by suspension and expulsion. But, seeing as you did not start the fight, and you were simply defending yourself..." He paused, as if the words were hard to get out. "I am letting you off on a warning and three days detention."

Eva froze, her eyes widening to saucers as she looked up to face her Vice Principal. "R-really?" She nearly asked Why? but didn't want to annoy the authority figure.

"Am I fair to assume you will stop getting into unnecessary trouble for the rest of the school year?" He paused for half a second, then continued, without giving her a chance to speak. "You have three semesters left, Miss Rocker. It would be a shame—" he said the word with disgust, as if he secretly wished for her to leave the school once and for all, "—if you were to be expelled before your time at Rutherford is up. You are basically an adult. All of this acting like a child will get you nowhere in real life. Do take them time to think that over, Miss Rocker.

"Your detentions will be scheduled after winter break since the faculty will be busy next week giving finals. You are free to go."

Eva nodded and thanked him as she stood.

As Eva left the offices, she quite literally ran into Jenny, one of her hallmates. They bonked heads, then as Eva began to fall, she grabbed onto anything to catch her— which just so happened to be Jenny's wrist, and the two girls crashed into the floor one atop the other. They both groaned in pain as Jenny rolled off of Eva and onto the floor beside her.

"Eva?" The girl questioned, tossing her blonde highlighted hair over her shoulder as she sat up, offering a hand to the blonde. "Are you okay? You're never awake this early." Jenny readjusted her purse— a light pink, designer shoulder bag that she had been absolutely obsessed with this past month— and stood to her feet, dusting off her matching pastel pink skirt.

"Yeah, just..." Eva faltered, the harsh fluorescents above her gave her a headache. She sat up quickly, her vision spinning as she took Jenny's hand. "Busy getting chastised for something that wasn't my fault, like usual." She patted her sports bra, happy to know her juul hadn't moved even a centimeter from her sudden fall, and was no closer to falling out of its hiding place than Eva was to finally being kicked out. While she had a knack for getting into trouble— and oftentimes going before the disciplinary committee— she had miraculously not been given any punishment worse than detention. Granted, she had one almost every week, something in the universe was pulling in her favor, granting her the ability to keep attending Rutherford without any real retribution.

Jenny's lips etched into a frown. "Oh, is this about Jayla?"

Eva nodded.

"What a shame for that girl. She had so much potential."

Eva quirked an eyebrow. Potential? To do what, start another fight? The only person who got into more fights than Eva was Jayla Donovan, but where Eva started fights because someone insulted her teammates, or her friends, Jayla only fought girls who encroached on her pretty little boyfriend. And since Danny Little tended to hang around with the "It" crew, it was a miracle more girls hadn't crossed Jayla.

"Oh, you didn't hear?" Jenny continued, shock overtaking her features. She switched her purse from her right shoulder to her left hand as she popped open the clasp, digging through the small container. "She's supposed to go up against the committee at noon today. Apparently she's finally started one too many fights. According to Amber, Prince plans to vote her out." Jenny finally retrieved a small, compact mirror and popped it open, checking her lip gloss.

The two start their walk towards their first period physics class, which was nearly on the other side of the school.

Eva snorted. "Prince? Vote out a pretty girl? Either the nicotine has finally gone to his head, or there's a bigger agenda going on that we don't know about."