Damien Carmichael leads a double life. By day he's a high school senior at an elite prep school, just trying to get through his last year without any trouble. He has a girlfriend and up until this year, he was the star player of the lacrosse team.
...
"Principal Updike loves me," Carrie said with a shrug. "Our parents give a shit ton of money to this place, nothing's gonna happen, save maybe detention for a few days which, totally worth it." Damien snickered despite himself.
The door opened then, and Mrs. Finch stared at them for a moment. "Both of you, inside," she said. Damien and Carrie made their way towards the Principal's office, walking past the secretary, who eyed them both.
"Thank you Mrs. Finch that'll be all," said a voice from the interior of the principal's office. Principal Updike was a gruff, foreboding looking man whom Damien had done his best over the last four years never to interact with more than was strictly necessary. Outside of the usual informal meetings every Christmas when the Principal would attend one of the holiday balls of whatever family happened to be throwing it that year.
It had circulated between the Five. The five wealthiest in Westlake. Namely the Carmichael's, the Benson's (Carrie and Tyler), the Montgomery's (Phi), the Klein's (Maddie), and the Greenwood's (Gavin). Most of them had known each other since birth, though the Greenwood's had only come to Upstate New York for Westlake around the fifth grade. They had gotten lucky. Most of the families at Westlake had to have their child's spot reserved for them, near since birth, they were also almost exclusively generational. The Montgomery's for instance had been attending Westlake for almost as long as it had existed. And Damien's father and grandfather had both attended Westlake.
"Have a seat," Principal Updike said as the two followed the teacher in. Carrie took a seat first, for a long moment Damien merely stared at the chair beside her as if debating whether or not he actually had a choice in the matter. Principal Updike gave him a look, and Damien withered instantly, all but melting into the chair.
"Mrs. Finch informs me there was a bit of ruckus in the Dining Hall?" he said. Damien swallowed, he almost wanted to laugh. Ruckus almost made it sound playful.
"Just a family spat," Carrie said with a shrug, seemingly totally indifferent to the whole affair.
"You hit your brother with a serving tray," Principal Updike said.
"He deserved it," Carrie replied. Damien turned to face her then, eyes wide. You're not helping! He wanted to shout. "He wrote on Damien's head while he was asleep then called him out in the Dining Hall in front of everyone," she opened her mouth to continue but the Principal held up a hand to stop her. Damien was grateful for it. He could only imagine how much further she'd be willing to go. Her lack of self-preservation made him decidedly more anxious than he already was.
"Is this true Mr. Carmichael?" Principal Updike asked. Damien swallowed, he had mostly managed to cover the writing with his hair, lifting his fringe he revealed the word written on his forehead. Principal Updike frowned. "I see."
"I was defending my friend," Carrie replied.
"It really wasn't her fault," Damien pipped up surprising himself with this sudden display of confidence that was more manufactured than actual confidence. Principal Updike raised an eyebrow at this, clearly surprised by Damien's outburst. "She doesn't deserve to be punished I mean," he added.
"She physically attacked another student," Principal Updike said. "If Mr. Benson wished to press charges, we would have to expel you... however, considering this is a family matter, I believe it is best left within the family. You will serve two weeks detention Ms. Benson, and I'll have to talk to your parents. See to it that it doesn't happen again." Damien stared first at Principal Updike, then at Carrie. She didn't seem particularly bothered by the threat of bringing it up to her parents. "You may go," he said. Damien shot up quickly. "Not you, Mr. Carmichael, Ms. Benson may leave, I'd like to speak to you alone for a moment." Carrie shot him an apologetic look, as Damien sat back down feeling rather like he was about to be put on trial. "You needn't be worried, you're not in trouble," Principal Updike said, as soon as Carrie had left the room and closed the door behind her. Damien laughed nervously, he only wished he could stop the nerves that were currently overtaking him. "Would you care to tell me why Mr. Benson felt the need to write an obscenity on your forehead?" he had softened his voice considerably, though this did little in calming Damien.
"I broke up him and his boyfriend," Damien replied quietly.
"I see," Principal Updike replied in a voice that said, he very clearly did not see. Before he could ask why Damien spoke up again.
"I didn't mean to. I saw him and Gabe from the lacrosse team very clearly fu..." he paused mid-word, censoring himself at the last moment. "Having sex and I felt that it was my duty to tell my fellow teammate and friend what was going on."
"You witnessed them having sex?" Principal Updike repeated, sitting up in his chair at that.
Damien swallowed. "Yes," he said.
"On school grounds?" the Principal clarified.
"Er... yes?" Damien replied, suddenly feeling as though he shouldn't have said anything.
"Mr. Carmichael, students are not permitted to be having sex on school grounds, and doing so would be grounds for expulsion. Furthermore, the bullying of yourself by Mr. Benson only underlines the very serious problem here..."
"I wouldn't call it bullying," Damien said. The last thing he needed was for this to get worse.
"I would," Principal Updike replied. "Of course there will need to be a formal investigation into the mater. "We'll have to pull Mr. Benson in here as well as Mr. Crenshaw, in order to get their side of things." Damien swallowed hard, just like that he had ensured the remainder of his year at Westlake would be hell. Did Tyler have anything on him? Damien's mind was suddenly racing with a million thoughts at once. He hadn't meant to say anything, he hadn't even meant to be here, how had things gone so wrong so quickly? He groaned.
If Principal Updike had said anything else, Damien didn't hear it, he was quickly beginning to spiral. There were two possible outcomes. In the best case scenario, Tyler would be expelled, in the worst case, Tyler would get away with it, and make Damien's life a living hell. Damien sucked in a deep breath, willing himself not to panic.
"You're free to go, Mr. Carmichael," Principal Updike said, knocking Damien out of his own thoughts, writing himself a note.
Damien nodded quietly and made his way out of the Principal's office, where Carrie was waiting for him on the other side.
"What happened, what did he say?" she asked.
Damien's stomach roiled. He bolted from the Principal's office, running as fast as he could back up the stairs, Carrie chased after him. Pushing the door open hard, Damien ran down the hall towards the entrance hall and out the double doors, barely making it off the stone steps and into the grass before he vomited hard at his feet.
Carrie stood over him, trying to comfort him the best that she could as he doubled over dropping onto his hands and knees wretching.
He groaned, pulling himself to his feet a few moments later, "What happened?" she asked.
Damien shook his head, he was going to need a stiff drink before he could talk about it, he thought. And soon.
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