...
CLARKSON SEEMED LIKE HE was going to scream. Ella didn't dare to comment on his anger though as she sat on the shaky chair in front of his desk. The whole makeshift office in the house was almost falling apart, the wooden table seeming to be rotting and the chairs squeaking with every small movement. There was no other furniture, the small room only having one window through which little light filtered.
She was the first one with which he had demanded to speak. It probably was the fact that one of Trevor's friends had run to him that had caused her to be shed in a particularly bad light. And if not that, then her bloody knuckles and bruised cheeks.
"I knew you were trouble," Clarkson fumed," following right in your brother's footsteps, I see."
Ella sighed, rolling her eyes as she leaned backwards. She slung an arm over the chair, all hints of pretense gone now the whole game was over.
"You're being dramatic," she pointed out.
"You fought and injured eight guys!" he exclaimed.
"Six," she said," and to be fair, none of them are very badly injured."
She tilted her head to the right, her eyes gleaming with the kind of cockiness years of training had given her.
"If I had wanted to, you would've known," she said," because none of them would have been able to run to you anymore."
"Arrogance will get you nowhere," Clarkson said, a hand pressed to his temple as if to quell his starting headache.
He was right about that though. It had only gotten her here, in this same situation she had been in time and time again. But she couldn't filter her words, not anymore. Not when it all was useless now.
She may just as well let it all out one last time before she was singing prayers about Jesus Christ next week.
"I've notified your family," he said," I got Sebastian on the line and he's coming to pick you up."
Chances were her mother would follow as well and if not, that confrontation would ensue in their house. Still, she was glad to hear she would see Sebastian first, if only to prepare for her early death.
"You're immediately to be sent home," Clarkson said," we don't tolerate excessive violence here."
To be honest, St Joseph seemed to be exactly the place where they did tolerate it. She was too focused on her impending doom to talk back though, stress beginning to seep through.
"And about the others -" Clarkson began.
"It was me," Ella interrupted," I was the only one who fought there. Trevor's friends can attest to that."
Clarkson frowned, but she just went on.
"I told you Trevor attacked me," she said," and he and his friends started hitting the boys. They didn't do anything. It was all me."
"You want me to believe that Trevor is so beat up because of you?" Clarkson scoffed," you're better off not lying. The first six guys I can play off as self-defense with their light injuries, but Trevor was so severely bruised we will have to punish you all."
His look was undecipherable as he stared at her, like he was waiting to see what kind of reaction she would give. When she didn't reply, he sighed.
"I can't do anything if you won't talk," he said," it wouldn't have mattered if Trevor hadn't ended up with a broken nose, but I can't ignore it now. His parents are on their way here already."
"There's nothing to talk about," Ella said, crossing her arms," I did it. I'm the only one to blame."
Clarkson stared at her for a moment and it almost felt like he could see right through her. She didn't look away though, raising her eyebrows in a silent question. When he looked away and shook his head, that answered it.
"Trevor will be kicked out," he said," and so will you. The others will complete their last days in the camp, though they'll remain under supervision."
A sigh of relief left her. "Thank you," she said sincerely.
"Go on," he grumbled, gesturing at the door," before your brother searches for you and finds me instead."
She nodded at him and stood up to leave, a part of her sad to go. Despite her complaints the camp had been fun, especially with how close she had been becoming with the guys. Absent-mindedly she opened the door, only to bump straight into someone. Loud curses left her lips as she stumbled, but before she could fall someone grabbed her wrist and pulled her back then. The sight of her group greeted her then, all three of them looking very worried.
"Hey," she said," what're you doing here?"
"What happened?" Levi said, ignoring her question, his eyes focused on hers.
"Nothing much," Ella said," I'm being sent home."
"That's bullshit," Alex said," Trevor was the one who started all this."
Ella shrugged. "It went beyond self-defense, apparently."
"At least we're going together," Will offered in consolation.
"Oh no," Ella said," Trevor and I are the only ones being sent away. You guys are staying here."
"What?" Alex said, his expression baffled," are we talking about the same Clarkson here? I once looked his way and he threatened to send me away."
"I guess he understood you guys didn't really do anything," Ella said.
"Levi literally beat a guy up," Alex said.
"Anything bad," Ella corrected herself.
"So why are you being sent home then?" Alex frowned.
"Who knows," Ella said," but it doesn't matter. There were only three days left anyway."
"But I'll be lonely without you," Will pouted.
She just smiled, trying to get past them to quickly leave and find out if her mother was here. If she had until she got home to receive her punishment, that gave her some time to prepare. It was only when Levi grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him, that she got shaken out of her thoughts. She blinked in confusion, the first real emotion in her eyes since the conversation had started.
"What happened?" Levi repeated.
"I told you -" Ella began.
"No," he said," you didn't. So tell me why Clarkson is letting us off so easily and you're the only one forced to leave."
She pressed her lips into a thin line, before doing what she did best; lying.
"Because I'm the one who beat up six guys," she said," it doesn't matter if it's self-defense or not. You all were just accomplices to my crime."
Levi stared into her eyes, those dark eyes concealing all emotions underneath, and she felt the need to pull herself free. Some part of her had the feeling he could see exactly what she was thinking and it unnerved her more than she thought.
"Should we go complain to Clarkson?" Alex said.
"There's no need," Ella said," just finish your last three days here."
"We'll see you on the outside anyway," Will said.
She didn't have the heart to tell him she would be in another country within a week.
"You're not telling me something," Levi said.
"You don't need to know everything," she snapped.
Levi's eyebrows were knit together in his signature scowl, but there was something gentle in him when he leaned forward, his peppermint and coffee breath fanning her cheek.
"That's where you're wrong," he said simply," when it comes to you, I do want to know everything."
"Get a room," Alex complained.
"We had a tent until today," Levi said," believe me when I say that if I could have, you wouldn't be seeing me right now."
"Levi!" Will exclaimed.
Ella slapped him on the chest in a scolding move, although a good-natured smile was on her face.
"Idiot," she murmured.
For once, he actually smiled. Before she could even say anything about it though, a familiar voice cut her off.
"Ella, what the hell is happening here?"