Isla speaks up. “Amanda was goading her—”
“Amanda was defending herself!” Nicole says.
Amanda touches her nose and winces. “I think she broke it. Anna broke my nose.”
Did I do that? Tears sting my cheek. The blood must have been a scratch from one of Amanda’s fingernails.
“We’re all waiting, Mademoisel e Oliphant,” Nate says.
I shake my head as Amanda launches into a tirade of accusations. “Enough!” Nate says. She stops. We’ve never heard him raise his voice before.
“Anna, for goodness’ sake, what happened?”
“Amanda cal ed Mer—” I whisper.
He’s angry. “I can’t hear you.”
“Amanda cal ed—” But I cut myself off when I see Meredith’s blond curls hovering above everyone else in the crowd. I can’t say it. Not after everything
else I’ve done to her today. I look down at my hands and gulp. “I’m sorry.”
Nate sighs. “Al right, people.” He gestures to the crowd in the hal . “Show’s over, back to your rooms. You three.” Nate points at me and Amanda and
Nicole. “Stay.”
No one moves.
“Get back to your rooms!”
Sanjita makes a hasty exit down the stairs and everyone else scrambles away. It’s just Nate and the three of us. And Isla. “Isla, go back to your room,”
he says.
“But I was here.” Her soft voice grows braver. “I saw it happen.”
“Fine. all four of you, to the head’s office.”
“What about a doctor?” Nicole whines. “She total y broke Amanda’s nose.”
Nate leans over and inspects Amanda. “It’s not broken,” he says at last.
I exhale in relief.
“Are you sure?” Nicole asks. “I total y think she should go to a doctor.”
“Mademoisel e, please refrain from speech until we get to the head’s office.”
Nicole shuts her mouth.
I can’t believe it. I’ve never been sent to the principal’s office! My principal at Clairemont High didn’t even know my name. Amanda limps forward into
the elevator, and I trudge behind with increasing dread. The moment Nate turns his back to us, she straightens up, narrows her eyes, and mouths this:
You’re going down. Bitch.
Chapter forty
The head gave me detention.