"That was fast," I said as I lifted my eyes from my phone to meet Maya's gaze which was lacking the surprise mine held.

"Probably not fast enough." She sighed and then started walking towards the sink to rinse her hands.

Our heads turned to the sound of Miss Stacey's posh tone. "Eden Ellison, please come to the office." Her voice echoed throughout the school from the announcement speakers. My eyes widened at the sound of my name which also created a sour lump in my throat.

Maya's brows pulled down flat over the bridge of her nose, her eyes swelling with sympathy. I was glad she said nothing and allowed me to leave the room without vain reassurance.

Walking down the empty hall to soon take the staircase to the first floor I could already feel the burden of my anxiety that grew greater by the second. To think I would get out of this faultless was naive, I knew that, but while I never thought that I certainly never expected a call down to the office where I would be calculating the consequences.

I entered the room after a few students that were leaving with flyers in their hands. From the small glimpse I took at the construction sheets I knew now that we had a pep rally coming up and I figured that meant the Hockey team would be playing that night.

My shoulders brushed slightly against the guy's as we passed through the door at the same time. I twirled around to apologize but he beat me to it then proceeded to say, "I wish I had bet my money on you-fucking hell!" He shook his head at his misfortune, cheesing at me with the silliest grin. "

I blinked at him not knowing what to say, how to react. It all felt a bit ironic

"It was time someone knocked him off his high horse. I'm just glad it wasn't me." His friend that exited before him expressed cynically before they both took their leave down the hall and into the student office.

When Miss Stacey saw me, she got up from behind her desk to lead me down the short hall to Ms Montgomery's room. When we got there, she opened the door for me and I hesitated to enter.

Ms Montgomery exhaled a dispassionate sigh when her eyes caught sight of me. "Hello, Eden," she spoke with a fake jolly tune. She then gestured for me to take the seat in front of her and waved Miss Stacey out of the room with the push of her hand. She inclined and closed the door after her exit.

"Sorry to have called you out of your class but it wasn't like you were there anyway, right Miss Ellison?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at me astutely.

"Yeah, I was in the art room," I answered in a levelled and uncaring tone.

"So you know that the public announcement was due to calling your teacher and her telling me she didn't know where you were as a last resort?" She adjusted her glasses.

I gave her a sideways glance not grasping the importance of why she was still on this subject. "I'm sorry, why does that matter?"

She adjusted herself in the ergonomic chair, straightening her bad posture. "I just wanted to make it clear that our intention wasn't to prompt gossip amongst the students at your expense, or embarrass, you or your parents."

"I see..." That my time is being wasted. "Ok." I pursed my lips.

She cleared her throat loudly before moving on. "If you didn't know before, we have a policy about films and photographs that can and cannot be released to the public. This is a reputation-based school and today that has been tampered with."

She turned her attention to the desktop in front of her, clicking away at the mouse as I waited for her to finish her point.

She slightly angled the computer screen towards me that showed a screenshot of the video that was posted. "Before it was taken down it had already received a thousand views and double the number of shares. Even with the original down, it's still being shared."

"If you're saying I posted the video-"

She cut me off with a terse, "No." She shook her head. "You're here because your fiasco with Mr Wylder is what provoked it."

I tilted my head in thought. "So why aren't you questioning him as well?"

"I've already had a meeting with him," she informed.

"Really?" My voice pitched incredulously.

"This video weakens our image and paints us and our students in a bad light," she continued normally.

"Why, because it implies that your beloved students arranged a school-wide bet on your star pupil puppeteering me to sleep with him to prove his capabilities and boost his massive ego?" I folded my arms and my brows lifted critically with the question.

I was getting angry for having to spell out for her the real issue here.

"Miss Ellison-"

"All I did was prevent that and it happened to be recorded," I explained in my defence.

"I understand your frustration." She took a breath as I began to cut her off.

"No, I don't think you do. If I wasn't told about their plan and my humiliation was put on blast I would be paying more of a price than he is right now," I elaborated. Automatically my thoughts went to my parents. It was always a lose-lose situation.

She sighed and I waited for her to contemplate what she would say next. "I apologize, I won't pretend that I'm unaware of that particular tradition of theirs but, right now we're just trying to get to the bottom of who released the video."

I scoffed, leaning back into the chair. Yes, everything is trivial against their reputability. I could laugh.

"I'll allow you to head back to class, the bell's about to go. We'll revisit the rest of the matter tomorrow," she dismissed. I rolled my eyes as I stood up out of my seat and then left without another word.

During fourth period I wished Valerie was here to take my seat because I was stuck sitting next to Rowen. I remembered when this one class that we had together was what I looked most forward to. Now I felt it was one too many.

AP French was taught by Madame Pierre and like every other insufferable French teacher, she made it a rule that we would only speak French in this class. Any other language spoken would cost us any chance of a perfect grade on assignments and tests.

I used the whole period to work on the many assignments she had given me. Near the end, she began assigning us our first group project in the course. I was not pleased when she announced that we would be partnering with the person we shared a desk with.

I wanted absolutely nothing to do with Rowen Hayes and it was way too soon to suck it up and be the bigger person.

"So when do you want to start?" He turned to me and asked.

I didn't bother turning to acknowledge him and began gathering my things since the bell was about to go. "Let's just split the workload in two, you do half and I'll do the other so we can continue avoiding each other," I said dismissively as I pushed out of my seat.

"You're the one avoiding me, Eden I don't mind working together," he confessed.

"I do, so let me know by tomorrow which sections you want to do and leave it at that," I said lastly before I said goodbye to Madame and left.

Danvers was already waiting for me in the parking lot when I got outside. I couldn't stand the fact that I had to get June from the airport because if it was me she wouldn't have to.

The drive was one hour of me falling asleep and waking up every time I thought we had been driving for too long and should already be there but weren't. I had brief conversations with Danvers and he told me about his kids. His eldest daughter, Gianna was twenty-five, and she lived here with him. The other two, Hazel and Faye were seventeen and twelve, they lived in Edmonton with their mother. During the holidays was when they would come to see him.

He also asked me about the video. Of all the people I suspected to see it I didn't believe he would.

Through the rear view mirror, he glanced at me in the back seat. "If it makes you feel any better, I don't think the video works against you, if anything it leaves you on top," He said caringly with a shrug.

I smiled. "Danvers, I think that's my problem," I pointed out in a comedic tone, and he laughed. I did appreciate his support.

"I worked for the Mayor and his family for many years, they've seen worse than their son's ego being bruised," he expressed with jocular solemnity.

I chuckled. "I'm sure...thanks Danvers," I said and he winked at me in the mirror with a smile. I wanted to ease my mind with what he said but not many people would see things in the same light as he was.

At five-thirty we made it to the airport. The jet landed only a few minutes ago so we would have to wait a bit before she was cleared to leave. I used that time to take another nap due to the need of having all the energy necessary
to deal with the attitude I knew she would have.

June was not a fan of planes, neither was I but for most of her life, she was afraid of them and only recently started flying alone. She would complain about it when she got here and somehow from her fear of flying she would transition to pestering me about how disoriented my life was.

Danvers left the car for a few minutes and returned with her luggage in his hands and her trailing empty handed behind him. Covering her model figure was a big white and fluffy faux coat that kinda meshed with her brown hair that was now dyed blonde. Danvers loaded the bags in the trunk then returned behind the wheel.

"You didn't miss me enough to come and meet me?" She pouted bitterly as she slipped into the backseat next to me, setting down her handbag that took up the whole middle seat.

"I'm so glad you're back June!" I forced a smile and extended my arms to pretend I was reaching to hug her.

"Oh please." She lifted her palm to stop me, side eyeing my gesture as she buckled her seat belt. "Mom told me how much you wouldn't want to come so, of course, I made her make you." She flashed a devilish smile.

I rolled my eyes. "Of course you did."

"Mwah! You're welcome," she patronised.

After, she took out her compact mirror and I watched as she touched up her flawless makeup.

"I see you've decided to go blonde again," I pointed out as I reached to touch her straightened hair.

"It always suited me the best, don't you think?" She flipped it back, over her shoulders.

"I think it's obvious that it's not your natural colour," I admitted with genuine assessment, twirling a strand of the blonde around my index.

"But it doesn't look bad does it," she reached for it self-consciously. Her brows in a frown, desperate for me to tell her otherwise. I shook my head, it didn't.

She stopped talking for a bit and I prayed it would stay that way because I wanted to go back to sleep for our drive back.

"I threw up four times on the flight here," she began and I wished to smash my head through the window.

I took a breath before I gave her the attention she wanted. "If you still have such a problem with flying why don't you just stay in Connecticut and stop coming down here every other week?"

"I couldn't, you guys would miss me too much," she flattered herself. I would personally disagree with that statement.

"What about your friends, what do they think about you leaving them every chance you get?" I asked.

She turned away in thought, a desolate expression flashing across her face, dampening her eyes. I almost asked her if she was okay but then she faced me coldly.

"Do you ever get tired of being a disgrace?" She questioned in a deeply malicious tone.

The abrupt switch caught me so off guard all I could do was laugh until I found the words for my confusion."What?"

"Do you plan on coming home tonight after ruining us once again with your stupidity?" She was referring to the video.

"Is it that serious? You all act as if it was my sex tape that got leaked, what did I do in that video that was so damaging?" I asked her, wanting to know her genuine thoughts but that was when Danvers pulled into the driveway and she was done with the conversation.

I stepped out of the car, using the door for support until my feet regained life after sitting for so long. My parents had been standing by the front door waiting for June who took her time out of the car. I grabbed my things and began towards the backyard.

"You need to come wash up for dinner," my mother yelled.

"I'm not hungry," I lied, feeling the effects of not eating anything nutritious all day immediately after from my grumbling stomach. I continued on my way to turn the corner when his voice shouted my name, erupting in the still night air and seizing me in my tracks. I was too scared to turn around.

"Inside, now!" He demanded. The anger in his tone was enough to prompt me to move with haste. I told myself not to look at him as I passed to go inside. Even as I ran up the stairs I could feel him breathing down my back as if he was right behind me.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" I was pacing back and forth in front of my bed, no longer attempting to calm my breathing because it was already out of control. My chest was tightening so I loosened my tie and took off my shirt to release the pressure but it only became more suffocating. My ears perked at what sounded like a creek on the steps and I rushed to close the doors with the lock.

I knew he would be angry with me but like always I underestimated its intensity. The tears were already creating wells that glossed my pupils. I knew that if I let them fall now I would never be able to stop them.

All I needed to do was breathe and calm down. Think good thoughts.

"One." I inhaled and two I exhaled.

"Three." I inhaled once more and on four I exhaled. I was still far too agitated, my heart pounding too fast and I feared the thought that I might go into cardiac arrest while also welcoming the possibility.

I got in the shower to get ready for dinner like my mother advised, using the cold water to chill my rising body temperature repeating my calming inhales and exhales as I soaped my body. I stayed in the shower until my breathing was calmer. The issue now was getting my mind out of panic mode.

I wrapped my dripping body with a pastel blue towel then began rummaging through my bathroom drawers for any pills. When I found none I looked through my entire room. I knew I took the last bit of the molly this morning, but maybe just maybe there was one that fell out of the ziplock bag somehow.

I couldn't smoke the cigarettes I had tucked away, because they would detect that, so I reached for my phone that I had discarded on the floor during my freakout and dialled an old friend's number.

He waited until the last ring to pick up. "Hey, Tim, I'm not bothering you right now am I?" I whispered softly.

"No, you're good, what's up?"

"The pills you gave me are done, where would I get more?" I sat down on the edge of the bed and bounced my leg in anticipation.

"Eden-"

"Don't lecture me right now, it's not like that," I promised.

He sighed. "I don't know any dealers where you're at personally, but Ally might. I'll ask her and let you know," he said.

"Thanks, Tim, you're the best!" Suddenly my mood was lifting.

"Yeah," he said and the call ended.

That wasn't the solution for this current situation but knowing I would get what I wanted soon was reassuring. Something to look forward to steadied my mind, plus, there was alcohol downstairs.

There was a knock at my door as I was about to slip on my pyjama bottoms.

"Why's the door locked?" My dad asked on the other end. He sounded calmer. I picked my stuff off the floor, cleared it, then hid my phone before I opened the door.

He stepped in, surveilling the room skeptically. I felt like everything that just happened was somehow being broadcasted behind me.

"Are you ok?" He asked, brushing my cheek with the back of his hand, searching my eyes. I'm confused.

"Yeah," I nodded with a hopefully convincing smile. "Is dinner ready?"

"Not yet." He outreached his hand that held a polyester red dress I didn't notice. "We're having guests over, wear this." He handed it to me then left, closing the door behind him.

A part of me was so relieved that he wasn't angry anymore I could cry tears of joy. The other part wondered, what changed his mood or if I misread his tone and freaked out for no reason.

I stepped into the red fabric that clung tightly to my body before I zipped it up. It had a squared neck and the shoulders were puffier than I would've liked but I adored the elegance of the flared skirt.

I admired it in the mirror for a minute before I pinned my hair up in a bun. Around my neck, I wore a simple gold chain with matching knob earrings. I normally would worry myself about who they were having over because they always felt it necessary to not be specific but right now I was just glad I wasn't in deep shit for the time being.

When I reached the bottom of the steps the doorbell rang and my mother was right there to open it immediately.

"Good Afternoon," the rich voice of an older male grumbled before he greeted her with pecks on both sides of her cheeks. Stepping into the house and into view after.

We're having dinner with the Mayor? I thought weirdly but not surprised. He was partners with my father.

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs Ellison," A voice that was all too familiar rang clear and I felt faint.

"It's nice to meet you too, Leighton, finally." She smiled and greeted him with a short embrace and that was all I remembered hearing before I collapsed.