Chapter 1
Chapter 1
CHELSEA’S PO.V
58)
Heavy footsteps echoed into the formerly empty room, people coming into the conference room in peers. My palms began to sweat nervously, pressed together as my heart raced. The members of the school disciplinary committee entered the conference room, each of them taking their seats at the long mahogany table.”
All of them were wearing glum looks on their faces, disapproval, and disappointment hanging on their brows as they glanced my way. The last to walk in was the principal and her assistant. The principal sent a glare in my direction before strolling to her seat, her heels tapping aggressively on the marble flooring.
I was sitting on a lone chair at the center of the room, with no one, I was told to bring my parents at least if they were here, they could make me feel less nervous. But who was I going to call? My drunk for a dad? Or my stripper for a mom?
“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen,” she greeted, adjusting her microphone before sitting down. “It is a great shame that we have to gather here today for a situation like this, which happened due to our negligence. First, I want to apologize to Mrs. Alvarez for the unfortunate incident that befell Noah, and we promise to handle this case with delicacy.”
My eyes darted to Mrs. Alvarez who was seated in the crowd, a tissue in her hands as she wiped away tears. She was a classy woman, dressed elegantly yet effortlessly at the same time, she wore all black as if she was in mourning, it was the first time I had seen Noah’s mother, the fat boy in class.
Who would have thought that his mother was an influential person in society? Since he looked like that, we all thought he was some kind of a push over.
“It has been brought to our attention that you, Miss Chelsea Findley, have been involved in many instances of physical and verbal aggression, including but not limited to pushing, shoving, threatening your peers, forcing some of them to eat and to smoke, humiliating, stripping-“The principal’s eyes narrowed at the paper in her hands immediately. “The list goes on, but let’s make do with this. Is this true?”
“N–No….” I stuttered, my voice wavering.
“We have recordings from our CCTV cameras of you beating up young Mr. Alvarez and pushing him down the stairs,” the principal cut in with a heavy voice. “It is in your best interest that you do not lie to us.”
“But I didn’t push him off the stairs,” I muttered in a small voice. “I agree that I have bullied him and hit him sometimes, but I wasn’t the one who pushed him down the stairs.”
“How can that girl sit there and lie about not hurting my son while my poor baby, Noah is fighting for his life as we speak?” Mrs. Alvarez yelled, getting up from her seat, but the lawyer and some security men prevented her from coming closer to
- me.
She looked more than ready to tear my head off.
“Miss Findley, apart from the footage, we also have eyewitnesses who were present during the assault. Some of these people you have also bullied,” the principal said. Almost immediately, the door opened, and a group of students walked in, some of them were my friends.
And the others were just the regular students that we used to pick on. A sigh of relief escaped my lips, when I noticed my best friend, Lara entered along with them.
She was present on the day of the incident, I believe she could tell them the truth.
“Lara Thompson,” the principal called, and Lara raised her hand as she stepped forward. “Did you witness what happened on that day?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Lara answered in a shaky voice.
54%
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Chapter 1
“Please tell us what happened that day,” the principal insisted. The hall fell silent again as Lara cleared her throat, her brown eyes darting over to me.
“We were in the emergency stairwell because Chelsea wanted to smoke, and she forced us to come along.” Gasps echoed across the room, and the principal glared at me, why was she trying to pin all the blame on me? We all went there to smoke.
“Noah and some of people was also trying to use the stairwell, they were going home, Chelsea got offended she claimed she didn’t like the way he looked at her, and she started hitting him, and she pushed him eventually.”
“That is not true!” I interrupted sharply, sweating profusely. I didn’t understand why Lara was lying. She was supposed to be my best friend, she saw what happened, she was supposed to tell them the truth.
“It’s not true that you didn’t hit him, or what?” the principal asked. I was unable to speak again because I did hit him, and to some extent, I used to bully Noah, but I would never push him off the stairs. He is in a critical state, and he could die, I have a chance of going to juvenile detention if he dies.
“I did hit him,” I confessed with tears in my eyes. “But I did not push him.”
“Why is that bitch still lying?” Mrs. Alvarez yelled again looking ready to get her hands on me. “My baby boy comes home with all sorts of bruises. I never knew he was getting bullied at school because every time I asked him he tells me he fell. He became depressed and stopped eating because that demon made fun of him for being fat.”
“Miss Findley, the odds are against you. You are found guilty of severe bullying and aggression towards your peers. Given the evidence that was presented today, we have no choice but to take action. Your behavior is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated in this institution. Therefore, the committee has decided that you are to be expelled from this school with immediate effect.”
Shock crashed over me, the words echoing in my mind. Expelled. I opened my mouth to plead, but no sound came out.
The principal’s voice continued sternly.
“We also reserve the right to press charges, and given the gravity of Noah’s injuries, we will be involving the authorities. This is no longer just a matter of school discipline but of legal consequence, we hope that you will serve as an example to the rest of the students in this school.”
My legs felt weak, and I slumped back into my chair. The room was spinning. This couldn’t be happening. I looked at the faces around me, searching for any sign of mercy, but found none. Even my former friends avoided my gaze.
“No, please,” I cried, my breath coming out in short pants. I can’t go to prison, I can’t… I have to be home today for Cordelia, she can’t sleep alone at night. “I didn’t push him, please believe me, I don’t k–know why they are lying.”
My voice shook and my teary eyes darted back to Lara, who had a light smirk hanging on her face now.
“Please, Lara, tell them the truth, I beg you.”
“Miss Findley,” one of the private officers said, “You need to come with us. You’re being taken into juvenile detention pending further investigation into the incident with Noah Alvarez.”
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