44. Cin
Cin
The way everyone turns to look at me makes my stomach churn. What could Mr. Finnighan want with us now?
I look at Talon, who’s already standing at his seat, ready to go with me. Mr. Finnighan loses his cool and shouts, “Mr. Rossi, get back in your seat. This matter does not concern you.”
Griffin, already standing at my back, taps my shoulder, and I stand. He bends down as if to remind me that I’m not alone and that he’s coming with me.
“It’s going to be okay,” he says, “I’ve already notified your mother.”
I nod and walk down the row of students. When I look back at Talon, my eye catches on Cody. He’s smiling directly at Mr. Finnighan, and then his eyes go to Mr. Skeens, and his smile twists into something cruel. I have to swallow down my suspicions, because if I don’t, I may just break down right here.
Griffin walks beside me as I follow Mr. Skeens and the headmaster. He’s sweating profusely and shaking his head as if talking to someone.
“Something isn’t right,” I whisper to Griffin, and he nods his head in agreement.
We walk across the grounds into the administration building, a place I’m starting to fucking hate. Mrs. Davis is nowhere to be seen. Usually, she sneers at me anyway.
No love lost there.
In Mr. Finnighan’s office, there’s a man who looks like a detective. He’s dressed in a suit complete with a tie. His hair is closely cropped, and his eyes narrow on Mr. Skeens when we enter.
“Miss Morgan, this is Detective Whithurst,” he introduces the unknown man, and I find it odd that he didn’t introduce Mr. Skeens.
I’m confused as he nods and returns to his seat. Mr. Skeens looks pale, and I glance at Griffin.
“Miss Morgan, I realize this may be upsetting for you, and I apologize for the lack of ceremony,” Detective Whithurst starts, “a video was turned in to Mr. Finnighan, a rather upsetting video.”
“A video of what?” Griffin asks, causing everyone’s eyes to flick to him. He doesn’t move an inch; he just stands there, waiting for someone to answer his question.
“Who are you?” Detective Whithurst asks.
Mr. Finnighan jumps in before Griffin can, “Mr. Howell is Miss Morgan’s bodyguard. She’s had a bit of trouble come up in her personal affairs, so I have granted her special permission to have him accompany her wherever she goes.”
“I see,” the detective writes something down, but I still don’t know what I’m here for. A million things race through my mind. What video could have been turned in to the headmaster that would warrant a detective?
Mr. Skeens is pulling at his collar, sweat beads down his forehead, and I don’t know what to make of the whole situation.
“Mr. Howell, were you here the Saturday before spring break with Miss Morgan?”
Fuck.
That was the night of the bunny patch party. If a video was taken…
FUCK!
“I was not,” he says, “should I get Miss Morgan’s mother on the line?”
“No, Cin is not in trouble,” the detective says, smiling like the pleasant fake smile adults give when they want you to feel comfortable. “It is our understanding that a student alerted Mr. Finnighan about an inappropriate relationship between the two of you.” Using his pen to indicate myself and Mr. Skeens.
“That was weeks ago, and I made it clear that was not the case.” I look at Mr. Skeens. Why is he not defending himself? “My mother spoke to Mr. Finnighan, and everything was cleared up.”
“That was true,” Mr. Finnighan’s hands steeple on his desk. “However, we need you to determine if the girl in this video is, in fact, you, as Mr. Skeens claims.”
“What video?” I throw my hands up, tired of feeling like we’re going in circles.
“Miss Morgan, you are eighteen, correct? A legal consenting adult?” The detective asks.
Griffin moves just slightly, just so his front is angled in front of me. “What kind of video?” His voice is stern, more than I’ve ever heard, and I think I hear my mother’s voice in his ear.
Which means his earpiece is synced to his phone, and she’s heard every word.
“It’s a video of Mr. Skeens and a young woman, fitting Cin’s description, being intimate. Mr. Skeens claims he was blackmailed and coerced by you for a better grade, and it all started back when the two of you were originally accused of fraternization.”
“No,” Griffin rumbles, “she will not be subjected to this insanity.”
He turns, blocking them from my view. I’m shocked and fucking horrified. Griffin’s hands come down on my shoulders, and he turns me around, ready to march out the door.
“Miss Morgan, if you do not confirm it is not you, I’m afraid I’ll have to accept Mr. Skeens’s word and expel you. Not only is it a gross disregard for the student conduct agreement, but it’s also confirmation that you lied to the entire staff and roped your mother into your scheme weeks ago,” Finnighan drawls. He’s always had an ill vision of me, so his harshness shouldn’t come as a surprise.
I freeze, momentarily shocked at this man’s audacity. I can still hear Mama in Griffin’s earpiece shouting obscenities.
“I have never been intimate with any teacher,” I growl, spinning around and facing Mr. Skeens, who I thought was a nice teacher and a stand-up man. It turns out he’s a much better actor than he ever was as a teacher. Directing my attention back to Mr. Finnighan I continue, “and I’ve received top marks in all of my other classes on my own merit. Does he claim I’ve fucked them all for those grades?”
Griffin looks ready to fuck him up. He may be older, but my dude’s fast and pissed.
“Let me get this straight,” I step around Griffin, away from Mr. Skeens, closer to the headmaster. “If I don’t watch this video of my teacher fucking a student just to say it’s not me , you’re going to expel me?”
The detective looks between the two of us, “you don’t have to watch it, Miss Morgan. I have enough for the department to intervene and arrest Mr. Skeens on statutory rape charges, but unfortunately, I have no control where the school is concerned.”
“I refuse to watch it, but I’ll do you one better and save everyone some time,” my eyes are firmly held on the detective, “does this video have enough quality to it to determine if the woman has a large scar under her chin?”
“A scar?” He asks, tilting his head to one side and looking over his notes. “I don’t believe a scar was mentioned in the description I received.”
I smile at Mr. Finnighan and lift my head so the detective can see the scar that runs from almost my ear to the center of my chin.
“That seems identifiable enough,” he says, standing and heading for the door. Before walking out, he turns and addresses my English teacher that I defended. “I suggest you revise your statement, Mr. Skeens, before I review the footage personally.”
His face pales even more if that’s possible, and it should. If he fucked a student, he needs to be fired. Something is still churning in my gut about it all, though. Mr. Skeens is hiding something, something… else .
Griffin ushers me out after the detective, leaving the headmaster and English teacher alone in his office. I only want to go back to my room and forget the rest of the day. Classes had barely even resumed before this bullshit started up again.
“Can we go back to my room?” I ask, and he nods. Following me to the dorm where I can stew and finish up the project Cody and I were supposed to be working on together. I don’t want to see him right now, and I need this done.
Everything else is done, and I’m ready to turn it in so I can get the hell out of this place. Ever since I came here, it’s been one thing after another, and I’m tired of it. I’m tired of only knowing half-truths and being punished for them anyway.
Unlocking the door I step in and Griffin turns away. I wonder what he does when he isn’t with me. He doesn’t have any family, and I don’t even want to think about entertainment.
The door locks automatically behind me, and I sigh, letting my thoughts race won’t get me anywhere. Taking a quick shower, I scrub away the icky feelings churning in my stomach. Pulling on another band t-shirt and sweatpants, I climb back into bed and open my laptop.
There’s a message there waiting for me, and I know who it’s from. Mama got me a new number after I was kidnapped, and I never gave it to Cody, but only one person has ever called me that nickname.
Shivers run down my arms. I recall the moment I looked at Talon and caught Cody smiling at Mr. Finnighan like they shared a secret. Cody was smirking at Mr. Skeens, and the teacher looked terrified in the office, not guilty. What if it wasn’t Mr. Skeens on the tape at all…
Was this all Cody?
My mind is reeling trying to come up with any plausible reason Cody could have for framing Mr. Skeens for sexual misconduct and making him claim it was me in the video.
Dialing Mama, I wait for her to pick up.
When she doesn’t, I call Talon.
“Where are you?” He answers immediately.
“In my room,” I tell him, “but I think somethings wrong…”
“What do you mean? Where’s Griffin?”
“No, I don’t mean here,” I correct, “I mean, with Cody, something isn’t right.”
“You don’t say,” I hear Toby through the microphone as he draws out the words as if he’s known for a while something wasn’t right with Cody, and Talon snaps back that now isn’t the time.
“Talon, can you come to me? I need to tell you what happened. Something is going on, and I need your brain. Actually, I need all of your brains, so bring everyone.”
I need to tell him and Mama. Hopefully she calls me back by the time he gets here.
“Be there in five.” I hear mumbles through the speaker before he hangs up.
I hear the locks just as my phone rings, “Mama, I need to tell you something.”
“I’ve already handled Mr. Skeens, Muffin. And Mr. Finnighan will be put on probation by the board tomorrow.”
“No, Mama,” my eyes connect with Talon’s as he enters the room along with the rest of the boys. “I think Cody may have had something to do with that sex tape.”
“Sex tape?” Toby mouths and Talon’s eyes light up with rage. Guess that’s what the mumbling earlier was about.
“What makes you say that?” Mama asks, her voice flat, which lets me know she’s not alone anymore. “Is that Cinnamon?” I hear Zach’s dad through the speaker. “Tell her I said hello.”
That clueless motherfucker has no idea he’s about to be taken to the cleaners for every vile thing he’s done.
“He smiled at Mr. Skeens before we were escorted to the office, and he’s been messaging me on my computer ever since I was taken out of class.”
Talon’s eyes zero in on my computer where I left the chat. I hadn’t responded to him before I was taken unless it was about the project, and his messages had started to die off until today.
Another one pops through, except this time, it’s a voice note.
His text seems giddy, like you would expect from someone who just learned they got a passing grade on their final–not like someone who’s concerned about their friend’s well-being.
I don’t respond, as usual. I don’t know what he has that he thinks could make anything about this situation feel better.
“Mama,” making sure she’s still there, I watch Talon eye the computer.
She responds but doesn’t comment on what I’ve told her, which is normal if someone is still around. I tell her I love her and disconnect the call, staring at all of the boys.
“Cody’s parents,” I start.
Banks shakes his head, “clean, and still in China.”
“Wait,” I hold up my hand, “what do you mean his parents are still in China?”
“They left about two years ago and haven’t been back,” he looks at me with furrowed brows, “why?”
“Because Cody told me his whole family came back a year ago, and that’s when he started school here.”
“Cody’s only been here for about a month before you started.” Henry says, and my stomach threatens to empty itself on my feet. That can’t be true. He said he’s been here for a year. Why would he lie to me about where he’s been?
“I don’t understand,” I huff, “why would he lie about that?”
The boys share a look between themselves, and I sense they know something I don’t.
“What do you know?” I ask, staring directly at Talon, “and don’t you dare lie to me.”
He looks to his twin, but I can’t tell if it’s for help or confirmation.
“Your mom thinks Cody is working with your dad,” Banks spits out, and I whirl to face him.
“Cody? He wouldn’t. He wants to marry me, not kill me,” I try to reason out loud. “I’ve known him for ages.”
“We don’t know for sure, but he’s been up to some shady shit recently, and your mom doesn’t trust him,” Toby adds.
Talon stands there, my computer in one hand, a scowl on his face. He hasn’t said a word, and I hope it’s because he’s calming himself down, not because he didn’t want to tell me.
“We were supposed to keep an eye on him, see if he spoke with any faculty about you or Serge,” Talon finally speaks, “that was our plan.”
“I thought the plan was to keep me safe and make sure no one would take me again,” I demand.
Talon looks at me then, fierceness in his gaze. “Creed gave the four of us a different plan, Spice. You were never supposed to know.”