Chapter 26 Aston
Aston
Halfway through my next class, I’m called down to Headmaster Locke’s office, somewhere I haven’t been since my first morning when he introduced himself as my new warden.
Since then, if I’ve seen him, it was only in passing in the halls, and he’d barely spare me a glance.
Not today though, today his attention is laser-focused on me.
And not just his…
I glance at Tillie and Walter seated against the wall to my right. Tillie’s face is red and pinched with anger. Walt just looks tired and…disappointed?
Their presence isn’t the most worrying thing though.
No, that’s reserved for the officers standing before me, gesturing at the baggies of what I presume is marijuana laid out on Headmaster Locke’s desk.
“We got an anonymous tip that a student was dealing,” one of the officers tells me. He has a thick black mustache and a dimpled chin, setting him apart from the blondie babyface cop next to him.
I search between all the eyes watching me, confused as fuck as to why I’ve been brought into this. “Okay…”
“Do you know where we found this?”
I shrug and shake my head, earning an exasperated huff from someone in the room.
“I told you, Officer, this has to be a misunder—” Tillie’s protest is cut off.
“As per protocol, we did a search. The dogs led us to—”
I blink. Dogs?
And then it hits me—
“Wait, is this why we were in lockdown earlier?” I interrupt in a rush.
After it was lifted, the bell rang not long after, indicating the end of lunch.
I wasn’t really paying attention to anything anyone was saying after what happened, too caught up in my own head.
Seeing as we were cleared to return to class, I figured it was just some kind of false alarm.
Or a drill, despite what the automated message said. It would defeat the purpose after all, if they told us it wasn’t real.
“Like I said, we got an anonymous tip,” the officer with the mustache says.
“Well, it wasn’t me,” I say without thinking.
“I wouldn’t even know who to call, to be honest.” I don’t miss the odd look the two police officers exchange.
But I keep going. “Not to mention, if someone was dealing pot, I wouldn’t really consider it any of my business, you know?
I’m new here, and everyone knows no one like narcs. ”
“Aston,” Tillie says in a familiar exasperated tone.
I round my eyes, looking around at the various confused and annoyed faces. “What?”
“You’re not here because we think you’re the one who called,” Headmaster Locke says with forced patience, mouth pressed into a hard line.
“Oh.”
“As I started to say…the dogs led us to your locker, Mister Saint James” the officer with the stache goes on to say. “We found all of this in your backpack.”
I follow the finger he points to the stash of drugs on the desk and lick my dry lips. “I see.”
“You see?”
I nod. “I’ve been set up.”
Again with the odd, awkward exchange of looks. “Mister Saint James…lying won’t get you anywhere. You understand this is grounds for expulsion, don’t you?”
At that, I snap my gaze to Headmaster Locke who observes me with a grave look upon his face. Oh shit. I swing my attention to a visibly frustrated Tillie who looks about to explode.
I bore my pleading gaze into her. “I didn’t do this.”
Her features soften a bit. “Aston, I know that.”
“I swear. I wouldn’t even know the first thing about dealing, much less how to smoke, or who even to buy it off—oh. Wait. You believe me.” I nod. “That’s…that’s good.”
I wring my sweaty palms together.
Surprisingly, it’s Walter who speaks up to say, “I’d have to agree with my wife here. Aston couldn’t have done this. Bryce, you and I both know how closely monitored he is. Nothing about this makes any sense.”
“I agree,” another voice pipes up, and I whirl around in my seat.
“Dr. B? Where the heck did you come from?”
He rolls his eyes from where he lounges against the back wall. “I’ve been here the whole time.”
Huh.
“So what you’re trying to tell us, is someone—another student presumably—broke into his locker, planted drugs, and then called it in…” the officer with the mustache who’s been taking lead on this says skeptically.
Headmaster Locke sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. Shrugging, he says, “Some students, I will admit, aren’t too happy to have him here.”
I make a face at that. I mean, he’s not wrong… But way to make me sound like a total loser to everyone.
“Aren’t there cameras or something?” Tillie asks.
It’s Walter who answers. “Not where his locker is, no.”
“We have to keep in mind that Aston’s been institutionalized for the last five and a half years. He’s…well, pretty naive when it comes to these sorts of things,” Dr. B says reasonably.
And by reasonably, I mean rudely!
I throw a hand up. “Well, jeez, just air out all my dirty laundry, why don’t you?”
“Is that your professional opinion?” the blond officer asks as if I never spoke.
“Yes, it is. I’ve been meeting with him weekly since he started school here, as per the conditions of his continued enrollment. And from everything I’ve observed and learned so far, I don’t think Aston has the…skill set to do this.”
Wow. What a fucking douche. I’ll show him. I’ll be the best damn drug dealer that ever—
“...nor any motive for dealing drugs to his peers,” he continues while I stew away. “If anything, he does all that he can to avoid most of them. He has no interest in gaining their approval, so unless there’s some financial—”
“He has an allowance,” Tillie cuts in. “Whatever he wants or needs, within reason, he gets.”
“Or steals it,” Walter mutters. Only it’s said right when no one else is talking, so everyone hears.
Tillie swats him. “From the basement, he means. He takes things from the basement.” She meets my gaze, and smiles. “Which you are more than welcome to.” She sends a scathing look to her husband who has the decency to at least grimace.
Choosing to ignore that, I look straight at the officers. “It’s true. I’m spoiled rotten.”
The one with the mustache grunts in acknowledgement, before turning to his partner and pulling him aside so that they can talk quietly amongst themselves.
I glance at Tillie who gives me a nod, a smile of encouragement, and a thumbs up.
Next to her, Walter’s got his gaze on the clock somewhere above my head. I imagine the final bell for the day will be ringing soon. We’ve been here for what feels like forever.
Finally, the cops turn their attention to Headmaster Locke. “It’s your call,” Officer Blondie says.
Headmaster Locke and I silently face off for a long, long moment. I give him my best puppy eyes, hoping he sees my innocence for what it is—genuine. As much as I benefitted from this little misunderstanding, what with getting trapped in a bathroom with Vale of all things…
This time?
I can’t take credit for it.
If anything, I owe whoever did this a fruit basket.
Not for getting me expelled! If it’s decided I’m guilty after all, and they kick me out, then no…no, they will certainly not be getting any fruit basket from me.
“Fine.”
I perk up.
Headmaster Locke waves me away. “You’re free to go.”
And a fruit basket it is…