Chapter Three
I hugged my bag tighter to my side as I walked down the hallway. A few stragglers slipped into classrooms as I passed, their voices fading behind closing doors until all I could hear was the echo of my own footsteps and the soft murmurs of some of the teachers.
I hugged my bag tighter to my side.
This wasn’t about detention. I knew that much. The only reason I’d get into trouble would be for too many missed days or maybe assignments I hadn’t caught up on. It had felt like the teachers had been watching me a bit more closely lately with worry.
Granted, enough had probably happened since the start of school for them to watch me more intently.
Between the violence of the Ryder gang and the bullying that had happened, my life had become a bit of a soap opera for others to pay attention to.
It was only thanks to the guys that much of it didn’t reach me.
And after the threat from the principal along with the threat Paxon had actually made, a lot of the bullying had died down to a simmer too.
The remarks were still there, but at least they weren’t being brazen about approaching me or setting me up.
But then Laurens happened, chasing Janice and me through these hallways, shooting at us.
There had been no protection for us then and the teachers were all too aware of the potential for violence at the school now.
That incident had darkened the school and I was that connection. So yeah, they worried.
My throat dried out as I got closer to the main office. The air grew heavier, and I swore the fluorescent lights were buzzing louder and brighter than they normally did.
The secretary gave me a polite smile. “She’s ready for you,” she said and motioned toward the principal’s door.
It was closed, so I froze just short of knocking.
My hand hovered uselessly to the knob as my pulse spiked.
I swallowed, trying to force myself to breathe normally. I was only facing a door.
My knock ended up being too light, but I couldn’t get myself to hit the door harder. It didn’t matter anyway.
“Come in,” came through, muffled by the barrier between us.
I drew in a breath, steading and bracing myself before pushing my way inside.
Principal Calgary was standing, leaning over her desk at papers when I entered. She straightened, her posture as steady and unyielding as ever. She was a short woman, but no one ever dared to underestimate her. Not with her strong presence.
Her hair caught my attention first, like it always did. Long, silver-grey, shimmering under the lights. She wore it down, brushing smoothly past her shoulders.
“Ms. Wiles,” she said, her voice clipped but not unkind. She motioned to the chair in front of her. “Come in and take a seat.”
I stepped further in, closing the door gently behind me.
As I settled into the chair, I glanced around at the familiar office.
Nothing had changed. The shelves along the wall still bowed slightly under the weight of books and binders.
Her desk was pristine, no clutter, no chaos, just neat stacks of folders and a single notebook laid open beside her computer.
I set my bag at my feet, fingers tangling in the strap.
Principal Calgary sat down too. For a moment, she studied me with sharp, assessing eyes that made my skin prickle.
She was beautiful in that intimidating way, full of confidence I wish I had.
She was not someone anyone dared to cross, which made her a strong advocate for her students.
And while she’d always been on my side, I’d heard enough stories to know she had no problem putting students in their place if they crossed a line.
I really hoped I hadn’t crossed that line.
She leaned forward, elbows resting lightly on the desk. “Cadence, how are you?”
Her question was not the one I was expecting, and I fumbled for an answer. “Um...fine?”
One of her brows arched. “That didn’t sound very convincing.”
Heat crawled up my neck. “I’ve been managing.”
“Managing,” she repeated, tapping her finger lightly against her desk.
“Cadence, I’ve been reviewing your records.
You’ve missed more days than you can afford this semester.
Your grades aren’t failing, but they’re slipping.
I know you’re someone who takes your academics seriously and tends to do very well, that tells me you’re not as fine as you’re telling me. ”
I swallowed hard. “I’ve just had a lot going on.”
She studied me for a beat longer but didn’t push. “I didn’t call you here to punish you. I’m simply concerned. You’re bright, extremely talented, and very capable. I don’t want to see you fall behind when you’re so close to the finish line.”
The only response I could give her was a stiff nod.
“I want you to consider tutoring,” she continued.
“Someone to help you get back on track in classes, especially with physics since that’s the class you’re doing the worst in.
We can assign someone to you or if you’d prefer, you can choose someone you trust. Either way, you need a plan to get back on track. ”
The word tutoring made my stomach twist. I already knew who was top of physics class.
Paxon.
The thought of sitting across from him, of pretending we were fine while he still couldn’t even meet my eyes at lunch was enough to make me want to sink into the floor.
But Principal Calgary’s expression brooked no argument, and I had no doubt if I left it up to her, he’d still be the best choice. I knew Paxon had tutored other students before, so it wouldn’t be an uncommon request.
“I’ll find someone,” I managed to say.
“Good.” Her tone softened just a little. “And Cadence? Whatever you’re carrying, you don’t have to carry it alone. You have people who care about you. Use them. And if not, the offer of our school counselor is still there.”
I forced a nod, my throat tight. “Yes, ma’am.”
She dismissed me with a wave of her hand, already reaching for the next folder.
I stood and slung my bag over my shoulder. My legs felt heavy as I left the office, the word tutor echoing in my head like a cruel joke.
The rest of the morning, I kept to myself, dread filling me the closer we got to lunch.
I knew the guys wanted to ask me, but I managed to get away with a simple shake of my head.
They left it, even if they gazed at me with a bunch of questions and concerns.
Of course, they all knew I had been to the principal’s office.
I was sure when I left the room, Bryan probably let them all know.
That was something else I sometimes struggled with—how much they shared with each other.
Toby practically walked on my heels when it was finally time for lunch after music analysis class. I walked the hall slowly and he was kind enough to not say something for once.
By the time I reached the cafeteria, my stomach was a crazy knot of nerves.
Everyone was already at the table when Toby and I got there. Toby went over to Justin and sat down, already pulling Justin into some kind of debate.
I dropped into the empty seat a little too heavily.
They all looked up. I knew what they wanted to ask, I just didn’t want to be the one to start the conversation.
My gaze slipped over to Paxon briefly before I looked down at my sad tray of food.
I had been so distracted that autopilot in the lunch line had failed me.
I had a sandwich and a drink, and that was it.
“You were gone for a while during first period,” Bryan finally said. He angled toward me, dark eyes sharp behind his glasses. He wasn’t going to let me get away with not talking about it. “What happened? How did it go?”
“Oh, yeah. Cadence got in trouble.” Toby dragged the word ‘trouble’ out, acting like it was new news that I had been summoned. He was trying to make it lighthearted, but it didn’t work. Not this time.
“Nothing bad,” I said quickly. “She’s just worried about me.” I poked at my sandwich and then stared at the indent I had made into the wheat bread. If only it could swallow me whole and save me from this conversation.
“Worried about what, exactly?” Justin asked, his gaze zeroing in on everything I wanted to hide. He saw through it all like he always did. “Do we need to talk with her? Let her know things have been crazy lately?”
I snorted. “When has it not been crazy?” Shaking my head, I shoved my tray a little farther away. “No. She just wanted to talk about my grades and warned me about my absences.” The words stuck in my throat as I lowered my voice, and doing my best to not look at Paxon, I added on, “Get a tutor.”
“A tutor?” Justin repeated.
“Wait?” Toby leaned forward like he’d just been given the best gossip. “Cadence Wiles, straight-A golden girl, needs a tutor?”
“Shut up,” Bryan snapped before I could answer.
Heat crept up my neck, burning under the collar of my sweater. I forced a shrug. “It’s not like I’m failing. I’ve just missed a lot. She said I can either get one assigned or find someone I trust.”
“Which class?” Justin asked.
“Physics.”
Toby made a fake sound like he was gagging. He was in physics too, but I knew he wasn’t doing the best either. He wouldn’t be able to tutor me.
“Who were you thinking of asking?” Justin asked.
His question hung heavy between us. Without me having to answer it, they knew the answer.
Paxon.
He hadn’t even said anything. Didn’t even look up from where he methodically pulled apart the crust of his sandwich.
Finally, Bryan broke the silence. “Well...it makes sense. He’s the best at physics.”
I glanced at Paxon. Just once. His jaw was tight, his expression unreadable, and he still didn’t look at me even though it was clear he was listening to us.
The pit in my stomach grew heavier.
“Forget it, I’ll find someone else,” I said, trying to shrug off how that kind of hurt. Were we really over and I was just too stupid to realize it?
“What are you talking about?” Toby frowned, half-exasperated. “Paxon is going to tutor you.”
I raised an eyebrow. “I’m surprised you aren’t offering. We’re in the same class.”
He snorted. “I’m barely smart enough to understand what’s being taught, let alone teach someone else.
If you want to get your grade up and catch up, I’m not the person for you.
” Toby looked at Paxon, and I didn’t miss the way his eyes narrowed.
Paxon glanced his way briefly and then tried to shrink into his seat.
My chest tightened. “Don’t worry about it,” I said quickly. “I don’t want to force anyone into anything.”
“It’s not a problem.” The words cut clean through the noise, low and certain. It took me a beat too long to realize where they had come from. Paxon.
I blinked, caught off guard. I swear I was forgetting what his voice even sounded like with how rarely he used it around me anymore.
The table went quiet. And for the first time since I sat down, he finally raised his head and looked straight at me.
“Paxon—” I started, my voice softer than I intended. What did I even want to reply with? I wasn’t sure, I just knew I didn’t want to lose him again.
But my hesitation was enough. His gaze dropped and he was slipping away, going back to staring down at his tray.
“It’s okay,” I said, forcing lightness into my tone.
He met my eyes again.
“Really.” I tried to give him a smile. “You don’t have to. I don’t want to drag you into something you don’t want to do. I never wanted that.”
Saying that felt like I gutpunched myself. That was the whole problem here. He had felt pressure to date me like all his friends. And it was clear it wasn’t something he wanted to do, and now we were in this precarious situation. My words were more than just about tutoring. It was about us.
And from the way his jaw flexed and a muscle twitched in his cheek, he understood the underlying message.
“I said it’s not a problem.” His voice was firmer this time, sharper around the edges.
I straightened, heat creeping into my face. “I mean it. I’ll figure it out. There are plenty of other people—”
“No.” He finally focused a hundred percent on me. The force of his stormy grey gaze nearly pinned me to my seat. “There aren’t because I’ll do it.”
The air between us tightened.
I swallowed hard. “I don’t want to force you—”
“You’re not.” His tone cut me off clean. “I’ll do it.”
The table stayed silent, everyone holding their breath. Even Toby, who never knew when to keep his mouth shut, didn’t crack a joke.
My heart thudded unsteadily, too loud in my ears. The look in his eyes wasn’t soft, wasn’t gentle. It was heavy, determined, almost defiant. Like he was daring me to push him away again.
I tore my gaze back to my sandwich, the indent still pressed into the wheat where I’d stabbed it earlier. My voice was tiny as I said, “Okay.”
Inside, my chest ached with everything we weren’t saying.