Chapter 6 I! Am! A straight A student!

I walked into the room at Taylor's beckoning, him holding the door open for me to enter first. "Please, take a seat, Miss Moore," he said, still with a stern expression. He left the door and closed it with a crisp sound that echoed in the empty classroom.

"Did I do something wrong?" I hadn't taken a seat yet, instead asking him uncertainly.

Taylor didn't answer my question directly, his expression seeming to tease a bit of mystery. "Compared to others, you're not too bad."

"What?" I was hoping for praise. Every time Miss Ewen had a private chat with me, it was to commend how well I wrote my reflections.

"I can improve, Mr. Wildson." Literature was the one class where I felt confident. I didn't want to be let down by Taylor.

"Patience, Miss Moore." He observed my eager, somewhat agitated demeanor and gestured for me to calm down.

Leaning against the desk by the lectern, Taylor pulled a thin book from a neatly stacked pile of files. "Read this book in your free time, then write a character analysis on Helena." He placed the book before me as though offering a choice, not a command.

"Okay, Mr. Wildson." I accepted without hesitation. Taylor was the new teacher, and he was giving me a chance to prove myself.

"Call me Taylor."

"Okay, Taylor."

"Now, you may leave."

I was about to turn and leave—

"Wait a moment."

I stopped, meeting Taylor's gaze.

"Drug addiction won't help you escape your unpleasant realities. It only robs you of the chance to regain your health."

"I... I don't understand what you're saying. But I'm not addicted to drugs."

I looked at Taylor, puzzled.

"My sense of smell is quite keen, Miss Moore."

Taylor's eyes dropped, focusing on my shoulder.

I realized what he was referring to. "I swear, it was an accident. I ran into some addicts in the bathroom this morning..."

"Don't panic, Miss Moore. I won't send you to the principal's office. Just tell me who they were."

"I...I don't know them, Taylor. I'm sorry."

I thought about the high school rule: Don't mess with me, and I won't mess with you. Connie caught me passing answers to Leila during finals (I'm not trying to excuse myself, but Brooklyn was about to get called in by the principal for her grades), but she said nothing.

"Are you protecting them, Miss Moore? You should know, addicts won't do the same for you."

"That's because you don't know all addicts. Connie wouldn't do that."

"I'm sorry, I truly don't know them."

I was prepared to face the principal's office. After all, I hadn't actually done drugs... In front of Mrs. Grice, I'm the epitome of a good girl, someone who wouldn't be associated with bad habits, and she would believe me.

Taylor seemed to be studying my every move, detail, and expression, much like a therapist in a counseling clinic preparing to analyze my condition.

"It's your choice, Miss Moore."

I took a deep breath. My parents were out of town, and they rarely kept tabs on me. Mrs. Grice would have a hard time reaching them.

"You may leave now."

I saw he wasn't following me, but instead, sat back down to sort his files.

"Aren't you coming with me?"

"Of course not, Miss Moore. You're heading to the student cafeteria."

"The student cafeteria?"

I wasn't sure what Taylor was aiming for. Was this some kind of strange social test?

"Would you rather go to the principal's office?"

"No, of course not."

I just wanted to be sure Taylor had truly let me off the hook, not playing some psychological game. I'd had enough of that.

Taylor didn't say anything more but gave me a look that said, "If you don't leave now, you'll regret it."

"Okay... Goodbye, Taylor."

Without further questions or lingering, I left the literature classroom, quickly navigating the corridors towards the "Nutrition Center."