Chapter 2: No More Trouble

Dean Wyatt looked very displeased with me as he sat down across from me. 

"Do you know how many students attend here Ms. Watson?"

"Eighty-seven." I answered. 

"Do you know who out of eighty-seven students I've seen the most in my office?"

"I'll take me for four hundred, Alex."

"Ms. Watson, you are brilliant and talented and one of the hardest working students here. But you're a pain in my ass."

"That's fair." I muttered.

He sighed. "Do you understand how lucky you are to be here? How rare is your situation is?"

"Of course I do which is why I work so hard!"

"You also get in a lot of trouble, Ms. Watson." He slammed a folder on the desk. "You know what this is?"

"Compliments you've received about me from my professors?" I asked hopefully.

"These are all your offenses. Breaking into the kitchen, multiple fights, inappropriate language, skipping class, excessive PDA, smoking, initiating a prank war, out past curfew, vandalism-"

"I was found innocent in the great Wrenford Vandalism Scandal!"

"Fine, but now you've added stealing and damaging public property to those offenses."

I groaned. "I know, but I promise it won't happen again. It was a joke, really. I was practically dared to do it by Lincoln Ellison."

"If he dared you to jump off a building would you?" Dean Wyatt questioned.

"Five days out of seven, yeah probably." I admitted. 

"This isn't a joke, Ms. Watson."

"I know, I'm sorry. Look, I will do better. I swear. No more trouble for the rest of the year. I will be so good! I will be perfect, I promise! And then I'll graduate and you'll never hear from me again."

"Never?" He raised his eyebrows.

"You will hear about my great endeavors in the business world, but not personally from me." I smiled. "And you'll know you helped me get there."

He sighed. "Since you actually seem apologetic about this, I will let you off with a warning. No more trouble. Ms. Watson."

"Not a lick of trouble." I nodded furiously.

"You can go then."

"Thank you sir, really. But um, just one more thing."

"Yes?"

"Can I get these handcuffs off?"

***

No more trouble.

That was my new mantra. 

I couldn't afford to get sent to Dean Wyatt's office again. Literally.

I thought about changing my shirt, but it had dried, so I just put my sweatshirt over it.

Since I had completely missed Marketing I decided to do some last minute Statistics studying. Rumor is there's a pop quiz. 

I took a seat at a table in the Student Lounge. No way I could get in any trouble if I was just studying. 

Lincoln Ellison sat across from me. He looked at me over his stylish black glasses that I was ninety percent sure he didn't need and wore to look more intelligent.

"Heard the golf cart dare didn't go great."

"James arrested me." I informed him.

"He's not a cop."

"That's what I said. Anyways, Dean Wyatt is very displeased with me, so no more dares, Lincoln. I cannot get in trouble."

"You are incapable of staying out of trouble Scarlett." Lincoln stated, his dark green eyes burning into mine from behind the thin layer of glass.

"Well, consider me capable."

"But it's what makes you so fun! You're the spunky outsider who shakes things up around here."

"Not anymore, Linc. Now get outta here, I really gotta study."

"I don't like this new boring Scarlett." He huffed. "I'll catch you later, and by then I hope this attitude will have changed."

He blew me a kiss before getting up and walking away.

"I'm not boring." I muttered to myself.

Who cares if I am? What matters is that I stay completely out of control for the rest of the year.

My phone buzzed. I had a text.

I miss you

I missed him too, but I wouldn't tell him. Vulnerability was for people of higher means. I was too poor to give anything away so easily. Especially feelings.

There was another buzz.

Come see me

I planned on saying no, but never got the chance.

"Watson!" A voice shrieked. 

Please don't let this be trouble. 

Analeigh Frost was stomping up to me. Her blonde hair was sailing behind her and her green eyes were shooting daggers at me.

"Yes Analeigh?"

"You're a tramp!" She stated.

"True, but why is that such an issue right now?" I asked. 

"I know you were with Carter last night! Everybody heard you got caught together."

"Everybody heard wrong, that wasn't me."

"Why were you both in the Dean's office then?" She demanded. 

"I stole a golf cart you freak. Are we done here?"

"People have also seen him sneaking out of your room in the mornings."

Damn it. I knew Lulu being involved with someone with a girlfriend would find a way to wreck my life.

"There's nothing going on with me and Carter, I barely like the boy."

"You slept with him last year."

"Everyone has!" I exclaimed. "He's like a spelling bee, everyone gets to participate."

"This is so typical of someone of your means and background." Analeigh shook her head.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You're lower class and you act like it."

"Analeigh, walk away before you really make me mad." I whispered.

"You're nothing but a miscreant," Analeigh sneered. "You constantly forget that you're quite lucky to be here."

"Mad because your parents pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to make you feel like you're important and I'm actually smart enough to be here? That's why you don't like me. I'm better at this than you."

"You're a charity case, Watson. You're never going to be a CEO let alone a Vice President. Your business career ends when we graduate in Spring. You'll probably be an alcoholic just like you fath-"

I slapped her in the face. Analeigh tackled me onto the table and we fell to the floor, fighting. Everyone circled around us shouting. 

I felt someone pull me off of Analeigh. 

"Not you again Watson." James shook his head. 

For the second time that day I was put in handcuffs and hauled off to the Dean's office.

***

"One hour. You lasted one hour, Ms. Watson."

"I really tried, Dean Wyatt, but she antagonized me."

"She hit me first!" Analeigh whined. "Look at my nose." It was bleeding and was starting to bruise.

"Think of it as an improvement on your face."

"Ms. Watson!" Dean Wyatt scolded. "You promised you would stay out of trouble and now you're not even remorseful."

"Well if you would have heard what she said!" I groaned. 

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. You broke yet another rule. I'm sorry Ms. Watson, but you're expelled."