MasukShirley POV“Permit for what?” Principal Hargrove asked.“Well… the thing is…” I stuttered, biting my lip and lowering my head, desperate times call for desperate measures. “My family is going through a hard time. My parents… they might get a divorce, it’s just so stressful, and I don’t think I can focus in class right now.”Ms. Sandy’s expression softened immediately. “Is everything okay at home, dear?”I kept my head down and slowly shook it.“Oh, my dearie…” she murmured.Principal Hargrove, however, pressed his lips into a thin line, clearly not fully convinced. “I’ll call your parents to confirm.”“No!” The word burst out of me before I could stop it. Both adults looked at me in surprise. I forced my voice to steady. “Both of them are already having a hard time. They’ll feel uncomfortable if they knew that their daughter’s principal knows about the situation. Just… allow me this once. Please.”He studied me for a long moment, clearly thinking about the request. Finally he gave a
Jeremiah POV “Sheesh, calm down. So I can’t even say hi to my friend anymore?” Brad said with that same fake casual tone. I ignored him completely. He was the reason I got suspended in the first place. I knew better than to fall for his taunts. I tried to step aside and walk past, but his buddies Jason and Marcus immediately blocked my path. I let out a quiet sigh. Every time I just wanted to avoid trouble, it somehow found me anyway. “Ignoring me, huh?” Brad asked, stepping closer. “No, I’m not,” I replied coldly. “I’m just trying to make sure you don’t lose a leg, which would risk your precious career. I’m doing you a favor by not giving you face. Unless you’d rather I beat the fucking hell out of you, you dumb asshole.” “What’s going on here? Jeremiah?!” I turned and saw Principal Hargrove — or rather, Dad — walking toward us with a stern expression. “What is going on here?” he repeated. “Nothing, Principal,” Brad answered smoothly before I could speak. “We’re just talking
CHAPTER 45 Jeremiah POV Three years ago… “Hey, fatso.” The voice made my whole body tense. A group of boys walked up to the table where I was sitting alone, and one of them slammed his hand down so hard that the tray rattled. I flinched. “What are you eating?” the leader asked, leaning over me. “Pizza? Aren’t you fat enough already? You still want to add more?” He grabbed a handful of the soft flesh on my cheek and pinched it roughly. “Look at all this. You look like a pig.” The rest of the boys behind him burst out laughing. Heat rushed to my face. My hands curled into fists under the table, and before I could stop myself I shoved him away. “Get away from me, Brad!” Brad stumbled back a step, then straightened up with pure anger on his face. “You dared put your filthy hands on me? Do you know who I am?” At his signal the other boys moved in. Strong hands grabbed my arms and shoulders, holding me in place no matter how hard I struggled. I couldn’t break free. Brad reached do
Shirley POVThe moment I stepped through the front door, my father’s voice stopped me in my tracks.“Where were you?”He was sitting at the dining table with a cup of coffee in his hand, looking calmer than I expected. Part of me wanted to ignore him completely and just walk upstairs, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.“I just went out with some friends…” I muttered.“Friends, huh?” He gave a brief smile, then took a slow sip of his coffee. “Improv… hot boy…”My eyes widened. “How did you—?”“Of course I would know. You’re my daughter, and you left in anger. I was worried about you.”I stared at him. “So you had me followed?”“Just to make sure you were safe,” he said quietly. “I won’t interfere in your life. It was only for protection.”His reason was valid, so I nodded before saying.“Well… you already know where I went, so I don’t need to explain it. I’m also a little sleepy. We have a quiz tomorrow and I’d like to sleep early.”I didn’t wait for his reply. I turned and started
Sebastian POV Shirley frowned at the interruption and called out toward the window, “Tell them I’m not coming.” she turned back to me, her lips curving up to a small smile as she leaned in again. “About that hotel…” Another knock cut her off. “Ma’am, Sir is on the line and wants to speak with you,” the driver said, sounding uncomfortable. I let out a reluctant sigh and touched her arm. “I think you should answer it. It might be urgent.” She frowned slightly, then sighed and carefully climbed off my lap. “Give me a sec,” she called to the driver while quickly buttoning her shirt and smoothing her hair. She rolled the window down just enough to take the phone. The driver immediately turned away, clearly trying not to look at the state we were in. “Hello, Dad?” she said, voice still a little unsteady. While she spoke, I turned my head and pulled out my own phone to give her some privacy. The screen was filled with notifications from the hockey team group chat. Apparently everyone
Shirley POV Sebastian eyes widened and pushed me away slightly, looking at me with confusion. “Shirl…” Before he could finish, I grabbed his collar and pulled him back down, crushing my lips against his again. Did I know what I was doing? Hell no. Would I regret it later? Probably. Did I want to stop? Nope. My tongue slid against his, and this time he didn’t hold back. His hands gripped my waist tightly as he pushed me against the car door, deepening the kiss as he took over, his hands slipped under my shirt and his warm palms sliding over my skin. The sudden contact made me gasp, and he immediately took advantage, deepening the kiss until I could barely breathe. I wrapped my arms around his neck. In one smooth motion he lifted me, yanked the back door open, and climbed in with me still in his arms. The driver must have noticed and stepped out almost immediately. Thank god he had parked in a inconspicuous spot. When we finally broke apart for air, I was gasping. Sebastian







