Page 4 of Bloody Bones
Briella
“Bri…”
The principal’s strident voice grated on me.
I had always thought of my name as pretty. The kind that rolled right off the tongue. That was until I started working with her. Until that middle-aged, uppity hag had shortened it to Bri. Every time she said it, it was like somebody raking the nails down a chalkboard.
Not that I could ever do anything about it. I couldn’t even correct her when she shortened it. I needed my job. It was the only thing keeping my family afloat. The only thing keeping a roof over our heads.
My father seemed to be on a one-man mission to make sure we lost everything. He had never been what you could call reliable, but after the death of my mother, he had spiralled out of control. Between the drinking and the gambling, it wasn’t long before the debt collectors started knocking on the door.
I had lost count of the number of times I had bailed him out. And I never begrudged him for it. He was my family, and he needed someone to look after him. It was what my mother would have wanted. Six months after my mother’s death, I gave up everything. My home, my job, my relationship, and I moved back into my family home. I did it for my two younger brothers. Or at least, that’s what I told myself.
It was always meant to be temporary. The plan was just to look after them long enough to get back on their feet, and then leave again. I planned to follow the dreams I had. But months turned into years, and then my brothers left. They carved new lives for themselves far away from me and our no-good father. But I stayed.
I told myself that it was what my mother would have wanted, but deep down I knew that was a lie. She would never have wanted me to be so miserable.
“Bri...Miss Stokes.” The headmistress's voice rose, echoing around the almost empty corridors. With my stack of marking clutched to my chest, I turned, a smile plastered on my face. I had been hoping that I could sneak away without speaking to her. But luck was most definitely not on my side.
“Mrs…”
She didn’t let me finish. Stomping over to me, she placed her hands on her narrow hips, looking down her nose at me like I was one of her students and not one of her colleagues. She always looked at me like that. Like I was somehow below her. A bug to be squashed. And boy did she try.
“I need you to take detention this evening.”
I frowned. I had taken Friday night detentions for the last six weeks, even though I was meant to only cover one a month. I hadn’t complained. I didn’t dare. She was looking for a reason to terminate my contract. But that Friday I had plans. Plans that I had waited months for.
“I can’t.” I kept my voice apologetic, but her eyes flashed angrily. “I’m really sorry, but I have other plans.”
“Change them.”
“I can’t.” I tried my best to keep my voice steady. Strong even.
Maybe if I stuck to my guns, she would find someone else. But the moment the words were out of my mouth, I knew it was hopeless.
The unmasked hatred in her eyes was undeniable. I had always suspected that she didn’t like me, but I had never realised just how much she loathed me. I sure as hell hadn’t done anything to warrant such hatred. Not that I could remember anyway.
“It’s in your contract, Miss Stokes. I thought this job was important to you, and-” her eyes raked over my body, and her lip curled, “your family. I was under the impression you needed the regular income.”
She knew I did. I had never lied about my family's circumstances. I had never been ashamed of doing the right thing and looking after them, but I felt shame with her lizard-like eyes squinting at me.
“I do...” My voice faltered, and I shuffled my feet on the floor. Something tacky made my heel stick. Gum. I had stepped in gum, but it might just as well have been quicksand. The look she was giving me froze the blood in my bones. It was more than hatred; it was like she wanted to wipe me out of existence.
My heart slammed against my ribs, fear paralysing me.
Just as quickly as it was there, it was gone. I sucked in a deep steadying breath and frowned. What the hell had just happened? I couldn’t even be sure. Maybe lack of sleep had made me imagine things. The woman in front of me looked just like she always did. Snobby and far too thin, but nothing to be scared of. And yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that I should run, get as far away from her as humanly possible.
Shaking myself, I forced myself to meet her eyes. “I really can't tonight, Mrs Smith. My plans can’t be put on hold.”
“Then you shouldn’t bother to come in on Monday morning.”
I blinked at her in surprise. Was she for real? Firing me because I couldn't cover? I sighed.
“Are your plans more important than your job, Bri?”
The hackles on the back of my neck rose.
“Your younger brother is in his final year of college, correct? Can you really afford to lose your job now?”
