Page 3 of Shattered Crown
"Evie Dubois." Her voice was barely audible.
"Good. And do you know where you are?"
"I’m in the classroom."
"Excellent. Any dizziness? Nausea?"
She shook her head, then let out a little wince. "It hurts."
"I know. I'm sorry. We're going to get you taken care of." I adjusted my grip on the handkerchief, checking the bleeding. Already slowing. The cut was superficial, maybe an inch long, right at her hairline. She'd need it cleaned and bandaged. The physical damage was manageable. The other kind would take longer to heal.
"Miss Kealoha?" Evie's voice dropped even lower. "Please don't tell my dad."
I paused.Was he the cause of her pain?"Sweetheart, the school has to notify your parents. That's policy."
"I know. I mean…" She swallowed. "Please don't tell him what really happened. Just say I fell. Please."
I frowned. What was she so afraid of? Was her father some sort of mean man, or an emotionally unavailable parent? And what about her mom? Wouldn’t she want to tell her the truth?
"What really happened?" I asked quietly, hoping she’d tell me the truth, even though I’d seen it all.
Evie's eyes darted toward Madison's table. They were staring at us. Madison had an infuriating smirk on her face.Later, Aria. We’ll deal with that later.
Evie turned back to me. "I fell."
So, that’s what she was going with.
The nurse arrived then. Her white-blonde hair and wrinkled eyes were just as unfamiliar as the other girls in the room. She bustled in, taking over from me instantly. She helped Evie to her feet, murmuring reassurances as she guided her toward the door.
Then she was gone, and I was standing in a classroom full of girls who suddenly wouldn't meet my gaze.
Except Madison. She sat at her table with her arms crossed, the faintest smirk playing at the corners of her mouth. I bit the inside of my cheek. I had no idea what to do. I didn’t want to let this go. Madison needed to learn that there were consequences to every action. But how?
I walked toward her table. The other girls scattered like pigeons, suddenly very interested in the diagrams across the room.
Madison held her ground. I’d give her credit for that. I stopped in front of her. Said nothing. Just held her gaze and waited. The smirk faltered. Flickered. Died.
"It was an accident," Madison said.
"I didn’t say anything. Why do you feel the need to explain the situation to me?"
She shrugged. "She wasn't looking where she was going. It wasn’t my fault."
"Mmm."
"My parents donate a lot of money to this school."
Aha! There it was. The leading motivation.
I leaned down slightly, just enough to put us at eye level. "Madison. Let me tell you something about money. It can buy a lot of things."
I let the pause stretch.
"But it can't buy a personality and actual friends.” I let my gaze drift to the girls by her side. “One day, you’re going tobecome someone you're ashamed of. And that moment always comes. For everyone."
Madison's face went pale. Then red. Her mouth opened to respond, but she shut it quickly.
I straightened. "The bell is about to ring. You should pack up."
