Sweet Deadly Lies (A Dark Academia Mystery) Watty Winner ✔️

Seventeen

In the headmaster's office, two cushioned chairs sit in front of a large mahogany desk, the corners angled inward so the occupants half-face each other. I pull off my back pack and take one of the seats, while Theo lowers herself into the other.

Against the far wall, a floor to ceiling window with a built-in bookcase hugging each side overlooks the campus. Afternoon sunlight bathes the room in a comfortable amber glow.

But the last thing I feel is comforted.

Mr. McKenzie closes the door before taking his place across from us. He leans forward and folds his hands on the desk, his crystal blue eyes sweeping over Theo and then me.

The silence hurts my ears. If he doesn't say something soon, my head is going to implode. The pressure building and building, until the walls of my skull feel like they're being squeezed. Unsettled, I shift away from his unwavering gaze.

Finally, Mr. McKensie clears his throat. "Would one of you like to explain what happened?"

A loud sniffle shudders through the tension. "I'm sorry, Mr. McKenzie. I promise it will never happen again." Theo's eyes are bloodshot now, the rims holding back a fresh round of tears.

After another beat of silence, his attention turns to me. I wedge my trembling hands between my thighs, and mumble an apology, but I can barely hear my own voice over the pounding in my ears.

The headmaster leans back in his chair. "I'm sure you're both aware that the penalty for fighting is an automatic expulsion. A fate not worth tempting when a scholarship is involved, is it Miss West?"

Theo sucks in a wail, her arms trembling as her fingers grip the edge of her chair.

"But I like to think I'm an understanding man." His expression softens. "If you can give me a reasonable explanation as to why you were going after each other like a couple of rookie UFC fighters trying to prove a point, I may be able to overlook the poor judgement. This time. Theodora, would you care to go first?"

Her body goes rigid. "I, um. Okay. I was signing my name on the Unity Wall when Iris Johnson asked to borrow a marker. So I reached into my bag and—" Suddenly, Theo chokes on whatever she's about to say next, and a series of coughs rumble up her throat and explode from her mouth in rapid succession. Her body heaves as she fights to catch her breath, her face turning bright red.

Mr. McKenzie hurries to a tray set and pours ice water from a pitcher into a glass. He hands it to Theo. She nurses it slowly, most likely buying herself time. He waits patiently for her to finish. Once the glass is drained, Theo sheepishly hands it back.

"Now," Mr. McKenzie begins, setting her cup back on the tray. "You were saying?"

Theo slumps in her chair, defeated. Her lower lip quivers. "I pulled out two markers from my bag and handed them to her. And that's when—" Theo turns to me as tears once again roll down her cheeks.

My eyes are drawn to her shoes. She balances on her tiptoes while the heels bounce above the floor in a nervous tic. Scuffs mar the tops and sides, the scratches still visible through an obvious layer of black polish.

They must be the same shoes she wore last year.

She sniffles again, her rosy cheeks going pale. "That's...um...that's when Mia recognized—"

"That's when I punched her," I interrupt before she's able to say more.

Mr. McKenzie's eyebrows arch, and he cocks his head in my direction. Stares at me hard. "Why did you punch her, Miss Greenley?"

I swallow, but my mouth is so dry it feels like sandpaper on my throat. "I—I thought Theo stole my marker. But I was mistaken."

A relieved breath rushes past Theo's lips.