Page 163 of Depraved Boys

Now the entire population of Brittas academy stared at me instead of Miss Claymore. I longed to shoot to my feet and blurt out the reason why the deputy head got fired, but revealing that information would hurt Sebastian and might encourage others to stage deadly interventions as revenge for poor Miss Claymore.

Bianca stood. “On behalf of the student body, we would like to thank you for your eleven hard years of servitude. Whose with me? Hip, hip!”

“Hooray!” everyone boomed back.

I gnashed my teeth. Shouting out words like that triggered people’s call and response mechanisms. I could shout ‘Hi-de-hi-de-hi-de-hi’ to the tune of Minnie the Moocher and hear hundreds of ‘Ho-de-ho-do-ho-de-hos’ back. It didn’t mean that they agreed with me or liked Cab Calloway. It was just an automatic response.

Miss Claymore dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief, and I stared into my plate of spaghetti carbonara. Even after everything she had done, she still managed to make me feel like a vindictive bitch for getting her fired.

A tiny voice in the back of my head asked me if I was sure about this, but I pushed it to one side. The only other suspect I could think of was Mr. Byrd, but he couldn’t have been responsible for the staged drink-driving accident.

I dabbed my napkin to my lips. It was more logical for the person I’d caught in bed with my new boyfriend to come after me, and that was Miss Claymore.

After the third ‘hip-hip-hooray,’ a few verses of ‘For She’s a Jolly Good Fellow,’ and a rousing round of applause, Miss Claymore concluded her goodbye speech.

“Thank you. I will always remember my time at Brittas Academy as one of the fondest in my life.”

The older woman ducked her head and walked out of the room to cheers and whistles and applause.

Geraldine placed her hands on her hips. “Our replacement for English had better be just as good as Miss Claymore, or we’re going to make your life hell.”

I glanced at the head table at the teachers, but they all glowered down at me as though I’d been at fault for arranging the firing of the woman who had tried to kill me.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

The first lesson of the next day was English. The person Mrs. Benazir scrounged up at last notice was a beanpole-shaped man with trembling hands and a stutter that rendered speaking and writing on the board impossible.

I sat between Leopold and Prakash somewhere close to the back of the lecture theater and cringed. Had this man ever taught? From the way he stumbled over the lecture, it looked like he’d been pulled off the street.

Several people shot me hateful glowers, but I clenched my teeth and tried to decipher the teacher’s words.

Fifteen minutes before the class was due to end, Bianca sauntered over, clutching her books to her chest. She walked with that odd swaying motion with her hips that made a few of the guys sitting at the end of the rows watch her ass as she moved.

I narrowed my eyes and held my stomach muscles, bracing myself for a threat or an insult. Prakash stiffened, and Leopold folded his arms.

Bianca tilted her head to the side. “Evergreen, may I have a word?”

I narrowed my eyes at the use of my name. “Spit out whatever you want to say and leave.”

“This is serious. Is there somewhere private we can go?” she asked.

“No.”

“It’s about my father.”

A boulder of dread dropped into my stomach, splashing hydrochloric acid to the back of my throat. As much as I despised Bianca, the part of me that hated predators wanted to listen.

“What about him?” I asked.

“It’s…” Her eyes darted from left to right. “Personal.”

Clenching my teeth, I inhaled through my nostrils. Every fiber of my being told me to walk away. To leave Bianca in her own private hell with her pervert father, but I just couldn’t. If she needed me as a witness to put him behind bars, I would help.

I glanced from Prakash to Leopold. “Are either of you available to make sure it’s not an ambush?”

Bianca rolled her eyes. “As if I would be that desperate.”

Prakash leaned forward. “Willow may not remember, but I have a vivid image of you and your entourage attacking her.”