Chapter 48
The trio was lucky–Briar wasn’t looking to blow things out of proportion. Seeing Lydia, Mia, and Abbie sufficiently spooked, she finally spoke up. “Since you’ve all apologized, I’ll let it slide. I guess I’ll forgive you. My heart’s just too soft, you know?”
She turned to Ashton, her icy tone melting into a sweet, almost playful lilt. “What do you think, Mr. Wade?”
Ashton couldn’t help but laugh at how adorabl
do it your way.”
Well–behaved she suddenly became. He raised a hand and gently ruffled her hair. “Sure. We’ll
Then he looked over at Marvin. “Mr. Goodwin, since
Bria
decided to be merciful, I won’t push the matter either. Let’s leave it at that. But f
hope this is the first and last time something like this happens.”
Marvin gave a strained smile. “Of course, of course.”
In his head, he was rolling his eyes, thinking, ‘Can you hear yourself?
‘Briar, merciful? The sun would rise in the west first!
‘She sent one of her roommates straight to the infirmary, and you’re not even going to mention it?
‘And you? Acting like you’re being reasonable? Who
are
e you trying to fool? ‘You’re a Wade–your presence alone makes the rules bend to you.
‘If I so much as breathe wrong and you get annoyed, I swear my poor old heart will give out right here on this carpet!
‘Hmph.‘
Marvin knew full well that with Briar around, his final years as Shoneport’s principal were going to be anything but peaceful.
Worried Ashton might change his mind, Marvin quickly gave the three girls a brief lecture, warning them to keep their mouths shut, and ushered them out of his office.
Arlene, who’d been watching the whole ordeal with her heart in her throat, took her chance to slip away when Marvin wasn’t looking. After all, she was the one who’d called Briar back to campus.
Briar stood up, ready to head out. It was almost time for
afternoon lab session. “Ashton, if that’s all, I’m gonna go.”
Ashton pressed a hand to her shoulder, stopping her. “Hold on. There’s one more thing to settle.”
Briar blinked, confused. “What else is there?”
Then she caught Frank’s panicked expression, his face a mix of fear and forced cheer. Stifling a laugh, she tried to vouch for him. “Ashton, this really doesn’t have much to do with him.”
Ashton wasn’t having it. “I specifically told him yesterday to keep an eye on you while you were on campus. And see what happened.”
Frank looked like he might cry. If the setting allowed, he’d probably be clinging to Ashton’s leg, begging for mercy. “Ashton, I messed up. Give me one more shot, please! I swear I’ll keep Briar safe from now on–no one’s gonna mess with her.”
He hadn’t expected Briar to be such a magnet for trouble. Half a day at school, and she’d already made headlines on the forum. By the time he got someone to pull the post, he heard she’d gotten into a dorm–room brawl during a quick visit.
She’d taken on three girls, walked away unscathed, and sent one to the infirmary.
He was just about to clean up the mess when…
O
10:49 Mon, 11 Aug O
Chapter 48
If no one had tipped Ashton off, Frank was sure he could’ve handled it before Ashton found out.
Thinking about that, Frank froze. He turned to Ashton and asked, “Wait, how’d you even know Briar was getting picked on? I didn’t get a chance to tell you.”
Marvin, who’d been quietly enjoying the show, slowly raised his hand. “That would be me. I called Ashton over. No need to thank me
When a little powerhouse like Briar caused trouble, the best move was to bring in the big guns. And only in front of the big boss could everything be resolved smoothly, without collateral damage.
Frank stared, speechless.
Briar’s eyes flicked to Marvin, who’d played the peacemaker from the sidelines. She couldn’t help but think, ‘This old guy’s sharper than he lets on.‘
AD
