Free Burning Hearts by Melanie Matthews Page A

bandage tape, she said, “Keep this on the whole
day. You don’t want it to get infected. Schools are a nasty place.”
    Jenna just smiled and nodded, glad to be
free. Well, almost free.
    Officer Marlowe was blocking the exit,
looking confused. “But there was so much blood,” he reminded
everyone.
    She acted cool, allaying suspicion. “It
looked worse than it actually was.” She turned to Principal Greene,
now tense. “Am I gonna get expelled?”
    The petite administrator sighed. “Well, you
didn’t exactly hit anyone, but you did damage school property.”
    “ I’ll pay for
it.”
    She smiled, knowing Jenna didn’t have enough
in her piggy bank to cover such expenditure. “We’ll call it an
accident. It was an accident, right?”
    Jenna nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
    “ So what
happened?”
    The lie came quickly; she was becoming
proficient in deception. “I accidentally hit the mirror while
reapplying my mascara.” She shrugged. “I’m clumsy.”
    Principal Greene turned to Officer Marlowe.
“Can you check on Maintenance? Make sure there are no students”—she
wiggled her fingers—“milling about?”
    He nodded. “Yes ma’am.”
    He left and the principal turned to Nurse
Nora. “Give us the room, please.”
    Nurse Nora smiled and left, carrying her
issue of Modern Nurse and a half-eaten pack of saltines.
    The principal sat on a roll-around chair near
a wall of pamphlets devoted to STDs.
    “ I knew that when Daniela
and Emma came running and screaming about you trying to murder
them, that they were just blowing smoke, but…as I recall, you used
to be friends with them. And Sadie, Kit, Barrie, Aidan. You and Val
were the sweethearts of Oasis High. What happened?”
    Jenna shook her head. She wasn’t going to
divulge the real reason to her principal.
    “ We’re not friends
anymore.”
    She chuckled. “Well, I can see that. Students
around here think we’re deaf, dumb, and blind, but we know more
than you youngsters think.” She gave a slight nod as if to say it
were really true.
    When Jenna didn’t comment, the principal
continued, “So you and your former girlfriends were in the
restroom, words were exchanged, hand gestures were rampant, and
yours happened to collide with a mirror? Mistaking your accident
for malicious intent—because of course you have no desire
whatsoever to injure your fellow classmates—Daniela and Emma fled,
screaming bloody murder as they ran around the school? Is that
about right?”
    Jenna snapped her fingers and smiled. “You
got it, boss. Couldn’t have said it better myself.”
    Principal Greene sighed, adjusting the silk
scarf around her neck. “Well, that’s the story for the report
because you’re not going to tell me the full truth, and I’m
forbidden to beat it out of you.” She smiled and waved Jenna off.
“Go on to class.” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “You can
still make the tail end of first period.”
    “ Yay,” Jenna said
emotionless in mock cheer.
    The principal escorted her to the closed off
hall near the restroom where Officer Marlowe was stationed outside
the door. He handed Jenna her backpack that was thankfully, blood
free; she’d left it in the restroom, distracted by the possibility
of her imminent arrest.
    Jenna cradled the rose-colored bag against
her chest as if it might give her comfort in these troubled times.
Then she turned to Principal Greene. “Sorry for messing up the
restroom. It won’t happen again.”
    “ Let’s hope not.” She gently
squeezed Jenna’s shoulder. “Next time…well, I don’t have to tell
you. You want to graduate on time, right? Get out of
here?”
    Jenna nodded vigorously. “Yes, ma’am.”
    As Jenna opened the hall door, Principal
Greene said, “Don’t let those girls get to you. I know you’re tired
of us preaching it, but it’s really better to just ignore their
comments, unless of course, they’re threatening you. You’re smart
enough to know which is which. Be smart.