e turning poi

rning with a terrible

essage kept repl

. And soon, he'll learn what it fe

es, I imagined Dominic standing between Damia

to warn

ut the money, the documents, and th

lain that I had agr

l him that I had betrayed his trust before

one b

from Domin

g nice today. I have a

ately ca

?" I demanded as s

g to you too

that! What ar

huck

ena. Just come to schoo

he bakery would be safe.

my promise

ave Dami

suddenly t

ve what you wanted. Don't

all e

tion. I looked like the same girl who had danced wit

t feel like

ed love could protec

bette

st, I tho

-

dents crowded around the noti

filled th

hear what

meone stole the ex

principal h

eps s

ation

g spread thro

saw D

talking to one of his friends. Whe

e you

ward me and

to think you'd fo

ced a

rse I h

died m

ed. Did you s

t m

he baker

nable to tr

squeezed

u don't have to carry everything alo

nto his arms and c

whispered,

nd kissed m

he corridor, Do

, Dominic lifted his ph

words, but I knew

-

egun when the principal's voice

t to the main hall immediately. Thi

t began

rvous looks as they l

took

s find out wha

legs feeling heav

achers, and a man from the school's examination comm

g the students, hi

ca

aited until eve

confidential examination papers. The incident allegedly occurred on

wept throu

pal opened

ion, the school has reason to believe t

pau

er, please s

ent, nobo

an releas

M

ian. Come

front, confusion wr

be a mist

al looked a

ion office on prom night. A written statement also places

protested. "I never entere

ipal rais

opportunity to e

e hall, searching the f

s eyes

ar beginning to re

ce coming from?" he asked.

committee member

th documents that appear to support the al

his head as if h

ed to

d don

exactly as he had pro

nd how he had managed to make

al turned a

vements after ten o'clock on prom nig

body we

what wa

oked dire

was w

all seemed t

a step t

ended. She knows I didn't go anyw

turned in m

barely

rt. He had trusted me with his hap

sting me with

"is Damian telling the truth?

ed my

ng ca

expressio

st tell them what happened.

was

terr

tching me. He didn't need to say a word. I

uth, this arrangement bec

membered

she read the demolition notice. The way she h

ved our h

is support. The demolition could begin again.

Damian could

med at me to t

me to prote

ed at

ieving that the girl he loved wo

" he wh

rs gather

orgive m

and that I nev

a shaky

N

le disa

ncipal

eak clearl

he edge of

barely audible. "Damian w

hat followed

as if he hadn't un

ha

myself to

r the prom. I did

aid quietly,

oul

k at

sed m

ne, replaced by disbelief and a pain so

ng you weren

ok my

a step b

ere. You know we

ps tr

sor

en laugh. "What are you so

lin

r silence, but Damian w

rying to find the girl he had k

at really hap

ldn't

pered. "You know

rd nearly d

ea

g me to save ou

ng me to sa

there, letting hi

eat echoed in

. The mone

llowe

at you're talkin

ce wen

conds, he simp

uted, "ELEN

hook throug

teachers hurried toward hi

uldn't stop l

told me you loved me! You promis

eamed dow

I

. "Don't you dare t

ed to

that I had stopped loving him. It was proof that

said n

called the h

this inquiry, the school is suspending you pending further investigation. The init

urned to

his! I didn't s

" the principal replied. "For

ian and asked him to acc

d to move

emained fi

elong in my world," he said quietly. "I told

nearly

w?" I w

ok his

't know wh

d and wa

hall doors, carrying the weight of

was gone, my

ch, covering my face as

aved th

I loved lose his future because

-

, I hurried into a

hispers following me

the school had acted too quickly. A few looked at me w

't bla

erve their u

ne vib

from Domin

to do. The bakery is safe. Don't rui

e words, my ha

her messa

r school. We need to

next

lt s

reply, a final

suspension is on

he phone on

wanted me to beco

o use me to des

helped h

ian's suspension and the possibility that he might have t

her's bracelet b

red, though Damian wa

st thing I could lose

d that I could

ing that when he finally discovered