Principal Tanner smoothed down his unwrinkled suit and faced us. The look was enough to suck all the sound from the room. “That was unacceptable.” He shook his head. “Be certain the responsible party will be punished.”

My stomach sank. With Tanner on his new personal warpath, I pitied whoever had decided to pull the prank.

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Dean

“Choked pretty hard in there, didn’t you, Dean?” Tessa’s voice was two parts smug and just this side of nervous.

I stopped my hustle down the hall toward coding class and turned to find my little sister leaning against her locker. Her bright red lipstick wasn’t exactly in regulation with the Wilmont uniform and presentation rules, but I’d never be the one to point that out.

“Whoa,” she said, popping off the locker when I reached her. “Did he expel you?”

I rubbed my palms over my face, forcing back the adrenaline that had shaken my muscles since the epic fail of a sexual awareness presentation a few hours ago.

“Course not.” I hiked my bag onto my shoulder, flashing her my everything’s fine smile—one we’d shared more times than I could count over the years any time she thought Mom was about to ground me.

She was the only girl in our family, and so I had this unavoidable instinct to protect her.

“I didn’t do it,” I continued, shaking my head. I studied her not-at-all-surprised face for a few seconds before the proper shock registered in her eyes.

“You didn’t?” she said, but I could see straight through her.

“Tessa,” I groaned. “What do you know?” I’d never peg my sister for tampering with Principal Tanner’s precious presentation, but one of her rebellious friends? Maybe. The boyfriend she’d had since she was six? Maybe times two.

“Nothing!” She gaped at me before rolling her eyes. “You worry a helluva lot for someone who’s ready to buck the system any chance he gets.”

“One,” I said, holding up a finger, “don’t ever say buck the system. Two”—I held up another finger—“just because I like to test weaknesses in any given security system doesn’t mean I’m not going to worry about my baby sister when she clearly is in way over her head.”

She scoffed and pulled out her cell, fingers flying across the screen. She pocketed it after a good fifty-six seconds of ignoring me. “I’ve got to meet Colt,” she said and flashed me a perfectly innocent smile. “I’m glad he didn’t expel you.” She punched me on the shoulder. “I’d hate not having my over-worrying brother here to protect me.”