Mr. Redding looked a tiny bit sympathetic—but not enough to change his mind. “I’m sure that must have been hard, but it was hardly reason for you to act in that way. Injuring three people and damaging expensive audio visual equipment were in no way appropriate responses.” Understatement.

I was tired of the formalities and needed to fix things before they escalated further. I leaned forward in my chair. “You know what else isn’t appropriate? A thirty-year-old guy—because that’s how old he was, no matter how young and cool they were trying to be—grabbing a fifteen-year-old girl. It was bad enough that he did so when she clearly didn’t want to go with him. The point is he never should have touched her in the first place. She’s a minor. If a teacher did that, he’d be fired. I’ve read the book teachers are given from your HR department.” It had been an attempt to see if Ms. Terwilliger was abusing me. “Medical emergencies and breaking up a fight are the only times teachers can lay hands on students. Now, you might argue that that guy wasn’t a teacher or employed by the school, but his group was invited here by the school—which is obligated to keep its students safe. You’re a private school, but I’m certain the California Department of Education would have a few things to say about what happened here today—as will Angeline’s father, who’s a lawyer.” He was actually the leader of a bunch of mountain vampires and had multiple wives, but that was beside the point. I looked back and forth between Mrs. Welch and Mr. Redding’s faces. “Now then. Shall we renegotiate your position?”

Angeline was in awe after we left the office and went back to our dorm. “Suspension,” she exclaimed, a bit too much joy in her voice for my liking. “I really just get to skip class? That sounds more like a reward.”

“You still have to keep up with your homework,” I warned. “And you can’t leave the dorm. Don’t even think about sneaking out because that will get you expelled, and I won’t be able to save you again.”

“Still,” she said, practically skipping, “this was all pretty easy.”

I came to a halt in front of her, forcing her to face me. “It was not easy. You got off on a technicality. You’ve continually resisted efforts to follow the rules around here, and today—well, that was off the charts. You aren’t back home. The only time you should even think about fighting here is if Jill is attacked. That’s why you’re here. Not to do whatever you want. You said you were up to the challenge of protecting her. If you get expelled—and it’s a miracle you weren’t—she’s at risk. So get in line or start packing for home. And for God’s sake, leave Eddie alone.”

Her face had been kindling with anger as I spoke, but that last bit caught her off guard. “What do you mean?”