Chapter 255: Faye Resume School
I seriously hate school. I’m not going to lie, one of the things I loved while pregnant was that I barely attended classes. It made me forget about school. I didn’t have to worry about exams or homework. I had spent months just lounging around the house, sleeping whenever I wanted, and completely ignoring the entire existence of teachers and textbooks.
But now I’m back in school. The reality of it hit me like a slap in the face the second my alarm went off, forcing me out of my warm bed.
When I woke up this morning, Princess was already up. She had attended to the kids, and all I had to do was get ready for school. I could hear her soft voice murmuring in the kitchen, the gentle clatter of plastic bowls letting me know she had everything completely under control.
When I got to the kitchen, Princess had already made breakfast and was feeding the kids. All four of them were sitting in their high chairs, looking really cute. They were lined up in a neat row right by the kitchen, their tiny legs kicking back and forth.
Leonny was trying to feed himself. Minny had potato purée all over his face. The little dude was making a mess of himself. He had a big glob of yellowish mush sitting right on his forehead, his small fingers smacking against the plastic tray as he laughed. Princess had already taught them how to eat on their own, but they were still kind of slow, so she helped them to speed things up so we could all get to school on time. She was moving down the line with a small plastic spoon, deftly popping bites into each of their mouths before they could wipe the food onto their clothes.
I had French toast, scrambled eggs, and avocado, all made by my girlfriend. The toast was perfectly golden and warm, and I ate it quickly while leaning against the counter.
Afterward, we cleaned the babies up and packed their bags because they were also coming to school with us. We had to pack extra diapers, formula canisters, and change of clothes for all four of them, stuffing everything into two massive backpacks.
Princess had already made arrangements for where they would stay during school hours. The private classroom she created for me during my early pregnancy had been turned into a personal daycare for the pups and Charlie, who happened to be their playmate. She had replaced the regular desks with soft foam tiles, safety gates, and baskets overflowing with colorful rubber toys.
Finally, we got to school. We walked through the side entrance, trying to avoid the main rush of students clogging up the hallways.
We handed the kids over to the lady in charge of them. She was going to take care of them and monitor them, and as usual, Princess had installed cameras so she could personally keep an eye on them. I watched as the nanny settled them into the play area, while Princess checked the live feed on her phone one last time to make sure the connection was clear.
Every single thing taught in class felt foreign to me. I couldn’t recall anything, but I sat through it all. The teachers were shouting about equations and historical dates, their voices bouncing right off my brain while I just stared blankly at the white board, feeling completely out of the loop.
Then, during lunchtime, I visited my pups to see how they were doing. I snuck down the quiet corridor, pushing the classroom door open just an inch so I wouldn’t disturb them.
They were so invested in a Play-Doh game that none of them noticed I had entered the room. They were gathered in a small circle, their tiny hands busy squishing the bright blue and red dough into the tiles. As always, the first one to notice my arrival was Leonny. He immediately dropped his clay and crawled over to me. The boy was always happy to see me. He scrambled over the foam mats, his little face lighting up with a huge grin as he reached for my knees.
After spending some time with them, I joined my friends in the cafeteria for lunch.
Haley, Sasha, Malo, and Henry were there. Henry had joined the school thanks to Eriko, who wanted him to get an education and make some friends. He sat right at the center of the table, laughing at something Malo said.
He had started on the first day of school, and that boy had quickly become everyone’s favorite. He had even joined the basketball team. The other guys on the squad were always high-fiving him in the corridors, loving his quick speed on the court.
And then there was Peamah.
That beta of mine acted like he didn’t know any of us during school hours. He was always with his basketball teammates. He sat three tables away, laughing loudly with a group of large Jocks while ignoring our direction completely. He wasn’t captain anymore, but they still welcomed him because of his father’s reputation.
While I was eating, an announcement came over the speakers. The metal horn above our table gave a sharp, static crackle before a loud voice cut through the lunchroom chatter.
"Faye Grande, please report to the Principal’s Office."
I heard it, but I acted like I didn’t because I had no idea why they needed me. It’s not like I had punched someone. I just kept chewing my food, staring straight down at my plastic tray while pretending the voice belonged to someone else.
"Bro, that’s the fifth time they’ve called your name," Malo said, tapping me. He nudged my elbow with his fork, pointing up toward the ceiling speaker.
"I know," I replied. I let out a heavy sigh, dropping my half-eaten sandwich back onto the paper plate.
"Then go. I heard the new principal is kinda strict," Haley said. She leaned across the table, her eyes wide with warning as she checked the hallway door.
I looked around at my friends. They were all staring at me with mixed expressions of pity and curiosity.
I had no idea why the principal’s office wanted me, and I knew it wasn’t going to be for anything good. I had never been called to the principal’s office to receive a medal. The school administration only ever noticed my existence whenever there was a problem that needed sorting out.
The only time I got called there was for detention.
"So I really have to go?" I asked.
All of them nodded.
And there I was, in the principal’s office, waiting for the newly appointed principal of Oakland School, not just the high school, but the entire Oakland school system.
My eyes drifted to the nameplate on the desk.
Dr. Silviana Kings.
Kings.
I already knew who that was. The name sent a sudden, cold shiver right down my spine, my stomach tightening into a hard knot as I stared at the letters.
The door opened, and I heard the click of heels. Always wearing heels.
I turned around and saw what looked like an older version of Kiara. She had that same jawline and the same arrogant posture, walking with a tight precision that made the hair on my arms stand up.
This one wore glasses. The thin frames caught the office lights as she looked down her nose at me.
She happened to be Kiara’s older sister and Adam Kings’ wife. She stood right in front of me, her dark blazer perfectly tailored and her expression completely unreadable.
That was exactly why I hadn’t wanted to come.
Because I already knew this wasn’t going to go well.
