Ingrid's face changed immediately. Her eyes knitted in confusion and she gasped. "No!" She yelled. Layla turned her attention back to her when the traffic became stagnant again. "Mom... no! Why would you even think that?"
"The video from the school. It shows you kissing the girl... Freya was her name, right? Is this why you wanted to live in school? So you could spend more time with her?" Layla cut straight to the point.
Ingrid shook her head in disbelief. Her mother had suddenly flipped over the mood in the car. She looked up to her mother and took one of her hands into hers. "Mom, that video doesn't mean anything." She cried out. "Freya is just some girl who got mixed ideas about me and she ended up kissing me that day. I didn't even like it, for real! I'm not a lesbian. I'm all for guys... believe me!"
Layla chuckled. "I'm not saying it's wrong or anything. I just want you to be sincere with me. I cannot be at peace if I don't know who you deal with romantically. You say you don't have any boyfriends, and suddenly after all these years studying at the school, you now want to be a boarder. And I saw you kiss a girl!"
"I did not kiss her. She kissed me!" She hissed. "And I'm not staying at home because it's no longer fun without Ethan. That's all. I'm single as I can be. I don't have a boyfriend, and I don't have a girlfriend. One day when I get one I'll let you know." Her innocent voice carried her mother away, almost.
"Are you sure?" Layla asked. "It took me a while but I learned that Ingrid you're a good liar." Ingrid crossed her arms and looked outside the window. Layla started driving again. "It may be not about the boyfriend-girlfriend thing but I know there's something Ingrid. You're hiding something from me."
"Mom, how many times will I have to tell you that there's nothing going on in my life?"
"If what you say is true, then what is it that Ethan and Elena were hiding about you in court?" Layla shrugged. "What was it then? Because I know there's something going on among the three of you."
Ingrid sighed. "You heard them yourself. I was at a party filled with people older than me. And that's all." She looked at her mother lengthily. She craved for telling the truth. It was just three words to tell but the courage couldn't outmatch the aftermath of scolding that she would receive. Her parents would kill her, raise her back to a zombie then kill her again.
"Ingrid I hope you're telling me the truth. Because if I ever find out that you lied to me, I'll punish you so bad!" Layla hissed. "You think that your father's grounding was the deal? Ingrid that was the trailer, I'll give you the movie!"
Ingrid's face had turned sour. "I've tried to be the better daughter in the last few days. Support me at least instead of scolding me. It's really hard trying to impress you guys and now that I've reached this far, you just want to say that I'm basically pretending?" She cried out bitterly. "Mom, seriously... don't do this to me. I'm giving you guys my all. Ethan is gone and I'm the only one around. And I'm trying not to be a trouble to you two. So how about a pat on my back instead?"
Layla smiled suddenly and shook her head. She turned to Ingrid and raised her brow. "Let's hope so. A pat on your back you have..." She answered and brushed her fingers in Ingrid's hair. The little girl still frowned up, decided to look out the window again as they veered off to the school, avoiding another steamy conversation with her mother. If she would have only stressed a little, Ingrid thought, I would have told her. I would tell her how I am pregnant. And all about the young father. I would tell her that I want to keep it and that I am sorry. For everything. She however kept her thoughts to herself, the remaining short journey to the school.
St. Luis' Girls Washington was a unique school to the latter high schools around it. There was a huge main gate decorated in Catholic Church drawings and high stone walls that surrounded the school in its fifteen-hectare piece of land. The left side of the school consisted of the academic square, with all the classes, libraries, and staff rooms. The sickbay and cafeteria were also on this site. The right side featured all the dormitories and the dining halls, so exquisite and expensive in their design. There were a lot of biblical phrases around the school, from notice boards and hallways that made their effort to always remind the girls of where they were. The school was beautifully decorated with flowers and trees everywhere, you really could feel at home at any location you were in school. And in the far right was the gaming block where a variety of sports played there, including lawn and table tennis, football, netball, basketball, gymnastics, athletics, swimming, just to mention a few. The school wall was heavily guarded with dogs and security officers through the night and day as well as an electric cable sternly standing on its top. Most of the students here were boarders as it hosted girls from all over the country because of the good grades it provided to graduates at the end of their high school campaign. Day scholars were those who never lived far from the school, the likes of Ingrid. It participated in most co-curricular activities such as sports and spelling bee competitions and academic contests too. It was just the school to take your average teenage girl!
Ingrid walked out of the car when it had parked, tagged along with her mother to the disciplinary committee room leaving her suitcase and bag in the car. They had arrived late as Layla had feared and found the meeting already in session. Ingrid got in and found Freya and Hannah sitting on one end of the large table, one chair designated for her still empty. Freya's moms sat immediately after Hannah, and Hannah's father followed. Layla found herself a spot next to Hannah's father at the far end of the table and Ingrid grabbed herself a spot beside Freya. She dared not look at her, in order to avoid clouding her mind with whatever fetishes Freya was thinking about. Freya tried as much too to avoid Ingrid, though she couldn't help herself but stare at her once a while. On the opposite side of the table sat the dean and the 10th-grade class teacher representative, Ingrid's Biology teacher, Mr. Grant.
"Sorry for the late comings everyone." Layla said, "Busy traffic." She smiled.
"It's okay, Mrs. Purcell." The dean, Mrs. Perris, answered. "We are glad you could make it." Layla nodded slightly as she smiled back. "Okay, as I was saying, the story here was that Ingrid wanted to talk to Freya, but Hannah supposedly abused Ingrid some ugly words that provoked her to attack Hannah that resulted in the small brawl. Isn't that right girls?"
"Yes..." Freya answered first. Ingrid nodded immediately and Hannah agreed to the last one.
"Lucky thing none of the girls were seriously hurt." Mrs. Perris continued. "However, we cannot let such vices go in and around this school. We love all our students here as much as we love the school's reputation. What happened in the cafeteria earlier this week must never be repeated again... is that clear girls?"
"Yes..." They all answered.
"Excuse me, Mrs. Perris," one of Freya's mom spoke up. You could easily tell she was the biological mother of Freya by the way her eyes were. Identical and all alike as her daughter's. Beautiful cat eyes. "If this was about the brawl then why did my daughter be sent home for a suspension too? She was merely involved in it."
"It's because of what she did. She kissed a student in the academic square. That is prohibited here." Mrs. Perris answered.
"It was just a kiss, nothing serious about it. I don't see why she had to be sent home for such a small thing." The other mom spoke up.
"Mrs. Clare, Mrs. June... may I remind you that we only have high school students in this school and you know how notorious they can be if they're let to. Such acts are prohibited in the academic square. Only learning is supposed to take place there. Imagine what the other girls would take of the situation... they would try to emulate her behaviors."
"Okay... so many rules I presume." The first mom, Mrs. Clare, spoke afterward. "It's okay." She turned to her side and arched her head so that she could see Freya, "Honey, I hope you've heard what the dean has said... okay?"
Freya nodded looking at her mother. She looked like a sweet innocent girl. Her eyes... damn those eyes.
"Okay, back to the other girls." Mr. Grant spoke up. "Hannah and Ingrid, you know that I teach you both and in the process, I get to know you very well. You girls are like a small family of sisterhood inside these walls. You need to help each other grow physically and mentally. Mostly mentally. Such small and petty things as fights should be the least of your concerns. There is a long journey waiting for you girls ahead and you need to help each other along the way. You need to set your differences aside and forgive each other. What happened on Monday was a mistake. Repeat after me. What happened on Monday was a mistake."
"What happened on Monday was a mistake." The two girls repeated after Mr. Grant in clear voices. "It will never happen again."
"Good." Mr. Grant continued. "Now forgive each other. Go on... get up and give each other sorry hugs."
Hannah's father chuckled. "Is that really necessary?" He asked wallowing, smiling so broadly.
Mr. Grant shook his head. "No. But at least it's a starting point from where we can try and build a strong relationship between them." Hannah's father, Mr. Goodwill, burst out again laughing, leaning on the table for support. Nobody found the joke as funny as he did, no one laughed as long as he did. He stopped laughing a minute later when everyone was still and silent.
"Forgive my manners," He turned to Hannah. "Go on, do what the teacher says." Hannah rose from her seat, as so did Ingrid. They met somewhere in between and looked at each other strangely for a while.
"Ingrid," Hannah muttered, "I'm sorry for what happened. Please forgive me." Ingrid stepped closer and gave her a hug. A very tight friendly hug.
"We're sisters. Let this not happen again, Hannah." Ingrid told her. "I forgive you. Please forgive me too." She let Hannah out of her embrace. Hannah nodded giving her a smile. It wasn't pretty, but just enough for reconciliation.
"Now, that wasn't so hard was it?" Mr. Grant spoke up as the two girls sat down. Everyone in the room laughed again.
"Now that, that is settled... you girls will need to undergo a probation." Mrs. Perris cohered. "The best of behaviors are expected from all of you. No abuses, no fighting, and no kissing or other romantic relations to be noted from you girls in the academic square. Your grades are also expected to be of better performance by the end of the following week's quizzes. You are also expected to do community service for one week... which will be handed to you by your class's teacher representative. You are also expected to do the punishment without failure and help each other, okay?"
"Yes..." Freya spoke up the first. The other two girls answered later on as usual.
"Good. Now, will you three girls excuse us to discuss other issues with your parents?" The dean asked staring broadly at them. They got up and excused themselves for the meeting, locking the door behind them when they left, and sat on a bench outside the room.