She stopped too, eyeing me warily.
"Watch your mouth."
My voice was quiet, but she flinched back half a step. Her lips trembled twice, and she didn't dare say another word.
Principal Whitney hurried us along from behind. "Move it, move it. The whole field's waiting."
Out on the field, more than two thousand students were already lined up by class.
A sea of bodies, all whispering.
Delia shoved me onto the stage. She put real force behind it, trying to send me sprawling, but I planted my feet and didn't so much as sway.
A flicker of disappointment crossed her face.
Whitney strode to the microphone and cleared his throat. "Today, we are holding an emergency school-wide assembly!"
The field went quiet.
"This girl!" He jabbed a finger at my face. "Was caught seducing Piers James of our Ivy League Track Program in the cafeteria!"
The crowd erupted. Students turned to each other, buzzing.
Delia snatched the microphone from his hand. "Piers James is my son! Ranked first in the entire city on the mock exams! He is this school's pride! He is Ivy League material!"
She wheeled on me, her finger nearly poking my face.