school th

He looked awful. The red mark on his cheek from his uncle's hand had bloo

mped into his seat in the back, and imm

ad. He was here. He hadn't given up complete

r eyes immediately landing on the figure in the

r, and stopped right in front of his desk. She slapped a textbook d

said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Mr. Rile

at her, his face

"You've missed an entire week of school, Riley. Wh

gh the classroom. Everyone knew the Ri

ughing students, a hot f

that everyone could hear. "Some students have family legacies to uphold, Mr. Ril

to, slid cleanly and qu

sis saw his hands clench into fists under the desk, his knuckles turning white. She was terrified he

n't let t

stoo

. Ga

t cut through the tense sile

er. Cas looked at her, his

hocked. "Miss Greene, this do

a teacher, I don't believe it's appropriate for you to p

lotchy, angry red. "I am disciplining a problem student!

of something unreadable in his eyes, before he

d without a mom

ed, grabbing her arm. "She

k her head and pu

ck and forth, calling Cas a delinquent, a disgrace to the school, a lost c

ye of a hurricane. He wasn't numb, Genesis realized. He was just... done.

ep breath. It

struction site, or his aunt and uncle, or the man with the b

ad to

rfect lie began t

-