'Cause it's not just a figure of speech
You got me down on my knees
It's getting harder to breathe out
We only met each other just the other day
But you already got me feeling some type of way
Now, if I could figure it out
I'd take you back to my house
So we could meddle about

Meddle about - Chase Atlantic

LIV SIGHED, LEANING BACK IN HER
chair, looking at Mr. Lexingtons sourful expression. She didn't even know why she was here in the first place cause it's not like she was the one who ruined this evening.
She sat on the left side of Ruby who looked at her hands, completely stressed out like she was about to cry, while James in the right side of Ruby looked completely bored.

"You have disappointed me immensely this evening, I'm sure you know that." Lexington began to speak and they all looked up.

"That's more than enough smugness from you Mr. Beaufort! Someone saw you with the DJ, paying her off." He said, when James took a look at his watch and Liv grinned to herself. She pretty much liked people getting what they deserved.

"So you've earned yourself a suspension from the lacrosse team! And Mrs. Bell, your
recommendation.. out of the question. I expect you to have an event like this under control as
the lead of the event committee." Livia had to suppress a giggle when she saw James grin dropping off his face. He looked at the principal, not believing what he's hearing.

"And you don't have to be so gloating at all, Mrs. Ashwand! You can forget about your position in the cheerleading team!" He then said turning towards her.

"What?!" The girl snapped, slapping her hands onto the chair and leaning forward.

"I had nothing to do with this whole thing." She defended herself. Lexington nodded.

"You may not but did you think I or anyone on this campus, would forget about your little drug case that got two of our students into the hospital?!" His voice was getting louder now.

"I wasn't the one who gave them this medication! Someone put it into their water!" Liv stood up defensively.

"Your team is under your responsibility, Ashwand! You can be grateful none of your teammates went to the police with it!" He scolded, looking at her strictly. Livia felt her nose flaring and her skin itching to throw something around.

"This is not fair. It can't be my responsibility when someone smuggled it into their drinks. With all due respect sir but you can't hold me responsible for the clear actions of someone else who wanted to sabotage my team."
Liv said, looking at the man stubbornly. Lexington stared back at her in thought and then instructed her to sit back down. Liv scoffed and sat down in her chair.
She knew that the man didn't actually think that it was her fault. He just needed someone to blame.

"Sir." Ruby Bell spoke up after a long awkward silence.

"I should have done better and I take your guidance very seriously. So you can count on me for the upcoming donation gala, that you'll have a chance to form an opinion about my organizational ability."
Lexington leaned back, thinking about what she had said.

"Another catastrophe like this cannot happen again." He then said.

"It won't. Not when I'm in charge of it." Ruby said, smiling charmingly.

"If that's true, then Mr. Beaufort can invest his new found free time in the event committee, to make up for his unwanted intervention! And all of you will give us a spectacular event to repair the school's reputation which you all sullied through your reckless behavior." He said, leaning in his elbows and looking at all three of them.

"And if this goes well, we'll see about your recommendation miss bell and your cheerleading team miss Ashwand."

•

As Liv walked out of Lexingtons office, with his promise that he will rethink his decision after she told him what exactly happened this day. She again told him how it couldn't have been her fault and that taking her position in the cheerleading team would have catastrophic consequences.

The girl made her way through the doors of the castle, into the night. She shivered slightly from the strong wind that blew into her face. She walked towards the Parking lot, to wait for her driver, when she heard a voice.

"Need a ride Ashwand?"
She turned and saw James standing on one of the pillars, smoking.

"You wish." She scoffed annoyed, pulling out her phone to text her driver. She heard steps coming towards her and then felt a presence next to her. She could smell his aftershave and way too much perfume that was crowding her nose. She didn't look up from her phone and took a step away from him, scoffing.

"Go away." She said, not wanting to interact with him any longer.

"Come on, don't be angry with me. Here.." James said, his voice low and mocking. She saw out of the corner of her eyes, how he grabbed something out of the inside pocket of his jacket.

"Have some." He said as he pulled out the flask that she saw earlier and held it to her. Liv scrunched her nose and turned her head away before finally looking up.

"Get this thing away from me!" She said in a sharp tone and James grimaced.

"Hm.. worked with Theo all the time." He shrugged his shoulders and then took a sip himself from the bottle.
The next thing that happened was him feeling two hands on his chest that pushed him back against the pillar harshly and the flask being brutally ripped off his mouth. He heard it fall to the ground before staring into Livia's eyes, which seemed to be on fire.

"Listen up you little freak! I don't know what shit was going on between you and my brother and why you think this is all some fucking joke." She hissed aggressively. Her hands gripped tighter on his shirt.

"You're being a pain in the ass and if you pull another one of those stunts like you did today you will wish yourself to never have met me." She hissed at him and her whole appearance was truly intimidating to James. He seriously was surprised and almost scared for a second, before he got his composure back. He leaned forward towards her a smirk growing on his face.

"And what do you have that could make me wish I had never met you?" He said in a mocking tone. Liv scrunched her eyes a bit closer, stepping closer towards him and leaning into his face so there was barely any space left.

"Why don't you ask your sister and Mr. Sutton?"

It was precious for Liv, to see James' grin fall from his face, his features relax completely and a flash of panic appear in his eyes. He seemed completely stiff, realizing that she indeed had something in hand against him.

Liv then heard the familiar noise of a car driving onto the yard and took a step back from the blonde boy. With one final look at him, she turned and walked towards the gates.
Before she could reach the end of the small way from the doors, she felt her upper arm being grabbed and pushed against the nearest wall.
James eyes now seemed furious as they threw daggers into her soul.

"Did Ruby tell you?!" He asked and Liv shook her head grinning.

"No, I saw them kissing. They were not the best at hiding it you know. I guess your sister loves to be involved in scandals." She said and James increased the pressure on her arm.

"Careful." He muttered and Liv felt chills running down her spine. She couldn't deny the thrill she felt when he stood so close to her.

"Or what?" She said smiling, before her face got serious.

"Stay away from me Beaufort. Or you'll pay for it."
With that she ripped her arm out of his hand and pushed herself up from the wall. She walked towards the car that parked in the inside of the yard and drove off, leaving a freaked out James behind.

•

As she came home that night. Nonchalance printed on her face when she walked up the stairs to her room. She kicked her high heels off, threw herself onto her bed and sighed in her pillow.
A knock at the door threw her out of her thoughts. The girl lifted her head and saw the door to her room open, revealing her father.

She immediately sat up straight, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"Dad." She nodded as the man stepped in, looking at her room like he had never seen it before, which he partially hadn't.

"What was going on between you and that Beaufort boy?" He said, his voice strickt and frightening.

The driver must have told him
Liv thought and sighed.

"Nothing, he was stepping over the line so I put him in his place." She then said looking her father sternly into the eyes.

"I don't want you to talk to that boy. We can't deal with another scandal, do you hear me?" He said, raising his voice and Liv bit the inside of her lip until she tasted blood, so she could keep her composure. He called the death of his son nothing more than a scandal. Were his kids nothing worth to him?

"Yes, of course." She said and her father left her room without another word.

Slowly.. just slowly, Livia began to understand what Theo must have felt like.

•
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