Chapter 81 Suspended
Phoebe
The air in the principal’s office felt icy, even though the heater was on. It was like all the cold in the world had gathered in that room the moment Principal Hartman looked at me over his glasses and said—
“Miss Matthews, you are officially suspended from school until further notice.”
I just sat there, frozen, my hands clutching the hem of my wrinkled skirt. The world seemed to stop spinning. The only sounds I could hear were the ticking of the wall clock and the pounding of my own heartbeat.
Principal Hartman kept talking, but his voice grew faint, almost distant. Something about the school’s reputation, the image of Divergent Howls, and “the consequences of inappropriate conduct.”
But I hadn’t done anything wrong… at least not intentionally.
“What do you mean you’re suspending her?” Zion’s voice suddenly cut through the silence, cold and angry. “It wasn’t even her fault! You can’t just—”
“Mr. Glass,” Hartman interrupted sharply. “This isn’t up for discussion.”
Zion stood up, fists clenched. Hayden grabbed his shoulder to hold him back, but his expression was just as grim.
“If Phoebe’s out, then I’m out of Livingstone too,” he said flatly. Every word felt like a warning. “And I’m done with Divergent Howls as well.”
Hartman blinked. “You’re joking, right?”
No one answered. Finley and Adonis exchanged a look, then nodded silently.
Zion added in a low, steady tone, “We’re a team. If one of us is treated unfairly, we all walk.”
I swallowed hard. My heart twisted between pride and panic. I didn’t want them to throw away their futures for me.
“Stop, please…” I whispered. “Don’t do this because of me.”
Hartman sighed heavily and removed his glasses. “Fine,” he said finally. “We’ll hold a closed meeting with the board to review Miss Matthews’ case. Until then, she’s suspended from all school activities—academic and extracurricular.”
And just like that, it was over.
We all walked out of his office in silence. The hallway felt eerily empty, our footsteps echoing against the marble floor.
By the time we reached the exit, I could already hear my dad talking to Phoenix.
“Phoenix,” he said firmly, “keep an eye on your sister. Make sure she doesn’t meet those boys for now, understood?”
Phoenix nodded, but I could tell by his face he wasn’t comfortable with that order. When our eyes met, he just looked away quietly.
It felt like being stabbed from both sides—by the school’s disappointment and my father’s overprotection
The rest of the day dragged on painfully slow. Phoenix walked me back to the dorms like I was some kind of prisoner under escort.
When the door finally shut behind me, I let out a long breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.
My desk was still cluttered with open books and my laptop, like it was mocking me. I wasn’t allowed to attend classes. Couldn’t do Brand Ambassador work. Couldn’t do anything that made me “visible.”
I sat on the edge of my bed, staring out the window. Snowflakes drifted softly to the ground, covering the normally busy courtyard below.
Somehow, this snow didn’t feel peaceful—it felt like a reminder that I’d been frozen out of everything
My phone buzzed. A message from Mom.
Your father’s going to talk to Alpha Lennox about this. Don’t worry, sweetheart. Everything will be fine.
Fine.
The most unconvincing word in the universe.
I stared at the screen for a few seconds before turning it off. I didn’t want to hear another thing. I didn’t want to pretend I was okay.
The door creaked open a moment later. Phoenix stepped inside, carrying two mugs of hot chocolate.
“Hey,” he said softly. “You look like a zombie.”
I let out a weak laugh. “Maybe I am one.”
He sat down across from me and handed me a mug. “Dad’s just worried. He… doesn’t really know how to deal with all this.”
I stared at the steam rising from my drink. “I just want it all to stop, Nix. I’m tired.”
Phoenix stayed quiet for a moment before saying, “I know. But giving up isn’t really your thing, Phoebs.”
I looked up at him. “What am I supposed to do now? Dad won’t even let me see my mates.”
“Yeah, your mates,” he said with a half-smile. “Four guys hopelessly in love with you.”
I glared at him, but didn’t bother denying it.
He leaned back in the chair, looking up at the ceiling. “I’m going to talk to them. Hayden, Zion, all of them.”
I blinked. “What? You can’t—”
“Just listen.” His tone turned serious. “I’m not going against Dad, but I’m also not letting you take the fall alone. They need to take responsibility too. I’ll ask them to use their pack influence to support you.”
I froze. “Phoenix… you don’t have to—”
“I do.” His eyes locked on mine. “You’re my sister. If you fall, I’ll make sure someone’s there to help you stand back up.”
My throat tightened. I looked down quickly so he wouldn’t see the tears in my eyes.
Damn. Phoenix was rarely this sentimental—especially with me.
He reached out and ruffled my hair gently, just like when we were kids. “Don’t cry, okay? They’ll figure something out. And I’ll make sure you’re not alone.”
I nodded slowly. “Thanks, Nix.”
“Anytime, sis.” He stood and walked to the door. Before leaving, he looked back. “Oh, and… if they text you in the group chat, don’t ignore them. Text back.”
A small smile tugged at my lips. “I’ll think about it.”
Once he left, I grabbed my phone again. Notifications were already flooding in from the Divergent Howls group chat.
Zion: You okay, honey?
Hayden: We’ll fix this. Don’t worry.
Finley: We’re still your team, Phoebs.
Adonis: Stay strong, Cherry.
One by one, their messages popped up, and I couldn’t help but smile—just a little.
For the first time that day, my chest didn’t feel so heavy.
I typed slowly:
Thanks, guys. I’ll be fine. Just… don’t do anything stupid, okay?
A few seconds later, Zion replied:
Too late for that.
I chuckled, covering my face with my hands.
They were insane. But maybe… the kind of insane I needed right now.
That night, I couldn’t fall asleep right away. I just sat by the window, watching the snow keep falling.
I didn’t know what the board would decide. I didn’t know if my name would ever be cleared—or ruined forever.
But one thing I did know: I wasn’t alone.
Phoenix, my four mates, and maybe… a small part of myself, still held onto hope.
And that hope, as fragile as it was, was the only thing keeping me alive tonight.
When I finally heard Tyra’s soft snoring across the room, I felt my own eyelids grow heavy.
I covered another yawn and closed the window.
Maybe this time… I really could lean on Phoenix.