An instant dislike for the motherfucker started to burn through my veins and take root in my soul.
Toomey had never been my favorite person. When I’d joined the SWAT team, he’d tried out as well. And Toomey was a vindictive little motherfucker. Though he’d passed the physical portion of the SWAT team mandates, he’d not passed the parts where he’d had to interview with the majority of the old SWAT team.
Needless to say, the older generation hadn’t been impressed with his bad attitude and lack of team ethic.
How did I know this?
Because shortly after being accepted, Toomey had also taken an instant dislike of me as well.
He’d given me shit for my making it and hadn’t stopped doing it since.
“Guy’s a dick,” I told her bluntly. “But you already knew that, didn’t you?”
Her lips twitched. “I did. And I can handle Toomey just fine. I just wish he was doing more here than he is. I know that he’s temporary until the old resource officer comes back, but it’s more than obvious to the kids that he doesn’t really want to be here.”
“Who was here before?” I questioned.
“His name is Officer Smitty,” I said. “He had a heart attack while on duty a couple of months ago, and though he’s okay, they’re making him take it slow. He’s on desk duty right now at the station.”
“I know Smitty.” I paused. “Maybe I’ll go talk to him as well.”
Ares’ smile took my breath away.
“Thank you, Hayes,” she said. “I really appreciate it.”
Just then there was a knock at the door, and I opened it to find a man on the other side dressed in a suit and tie.
His eyes weren’t for me, though. They were all for Ares.
“Were you the one to call the cops?” he asked stiffly.
Before Ares could answer, I stepped in front of her obscuring his line of sight.
“Actually,” I said. “Ares and I are dating. I was already on the way here. When we arrived, it was to find those students already fighting.”
“Principal Bailey,” Ares said softly. “This is Hayes.”
The principal’s eyes turned to me. “Hayes…”
“Romine,” I said. “Hayes Romine.”
The principal curled his lip up at me in disgust.
I barely refrained from laughing.
“Ares,” he growled. “Get out here and handle this. Since you’re the cause.”
I crossed my arms over my chest.
“I’m sorry, but isn’t the principal the one in charge over the students?” I asked curiously. “Because when I was in school, although the guidance counselor was someone that the children looked up to, they weren’t the person that someone went to when there was a problem of this magnitude.”
“There’s no problem here,” he growled.
Ares snorted, causing Bailey to look at her like he wanted to throttle her.
“You call someone trying to kill themselves not a problem?” Ares asked in a near shriek.
Ares moved up to stand at my side, and automatically I took her hand and pulled her into my body at my back, so that I was slightly in front of her and could control the situation in case she decided to lose her shit.
Principal Bailey gritted his teeth in anger.
“It’s been handled,” he said. “And if it’s that bad, maybe Abilene should be removed from KISD.”
Ares gasped. “You’d take away the one and only thing that’s giving her a support structure? Bailey, it’s not Abilene that’s the problem. It’s the students that are giving her shit for having a baby.”
“Then maybe she should’ve thought about the consequences of opening her legs,” Bailey shot back.
There was a short gasp from the hallway and I looked over Bailey’s shoulder to see a young girl standing there looking like she’d been shot straight through the heart.
“Abilene!”
There was a boy-man standing next to her that looked like he’d just been kicked in the gut as well. He started to run after the girl, but Bailey turned around and glared at the kid.
“Go back to class, Slone,” Bailey growled.
Slone, the boy-man, looked like he’d rather shove his fist into Bailey’s throat.
But it was Ares who shoulder-checked Bailey on the way out and walked up to Slone.
“Slone, go back to class, honey,” she ordered. “I’ll go find Abilene and talk to her.”
Slone looked slightly less pissed off. But only barely.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said. “But if she needs me, I’ll be in Mrs. Thompkins class.”
Ares patted him on the shoulder and sent him on his way.
Then she turned to Bailey who was glaring at her like he wanted to kick her right out of the school.
“It’s time for you to decide what you want to be, Bailey,” she said. “A principal who cares about his students, or an asshole that needs to be removed.”
With that Ares left, hurrying in the direction that the student went, leaving us all to stare at him like he was the asshole.
“I don’t care whether you’re her boyfriend or not,” Bailey said. “If she steps out of line like that again, I’m going to fire her ass.”