Two days ago Charlie and Sigrid returned to Welton wearing the two of the three dresses Charlie had purchased for the dinner, they would have returned in their normal clothes if it weren't for Charlie throwing Sigrid in the pool and Sigrid grabbing onto his legs to save herself. That resulted in both of them falling in, wetting their clothes, and having to find whatever they could to put on over their bodies. Sigrid didn't like asking Maisie for clothes, it fit her too small and it made her feel insecure.

Charlie looked sonorous in pink. Two days ago, Sigrid landed herself her first detention running in the hallway with Charlie, while he wore a pink fluffy dress and laughed about how her own dress was riding up to the point of it looking more like a shirt. Do you know what that means? Not only did they get in trouble, got asked to change to receive their punishments, but Headmaster Nolan also called Mrs. Dalton to tell her about the little mishap. Sigrid promised Theresa to keep herself and Charlie out of trouble, there was an even bigger consequence than a few paddlings from Nolan. She hadn't thought of what would happen if she got caught ditching, one little toe out of line could've meant the end of her schooling.

How could she have not thought of that before?

Two days ago, Theresa was asked to do the paddling instead of Nolan because Sigrid was not a boy and by law he was not allowed to do that. Any good man knew hitting any child was morally wrong but Nolan had no problem handing the bigger paddle to Theresa. Sigrid leaned over the stool chair knowing there was no looking back, part of her was grateful Nolan didn't have to do this himself, Charlie had made a joke about how he secretly enjoyed paddling kids.

She cried silently as Theresa showed her no mercy, even after she built enough of her character to seem like she was Sigrid's friend. Charlie waited in the hallway with the rest of the gang, biting his fingernails impatiently. Sigrid sobbed, it felt like there was nails on the paddle. Charlie closed his eyes with a gasp as he heard something break followed by a scream so guttural Sigrid choked midway.

Hot tears fell down her cheeks as she pleaded, and once she got to ten Theresa sighed and told her to stand up. Sigrid wiped her tears away and pulled her skirt back up, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Dalton."

Sigrid knew she wasn't supposed to do that, but she was so genuinely terrified of Theresa at that moment her flinched when Theresa fixed her tie and put a stray hair behind her ear. She was hyperventilating as Theresa continued to touch her, little braiding and then eventually went cold again and stared at her directly. She wanted to run for the door but instead she stared back, holding back sobs as she sniffled.

It was overwhelmingly silent as Theresa smiled, her fingers trailed upon Sigrid's heated cheek before slamming down a hard slap. A gasp left Sigrid's lips before she ran toward the door, the boys looked toward the door as the lock jumbled, Theresa repeatedly tried pulling her back. Sigrid kicked, and thrashed, but it came to a halt when Theresa grabbed the back of her neck and hit her head on the door. Charlie's eyes widened as he started running toward the door, he was stopped by whoever was closest.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry I won't do it ever again," there didn't seem to be a single breath between each word, Charlie's hands fisted as Theresa turned Sigrid around to look at her. Theresa had her pressed against the door, Sigrid's cheek was throbbing as the pain under her skirt began to turn purple. She whimpered as she took deep breaths, Theresa held her chin while looking down at her. Her once harsh expression significantly softened looking at how Sigrid easily cowered down.

"Sigrid Taylor," she mumbled apologetically, "I hope you know that we could never hurt you, we really appreciate having you around. Taking care of our son but you broke the one condition we had for you, now it's time you get punished for it."

Theresa zipped Sigrid's skirt up, smiling before kissing Sigrid's forehead. Theresa's green eyes reflected nothing but lies, like the devil was dancing in them. Pure fire. Pure hatred. She stopped the pressing and walked her back to the stool. Sigrid had no other choice than to follow.

"Sigrid Taylor, you must know that we are very serious about our rules. You have to understand that everything was given to you for a reason You don't just win the lottery and go on with your life innocently, all this money has a price. Charles, he falls in love too easily," Sigrid hated how Theresa used her full name. "And I will not let you be anything short of what we made you out to be. So make a decision, follow as told or . It's a shame that it's come to this," Theresa's hand practically burned through the place she had place it on Sigrid's thigh. "We thought we found the right one."

"Theresa, you said you were my friend," Sigrid croaked out hopelessly as she put her hand down on top of Theresa and reached out for her face. "I thought you cared for me the way a mother does a child. You've shown nothing but kindness to me, I've done nothing but love you and except everything you've blessed me with...with such gratitude. Please don't hurt me anymore," her last sentence dropped to a whisper. She desperately put a strand of hair behind Theresa's ear.

Theresa remembered something she wished not to, squeezing down on Sigrid's thigh. Sigrid smiled through her tears, her vision was blurred and she was now letting the mucus fall down without any sniffling. Theresa searched the smaller girl's face.

"Mrs. Dalton....mom," Sigrid's eyebrow twitched as she finally said what she had been holding back. She hadn't called anyone that in four years.

"Don't call me that," Theresa hissed back.

Theresa slapped Sigrid's hand away from her face and grabbed a hold of her wrist. Sigrid stayed persistent, "If you hurt me he'll never forgive you again."

Sigrid's nails were digging into Theresa's skin. Theresa smirked, "So what? We could find him another dog any other day of the week."

knocked on Sigrid and Knox's dorm door with a dish of lasagna in his hands, he didn't know what to use to make the sound because both of his hands were occupied by the bowl. He eventually decided to hit the door with his hip, though he thought knocking on the door with his head would've been funnier. He came to the conclusion that he needed his braincells, he'd burnt most of them smoking with Gerard.

He waited, his foot lightly tapping on the floor as he looked around. Charlie and Richard's door was open, Charlie heard the knocking and peered outside to look at who it was. He frowned when he noticed it was Sigrid's door, he looked at the chubby-cheeked boy and realized it was her brother.

Their door opened, he was expecting her to be the first face he saw but when he realized it was only Knox he went back inside his dorm. Two days, since he had last seen her, and all he remembered was her terrified face when Theresa walked her to her dorm while holding her hand. He felt sick, like vomiting, and not in the good way.

"We have a dead poets meeting in a couple minutes, either put on your pajamas or get your cloak ready because we're not gonna wait for you like last time."

Charlie wanted nothing more than to beat Richard dead to the ground. He wished to make a new meaning out of the phrase dead poet. Target: murdering Richard and disposing of his body in a nearby river. Charlie sighed and took his cloak out from hiding, "Anderson and Perry told me I could take all the time I need after what happened. I'm not a monster to pretend like nothing's wrong, not everyone functions like you Richard."

"She got punished, big deal, I don't see you crying around because Nolan paddled you. She's just crying to get attention, it's what all girls do."

Charlie glared at Richard as he took out his saxophone from under the bed, "What? Don't tell me I'm wrong. She's overdramatic, and she cries over everything. It's like she only has two emotions: anger and sadness. I don't know about you, but I would rather leave her alone than try to find a proper time to make it seem like I fucking care."

"What makes you think I don't care?"

Richard hummed, feigning a thought and then smiled wickedly. "It's a shame, we thought you were the right one."

"What?" Charlie's hand still fisted at his side, wanted to aim straight at the red heads nose.

Richard repeated himself, standing up from his own bed. "Who the hell is we?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he closed the dorm door and looked back at Richard with beady eyes. "Maybe if you gave me a little more context I would understand whatever nonsense you're going on about, Richard."

"First day, we moved in to this room. You sorted out all the old shit you keep around here, and who walked through that door?"

Charlie's hands were sweated, he undid his fist and looked at Richard with wide eyes.

"None other than your precious Sigrid Taylor of course, holding a tray and looking right out of place. And who left her behind? Her father, who as we know already is your neighbor and would do anything for some extra money," he was stepping right in it, and Charlie was left speechless. "Which makes sense how he just gave her away to your mom after some sweet talking. You told me...I'm gonna get a girl someday and she's going to be completely mine. You take your obsessions a little too far don't you think, preying to find a girl and once you catch her, you scare her into following every single thing your mother tells her to do?"

Charlie went bright red with fury, and before he knew it he punched Richard in the face. But Richard laughed because he knew a fragment of what he had said was true, "Richard, I don't know what kind of sick plan you have in your head to get me in trouble again or make Sigrid think that I've been using her this entire time you have up your sleeve, but one fucking word to the rest of the group and I'll make sure you'll be on a kabob stick. You heard me?"

He grabbed onto Richard's shirt, "I don't need money or my own mother to help me do anything. She's here because there was hope for her, I had no say in that. So don't you dare tell me to my face that I've been planning this entirely, pulling strings like some puppeteer. I know her, Sigrid is human, so don't treat her like she's just a little pawn you could get rid of. I don't know if those are my mom's intentions, to pay for everything in order to have her marry me. I don't fucking care if that's what it comes down to,"

"I am not going to stand around and let myself get moved around and placed wherever it is for my family. The moment I find out whatever you said was right, I'm moving out. Fuck Princeton, fuck my family name, and all the money I'm gonna lose. I have to good right now...I do, Richard, but I'm not trash," he found himself punching Richard in the face, "Just because you had to buy your future wife, doesn't mean it's like that for the rest of us."

Except Charlie knew otherwise, and every moment he expressed his anger, the more he felt like chopping his own head off for being two-faced.

I wish I could tell you.

and Peter sat on his bed as Sigrid refused to say anything. The clock was ticking closer to the time of the dead poet meeting but Knox didn't mind skipping it to comfort her. The October winds made it seem like he was in a bucket of ice, he appreciated the heater. Besides Neil would probably cancel because he needed to practice for the play he had gotten a role for.

Neil and Todd was safely cuddling on Neil's bed, rehearsing the script. But in Sigrid and Knox's room; the tension was so thick it could've been cut with a knife.

Peter took the aluminum off for Knox to try the lasagna, it was already eaten on a corner because Peter had a munchies. Peter licked his lips awkwardly as he pulled out a fork from his pocket. "Siggy, can you please talk to us? I brought lasagna...your favorite," he muttered as he leaned forward to hand her the fork.

She turned on the bed to look at the wall, "Si...c'mon," he frowned before setting the lasagna down and going to her side of the room. He put his hand on her shoulder, she flinched before taking a deep breath, "Go away."

Peter looked at Knox, who couldn't look at Sigrid because he felt horrible for her. "I know I haven't been talking to you a whole lot but I'm the only family you have here. You could tell me what she did to you, I won't tell dad if that's what you're worried about."

"She hit me. That's what she did," Sigrid whispered. "Didn't you hear me screaming?"

It was quiet, Peter felt his blood boiling, Knox felt his heart sinking to the floor. She gave a bitter laugh, "She told me I was like a daughter to her but she made me pull my skirt down to my knees and she hit me with the paddle until I couldn't make noise anymore."

Her hand went to the waistband of her pajamas shorts as she closed her eyes and huffed out unsteadily, "She told me that she could change me for another girl whenever she wanted to because she wants the best for Charlie. She hit me because I ditched, I stole your—Mcallister's car. I just wanted to have some fun and make a good memory for myself because Charlie doubts our relationship. He said that the poem he wrote me might be the only good thing while remember in the future, not verbally but I know he was thinking it. He's right! This is as good as it's gonna get before I turn insane. I got Charlie in trouble. I wasn't supposed to. She hates me."

Peter leaned down to hug her, he could feel how old she was, she was shivering and his lips were a light shade of purple. He held her tightly, "Sigrid, I'm here," he whispered.

"I don't want you to be."

"Sigrid, please. Just let me be here for you."

"Peter...go away," she took the blanket off from her body as she pushed him away. "I'm fine. Knox knows I'm fine, he's taking good care of me. Now go do some homework or something, I know you're always behind."

"That doesn't matter, I want to be here with you, I swear I'm gonna kill that bi—

"Peter!" She stood up from the bed. "You're not going to kill anyone. You're not going to be here. I don't want you to be here, I don't want you to comfort me. You've got better things to do, and that doesn't involve taking care of me like I'm some baby. I'm almost grown, I'll get out of this. Just suck it up and go on with your day, right? Knox is here. You haven't made the effort to be, until today."

Peter looked down at the floor, "If you want me to easily say fine and go off, you don't know me at all."

"Fuck you, Peter! All I want is to be alone and I can't even get that! Where were you when I wanted to talk to you? Where were you all those night before this one I spent crying and actually needed a shoulder to cry on? Off getting high! So don't come here demanding that I let you stay because I don't want you here!"

He bit his cheek and after a few seconds he nodded, he stood up from the bed while blinking rapidly to prevent tears. He cried far too easily, "I understand why you're so mad. I've been nothing but a shit brother but I'm trying to be here for you. I see he isn't...what does that have to say?"

He walked off but then turned to look at her one last time, "I'm a couple dorms down if you change your mind. And I'm sorry for even telling you where the car was, if you want to blame someone blame me," he got the lasagna. Knox stood up from his bed, they gave each other contemplating stares. He walked toward her hesitantly, she backed up slightly but then gathered herself together. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

Knox shook his head, grabbing her hand while looking at her to make sure she was fine with it. She accepted it, "He's been standing outside waiting for the right time to knock, you know? Don't feed off the 'what does that have to say?'."

She lunged forward into a hug, "Knox I can't see him, I can't bring myself to."

She hid her face in the crook of his neck, his hands snaked around her before he closed his eyes. "It's going to be fine, Sigr."

The door creaked open, Todd and Neil peered in with the cloak hidden in a shallow book. But all they saw was Sigrid breaking down again and the bruises on her thighs peeking out from the bottom of her shorts. Their eyes widened before Neil went to knock on Charlie's door, Todd walked in and closed the door behind him. Hugging Sigrid from the other side to have her in the middle like a sandwich.

She cried when his body hit her back, Charlie opened the door. Neil walked in, heated, Charlie was beyond confused. "Call your mom. Now."

"What? Did something happen to—