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“Is that so? Where was that rule when Arthur was bullying Ace every day?” she asked, standing and turning around so she stood in front of the boys, protecting them

“My Arthur would never,” Rose her hand to her chest

“Your Arthur would, and did constantly”

“And where’s your proof?” the principal asked

“Where’s yours?” Thea asked, glaring at the principal before turning her gaze to Arthur and his mother “Jesus, he doesn’t even have a scratch on hi him?”

“We didn’t, Thea,” Keir told her “He and his friends were picking on Ace I stuck up for him and they attacked us”

“See Keir has told you what happened” Thea knew the principal wasn’t going to take their side, but she wasn’t letting it go without a fight The boys deserved to see so up for them

“Well, it’s his word against Arthur’s,” the principal said

“So, Arthur is lying Guess it’s one strike and you’re out,” she said with false sympathy to Rosemary

Oh, she kneasn’t going to work that way She wasn’t stupid Rose yoga and drinking al to be thrown under the bus But she wouldn’t go doithout a fight

“Well, there are witnesses,” the principal said “They all agree Keir and Ace started the fight”

“That’s not true!” Ace said “It was Arthur! He’s always saying things about Thea being white trash and a whore!”

Rose her hands over Arthur’s ears Like her ten-year-old son wasn’t the one to speak the filthy words in the first place

And Thea knew just where he would have gotten them too

“Wonder where he heard that from, huh?” Thea asked