I woke up in the nurse's office in a bed, Allison and Lydia sitting next to me with worried looks on their faces as I blinked. "Uh…what the hell just happened?"

"You passed out when you went to the principal's office for attacking Jackson." Allison reminded me, smiling softly as she reached out to hold my hand. "How are you feeling? The nurse said you were shaking nonstop until a few minutes ago."

"I feel fine. Do I look okay? Did my makeup smear?" Touching my face tentatively, Lydia pulled out a hand mirror and let me check my reflection. The sweat had caused some of it to run so I quickly began to fix myself up, not wanting to be seen in public like this.

"They've called your parents, they're on their way." Lydia said to me as she got up and began to sort my hair for me and the feeling of her fingers pulling through my hair was oddly comforting. "You had a fever but then it just went away, the nurse doesn't really know what happens but doesn't think you need to go to hospital, so they're letting you go home for the rest of the day."

"Was I out long?" Allison shook her head.

"Not really, about an hour maybe? Scott was the one who came and told me, he saw them carrying you out of the principal's office. You had us worried, is there something wrong that you're not telling us about?" Well, several things but it's not like you'd believe me if I told you, so I just shook my head. Satisfied that I still looked gorgeous, I handed back the mirror and sat up a little more, looking around me. I think this has to be the first time I've ever actually been to the nurse's office. After talking for a while more over what happened, my parents both showed up and immediately my mom rushed over to me, frantic with her mom instincts taking over.

"Mom, mom I'm fine really. I just got light headed and fainted that's all. See? I'm all better now. Can we just go home?"

"I'm afraid not just yet, young lady." A sharp jolt of my heart made me freeze, recognising the principal's voice. "Although I am sympathetic to your delicate condition at this moment, I'm afraid I cannot ignore the fact that you have violated the school rules by attacking another student." Oh god, I can already feel my dad's anger directed at me. Did the evil guy really have to do this now?

"Cordy wasn't being violent for no reason, she was just trying to punish Jackson for hurting Lydia." Allison tried to explain but her grandfather quickly shot her down.

"Teenage drama or not, I cannot allow such behaviour to go unpunished. You understand don't you, Miss Powell?" Refusing to look him in the eye, I merely nodded my head acceptingly. "Good. Well, I'll give you a pass for today, but first thing Monday morning I want you back here to see me where we'll discuss the terms of your punishment." I blinked in surprise.

"You're not suspending me?" An almost cruel smirk touched his mouth.

"I went over your records, Miss Powell and judging by some of your grades, I think more time away from school is the last thing you need. No, I will not move to suspend you unless the other student involved presses charges, but since I've already had a word with him, I've managed to contain the situation." My parents both thanked him passionately, shaking his hand and promising that they would also be instilling strict punishment for my actions, which meant I could kiss goodbye to skating at the rink tonight with everyone else. The only problem having a bedroom on the third floor? It's a long way to climb down, and I don't want to break my neck.

Giving an apologetic look to Allison and Lydia, I was released from the nurse's office and marched out of school and into my parent's car. My dad was visibly angered, however my mom persuaded him to take my car back to our house and use the time to calm down a little so that we could all talk together rationally once we were home. He accepted with a curt nod of his head then held out his hand, silently demanding my keys from me. A little frightened by the seriousness of the situation, I dropped them into his palm and hurriedly got into the car with mom.

We didn't talk the whole way back except for her asking if I felt any better or worse. I told her I was fine, and that was the end of it. At least, until we got home. When the front door swung shut behind us, I turned around to face the full wrath and fury of my dad, knowing full well I was probably grounded for the rest of my life, and boy I was not wrong. After listening to over half an hour to my dad just ranting at me with a deep tone which was far more terrifying than a shout, he admonished me for my behaviour and began to list all the ways I was going to be punished, including removal of car privileges.

I could only use my car to go to and from school, I was forbidden from seeing my friends socially outside of school, I was ordered to study under a tutor no matter my opinion on the subject, and several other new rules were put in place. My mom stayed quiet for the most of it, interjecting in the spaces of my father's angered lecture to tell me why fighting was absolutely intolerable and that they were both appalled at my actions, whether they were in service of a friend or not. I listened silently and solemnly, agreeing to whatever terms I laid down until finally they were both finished, so I gingerly lifted my head.

"Can I still go to swim practice?"

"Yes."

"Can I still sing?"

"Yes."

"Okay." Feeling like there was nothing more to be said, I stood up, wringing my wrists nervously. "I'm…I'm really sorry. I didn't mean for it to go so far but I just lost control. It was like I couldn't stop myself even though deep down I knew it was the wrong course of action." I said to them honestly, looking them directly in the eye as I spoke in a meek whisper, not wanting to set them off again. "I'll apologise to Jackson, and I promise to keep the boundaries you've set. I'll just…I'll be in my room if there's anything else."

My parents watched me go, glancing at one another behind me as I looked at them in the mirror on the wall. They seemed drained and tired, as if this lecture had really taken it out of them so I ducked my head and ran all the way up to my room. Closing the door then dropped face first onto my bed. God. I'm a terrible daughter.