Zayne's POV

As we lined up for the principal greeting us to the high school, I couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed. Not in a negative way, but... excited. Jessie couldn't help but start blabbering about how cool it looked. It does look grand and beautiful. I couldn't believe that Mom attended here... and I'm not allowed to. Elissa, on the other hand, was wanting to get into one of the math programs here. For me, it felt like I belonged here.

Soon, Principal Rogers stepped on the podium and the crowd fell silent. 

"Welcome to Rosewood High School, everyone. I'm glad to have you guys thinking of applying to this wonderful school. My name is Principal Rogers, and this is my 20th year of being a principal at this high school. I could go on a give everyone a speech, but I think that would bore everyone to death." There was a slight chuckle among the crowd. "Now, I will personally be separating people into groups of 10."

He clears his throat, going through the group by group. He didn't have to get far when he came to Group 3... he called my name... and he paused. "Zayne Ackerman? Come here."

Jessie and Elissa looked at me with confusion. A few people started to look around as I slowly made my way up to him. The second he saw me... it was like he recognized me. "Yes?"

"Are you the son of a Levi Ackerman?"

"Why does that matter?"

"Answer the question."

I nodded my head. "Yes... he's my dad."

Principal Rogers looked towards the vice principal. "Mrs. Borrison, finish putting the people into groups. I need to handle this... boy." He looks down at me, almost pushing me towards the principal's office. "Let's go, Mr. Ackerman. I thought your father was smart enough to follow through the given rules."

"Rules? What rules?"

"We had strict rules regarding him and his children attending here... now his son is here?"

What's going on?

We reached his office, and I sat in one of the chairs. He began dialing on it... and I felt all the blood being drained from me. "Mr. Levi Ackerman, you broke our agreement. You disobeyed the rules. Your son is here."

I can't hear Dad's voice, but I'm sure he's annoyed...

"We need to talk, Mr. Ackerman- now. Before I call the police and have you arrested." Arrested?! Is it this serious?! I should never have gone here... I made everything worse...

*   *   *

It wasn't long until Dad bursts through the door, red in the face and his fists clenched. I didn't dare to say a word to him. I thought he was going to yell at me for disobeying him, but it wasn't the case...

"I did everything that you asked." Dad scowled, slamming his fists on the principal's desk.

"Your son is here- against what was agreed upon!"

"I moved out of the goddamn district and I haven't said a word about anything else! I never said anything else about teaching at this school! Besides, I didn't ask Zayne to come here. I didn't know he would be here."

"But it still broke the agreement. I would never report you to the Board of Education if you kept your mouth shut about your time at this school and as long as your children don't attend to this school."

Dad leaned close to the principal, and I could hear him growling. I could feel a shiver running down my spine as he spoke in a deeper, scarier voice. I never want to make him mad every again! "For one, Zayne isn't attending at this school. Nothing was broken. Secondly, I will make sure that he doesn't attend here, nor will my other children do the same."

"Then make sure this doesn't happen ever again! If I see him or any of your other children's names on a roster at this school to attend here, I won't only report you to the board, I will report you to the police."

"On what grounds to report me to the police?"

The principal took one glance at me, scowling. "Do you really want me to say it in front of your son?"

Dad fell silent on that note. Instead, he turned towards me. I could feel his piercing eyes thrusting knives into me. "Zayne, let's go home."

*   *   *

On the way home, the car was completely silent. Dad didn't want to turn on the radio to break the silence. Nor did I want to utter a single word after that whole thing. But from that, I have so many questions...

Did Dad teach at that school? Part of me still wants to go to that school! But doing so... Dad would get in trouble with the school board and the police? Why the police? Did Dad do something so terrible that would get him arrested? What did the principal mean by agreement? It had something to do with Dad leaving the district... does Mom know about this? 

It's an odd thing to know that Dad taught at the school while Mom attended there too... could it have been in the same year? There are so many things I want to ask...

Dad pulled up in the driveway... and that's when he began to speak to me. I could see Mom's car there too. I really messed things up, huh?

"Zayne, your mom and I will talk to you in your room. Do not tell your sisters what happened. Understand?"

"But-."

"Just don't tell your sisters."

"I... I won't..."

"Go shower and we'll talk to you later."

*   *   *

Despite my sisters' bickering and constant questions about what happened and why Mom was so upset... I didn't tell them about what happened in that principal's office. I waited for Mom and Dad to talk to me. Maybe this time, I'll get some answers about what's going on with that school and Dad.

Mom and Dad walked into my room, locking it behind them. Dad began to lean on the wall when Mom sat next to me. 

"Are you okay?" She asked me, seeing me nod. "I think you have a lot of questions about what happened in that office, huh? Promise to us that you wouldn't tell your sisters about any of this-."

"Why is it important that I don't tell Iris or Raven?!" I burst out with anger and questions. "If it's so serious that Dad could have gotten arrested, why not tell them? Don't they deserve to know what's going on?"

"Zayne," Dad began, shaking his head, "it's hard to explain. But... I guess we can start where it first started... at the library."

"Library?"

Mom nodded her head, grabbing my hand and holding it tightly. "Yeah... when I was 17, a few weeks before I turned 18, I met your father. Of course, he was 26 at the time and working as a substitute teacher. He... he had a little crush on me. He didn't know I was underage at the time. But after I turned 18, I fell in love with him. I would sneak out and be with him whenever I could."

Kinda gross to say to me... but I can see why it could be so bad... if Mom was at Rosewood High School... it made sense that the principal would accuse Dad of loving a minor.

"In December, my math teacher got a substitute teacher to replace her. It was Levi, your father. We could've ended the relationship... but we loved each other so much... we didn't want to break it apart. At one point... I got pregnant... with you, Zayne. I found out a few days before our spring break."

"Me...?"

Mom nodded her head. "Yeah... and I questioned a lot about having you. I was still in high school... and your dad was teaching at the school... it didn't seem right, but I thought I should keep you. Levi wanted you too... and he promised to help me do whatever he can to be a good father."

"Is that why you moved in with him...? What did Grandma say?"

"Grandma wanted to support me all she wanted. But it was your grandpa that didn't want you at all. He kicked me out."

"I... didn't you guys say that we never had one?"

Mom, once again, nodded her head. "Yeah... we said that. Grandma divorced him the second she could. She wanted the best for you..."

"But... why did the principal say all those things?"

"Because rumors began to spread," Dad says, interrupting Mom. "Even though they were true... that your mom and I were living together... it still etched a wound into me. The teachers began to know... and they still considered your mom as a minor. I know she wasn't a minor, and everything was consensual. The principal caught wind of it... and we had an agreement. I would move out of the district and keep my mouth shut about my time there. Even though they gave me a recommendation as a good teacher... they didn't want anyone to hear I was sleeping with a student of mine. An additional rule was that none of my children... or anyone else relating to me attends that school."

"So... that's why..."

Mom nodded her head. "Does that make sense?"

"But why not tell Iris or Raven?"

"I don't want them freaking out. I know your friends are going to attend there, but I promise... we'll find a good school that isn't Rosewood High School. I'm sorry... Zayne, I'm truly sorry."

"Mom... if you... if you could go back and choose... would you have chosen to get rid of me before I was born? Iris and Raven would have suffered this much..."

Mom shook her head. "If time could rewind and I had a chance to pick you or another future, I would always choose you. Zayne, I love your sisters as well. But if it means to have you in our life, I would always choose you."