Paragon (Dark Light Series, Book 1): Sample Chapter
Chapter 1: Expulsion
The principal slammed his hand on the table. “No,” he spat. “Shut up, young man, you’re expelled!”
Alex stared at him and blinked. The words seemed to echo in his ears. “You—you can’t expel me,” he said dumbly. “I’m un-expellable. My grandmother—”
The man straightened with a deep scowl and rose from his plush chair. “The school doesn’t care about your grandmother’s donations or her corporation’s deep pockets. This is about principles, young man, principles! Double standards can’t be allowed—”
“It was fine until now,” Alex whined. “I barely have five tickets—”
Principal Paul snorted. “Five. You only have five? This is a private school. The rules apply to all its students without exception.”
“No,” Alex sputtered, perplexed. His brows furrowed. “No, I…”
“No exceptions.” The man folded his arms. “I’ll have you rest on your family’s laurels no longer, Mr. Mulholland. The influence of your relations only goes so far. Unfortunately, your expulsion will prove immediate. From this moment forward, you are no longer a member of this school and are therefore no longer permitted on—”
“I—I own you!” Alex pointed a trembled finger as he stood from a sofa. He placed the hand on his chest, lifting his chin with a false sense of importance. The principal looked on from behind his mahogany desk, unimpressed. “My grandmother’s given this school a lot of donations. That’s money three times your salary. Three!” Alex waved the fingers for emphasis and exhaled a breath. “I’m a Mulholland. Unlike everyone else, I pay twice—no, three times my dues.” He nodded. “I think you need to show some respect.”
A chuckle lifted into a mirthless laugh. “You pay?” The man’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “No… you pay nothing. You make nothing. You’re only a student, and being a student isn’t a job. But your grandmother? Yes, she pays dearly for your little prick to stay in this prestigious school.”
“If you know that old man, then you’d also know that I was only ten miles over when the cops clocked me,” Alex said with a defensive nod. “I slowed down.”
“Slowed down?” the principal repeated. “You slowed down to going ten over? Ridiculous.” He leaned a hand on the cluttered desk and ran a hand through his dark grey hair, turning his gaze out the window. “Do you have any idea why you’re in my office? To why you were arrested… again? This is the second time a faculty member had to fetch you from behind bars.”
“I was stupid enough to stop at a red light and you were dumb enough to call me in here. That’s how this stuff unfolded. It’s not my fault.” Alex shrugged and picked at a nail. “Since I have to graduate, then I will. Calling me here back and forth is stupid, do you know what my grandmother could do to your career?”
A small smile played over the older man’s lips. Paul nudged his chair back as he scooted his girth around the desk and clearing it, reached out and grabbed the student by the collar. Putting his hands to his neck with a choke, Alex gagged. His nose wrinkled at the tobacco on the principal’s breath. “Listen here, you pampered pretentious little—”
“Get—get your hands off me!” the boy squawked. Shoving his hand in the man’s face, he flailed out of his grasp. Miffed and bewildered, he gave the principal a frightened stare. “You can’t grab me! It’s against the rules—”
“And what do you know about rules?”
Betraying the utmost caution, Alex stepped back. With his courage shot, he leaned on his pride as he cleared his throat. “I—”
“Street racing, driving without a license, performing tricks on the street—”
“They’re called wheelies,” the boy corrected.
“I won’t repeat it, Alex. You are expelled. Finished. Out of my school! I won’t see you in here again.”
“No, I’m not.” The student clenched his fists. “My grandmother—”
“Get out of my office,” the man shouted. “Or would you rather be dragged out by security?”
Darting forward, Alex snatched his helmet off the coffee table and tucked it protectively under an arm. “I’d like to see you try. Call them, and I’ll see you in court for an assault charge.”
“Assault?” Paul sputtered, red-faced. “Assault, you say?” He looked back and picked up his coffee mug.
Alex smirked as he watched the principal’s fingers redden around the cup handle. “What’re you gonna do? Throw—”
He ducked with a yell as the mug left the man’s hand. Wide-eyed as it shattered behind him, Alex looked up with a start and scrambled sideways as the man made a grab for him. Eyes wild, he reached out for the door and yanked it open. Slipping out before the principal could catch him, he glanced back and booked it down the hall. The older man’s huffs echoed in the corridor as he stumbled out behind.
“That’s right, Mulholland!” He said, putting a hand on his heaving side. “Get out of my school!”
Read More Book Samples
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Hello! We’re D.J. Hoskins
We are Davena and Jason Hoskins, co-authors of 30+ books and siblings who write under the pseudonym D.J. Hoskins. Three years apart and in our twenties, we have been fascinated by stories from a young age. Davena is a student attending Princeton University, and Jason attends Georgetown University.
