Parent Teacher Secrets

Karlee Grey stands half-naked in her bedroom, sliding on her skirt like she’s got all day. India Summer barges in, annoyed. The meeting with Professor Kalina Ryu is starting soon, and Karlee hasn’t shown the slightest hurry to get ready. India’s disappointed that her stepdaughter keeps fooling around instead of buckling down. All she wants is to graduate and move out. But this is new: Karlee was seen kissing a classmate right in the middle of the lecture. The girl figures her stepmother will smooth things over, like always. Not this time. India says she isn’t bailing her out again. Karlee’s getting the consequences straight from the source. They knock on Kalina’s door. Tension hangs in the entryway the moment Kalina and India look at each other. Kalina shuts the door and gets right to it. India tried to negotiate her daughter’s grade, but Kalina isn’t here for favors. She turns to Karlee, calm as ice: if the girl wants to pass, she and her stepmother will both give Kalina exactly what she wants. Two tongues, two sets of hands, no hesitation. They swallow that ultimatum in silence, then reach for each other while Kalina settles back on the couch to watch.