"Maybe I mouthed off a bit at the cop," Kaden mumbled, inspecting the button he held between his fingers very closely. In his stomach the smallest bit of pride attempted to flare to life, but it was vastly overwhelmed by how terrible he felt for putting his whole future on the line for one, not-even-that-satisfying rant at a cop. "Maybe I was a bit. Um. Disruptive in the headmaster office."
One of the worst parts of this whole thing was the thought that he might not have been suspended if he'd just had a bit more respect. It was easy to think that now, but at the time he'd just snapped. The cop was leaning on him and leaning on him to tell him where the drugs had come from. Who in his life might use them. And then the headmaster had said something sly about how he could make a damn fine guess at who in Kaden's life used drugs - all his brothers had attended the same school, had been kicked out of it too.
And Kaden hated, so much, living in the shadow of his other brothers. Hated being tarred with the same brush. It wasn't fair. He wasn't like them.
So he'd mouthed off.
Fucking idiot.
(Through all of this, he didn't even have the chance to dwell on her words I believe you. He'd think about it later, going over the days events at night before he went to sleep. I believe you. Just... like that.)