Page 25 of Hateful
I’m not sure what she means, but I nod, and she leans toward me. Her face is pulled into a strange expression now. Her eyes shine, the ends of her mouth twist up, but she also looks like she’s trying to seem calm and kind.
“Do you know where the school records room is?”
And there it is.
The real reason she needs me.
Chapter Ten
We win the puzzle challenge,or at least, that’s what I’m told.
The hallways are buzzing with talk of the event in the coming days, but I do everything I can to avoid showing my face outside of class as long as I can.
The Brotherhood’s seal has been broken. Beck made sure of that.
I’d forgotten for a moment what it was like at Bleakwood when I got here. I won’t make that mistake again.
Not that my classmates are going to let me.
I have Rafael bring me my food in our dorm. He’s empathetic and obliges, mostly I think because he’d rathernothave to help me shuffle away the next time someone makes an ass-wiping gesture in my direction.
Whatever his motives, I’m grateful.
“People aren’t laughing at you in the hallways anymore,” Rafael says helpfully one day as he brings me my dinner. “Not, at least, when you’re not around.”
I let out a snort and turn away from him as I tear the plastic wrap off my sandwich. If I’m being honest with myself, I’ve known this was coming all along. Some sick part of me is actually kind of relieved because the anticipation itself was almost as bad as the real thing,
And this time, at least there’s something I can do about it.
Even if thatsomethingis being used by the headmistress of the school next door.
I haven’t told Rafael about that yet. And I certainly haven’t told him that while I’ve been holed up in here, I’ve been trying to figure out a way to get into the student records room without getting caught.
“I need a file that I can’t get access to,” Headmistress Robin had said in the classroom that day. I listened as she described the file cabinet and drawer she needed. “I’ve been in the room, but always with Dean Withers. I can’t go anywhere near it without arousing suspicion. But you’re here full time. You can figure it out.”
And like an absolute idiot, I’d agreed.
I was full of rage, coming from being humiliated in front of both schools, feeling the sting of betrayal as Heath joined in when it seemed like he was trying to get along with me. I was understandably a whirlwind of emotions, and definitely not in the right state of mind to agree to anything, let alone something as risky as stealing records from my school.
And then she smiled and left, just stepped around me and out of the classroom. It wasn’t until later in my own dorm that I realized what a stupid thing I’d said.
It’s one thing if I get set home because I’m a girl. It’s entirely something else if it’s just because I’m an idiot.
“Are you going running again?” Rafael asks as I ball up the empty sandwich wrapper and stand up from my bed.
“Gonna go smoke instead.” I’m feeling antsy. My fingers are twitchy.
Rafael nods. “Yeah. Your voice has been getting less boyish. You need to hoarse it up.”
I grab a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, stuff them into my hoodie pocket, and slip out of the dorm. I don’t like smoking, but I can’t sit still. It’s getting dark, too, so going for a run isn’t an option.
I do a quick mental calculation ofjusthow many packs of cigarettes Rafael has bought me. If I tally that up, that’s just one more reason I need to keep my grades up and stay and Bleakwood.
I’m going to need a degree from somewhere like Harvard if I’m ever going to be able to pay him back.
With my beanie smashed down over my hair and my hood up, I walk out to my smoking spot behind the school. Rafael likes to smoke in the courtyard. He normally has friends around him when he does.
Me … I like to be alone. Especially these days.
