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After a few minutes, he stopped. The silence that filled the room felt like it had swallowed us both up.
“It’s an exceptional violin,” he said. He put the bow down and turned the violin over, tracing his hand over the wood.
“You play beautifully,” I said softly. It was true. He was an excellent violinist.
His eyes drifted from the violin to my face. I wanted to look away, but the silent command from his gray eyes held me in check. He cradled the violin in the case and approached me. He bent over until his face was level with mine. “I’m going to ask you a few questions, Miss Sorenson, and I want you to answer me as honestly as you can. And believe me, I can tell if you lie.” His eyes looked over my face, and his gaze landing on my lips. “Do you like the boys? I mean as friends?”
How else would he mean? I nodded.
“You should speak when you’re answering my questions.”
“Yes,” I said clearly. “I want to be friends with them.”
“And friends help each other,” he said.
I blinked at him, not understanding if this was a question. “Yes.”
“The boys have had an unusual lifestyle ever since they joined the Academy,” he said. “Loyalty is a big part of our curriculum. Once you’re a part of their team, anything you need, the Academy will provide it. It’s the way we work. We don’t have time to waste worrying about self-inflicted pride.”
Hearing him talk about this mysterious Academy had me entranced. “I thought I wasn’t supposed to know about the school.”
He stood up and crossed the room, putting his hands behind his back and pacing in front of the piano. “Our work requires strict secrecy. We’re exposing ourselves as it is being in this school. The school board and the principal only know we’re a private school. There is a lot they don’t know about it. We try to keep our students anonymous. I hope you’ll keep our secret.”
More than just a private school. What did that mean? So this was more than just a favor from a private school for the public school system or else they might have asked a less enigmatic school for help. If that was the case, what was in it for them to be here? “I’ve never told anyone,” I said.
His eyes darkened, narrowing at me. “You have to understand,” he said. “You can never talk about this. Not with family. Not with your friends. There’s more at stake here than this school.” He took a step toward me, motioning in my direction. “Kota’s taken a big risk even mentioning it to you at all. I don’t believe this is the best for the team, but I trust his judgment. However, I need your absolute word that you’ll never mention anything you hear us say to anyone else. It doesn’t matter how trivial you assume it might be. Lips closed.”
I swallowed. This was more than I expected today, but I knew I would never tell anyone. I had no one to talk to besides Kota and the others. Didn’t he know that? Or was that why Kota felt he could trust me? Because I was friendless and wasn’t close to my family? Did he not tell that to Mr. Blackbourne? I forced myself to look him in the eyes. I wanted him to believe this as I felt it was important to emphasize that I wanted to earn their trust. “I’ll never say a word. Ever. If you want me to swear it to something, I will.”
His eyes softened. He turned on his heels as he paced. “As I was saying, the Academy taught them to take care of one another.”
“But I’m not in the Academy,” I said.
“You are one of them now, though, or they consider you to be. That instinct to simply do what the other needs has been worked into them so fluidly. You’ll have to forgive this flaw. They don’t really think about what it means to someone like you, who may feel indebted to them. Trust me when I say you won’t ever have to. They’ll never ask.” His eyes sparked. “It’ll happen again. If you want to be friends with them, you’ll have to let them do it. I don’t think they’d understand if you rejected anything they give you. They possibly wouldn’t allow it at all.”
My heart skipped a beat. “But...”
“I hope you won’t take advantage of their kindness.”
“I’ve been trying not to,”
The corner of his mouth lifted a millimeter, softening his stern features. “If I had thought otherwise, I wouldn’t have allowed this.”
My breath caught. Was he pleased with me?
The door to the music room swung open. I peeled my eyes away from Mr. Blackbourne’s face. Mr. Blackbourne turned to address whoever it was, blocking my view. I stood up behind him.
“Mr. Blackbourne,” called a familiar voice and I peered around Mr. Blackbourne’s shoulder. Principal Hendricks stood on the other side of the music room. His large hands curled into almost-fists as he advanced toward us. “I’ve been trying to get a hold of you.”
“I’m fairly busy,” Mr. Blackbourne snapped at him. “I have a student.”
Principal Hendricks’s eyes popped open and he tilted his head, spotting me. “Hello again, Miss Sorenson.”
Mr. Blackbourne stiffened. Did he think I was a troublemaker? Or did he think I was friendly with the Principal and would tell him things he just made me swear to keep private?
I managed to nod at Principal Hendricks. What was going on?
“I needed to talk to you about why the boys aren’t wearing uniforms,” Mr. Hendricks said.
Mr. Blackbourne frowned. “I emailed you that they don’t have any. The Academy isn’t...”
“You don’t understand,” Mr. Hendricks’ voice deepened into a menacing tone. “The school board is after me to make sure the boys become the ‘ideal’ students for this school. If they’re going to set the standard, they have to be the standard. I’ve already talked to the board and they agree. We have to show these kids what will be happening in the next couple of years. They can either stick with it or get out.”
“You’ll isolate my students, Mr. Hendricks,” Mr. Blackborne replied. “There will be a lot more trouble if you insist on this.”
“Isn’t it your job to handle that?” Mr. Hendricks asked. “Didn’t we hire you to...”
“I think we should discuss this somewhere else,” Mr. Blackbourne retorted.
“Why?” he asked. “She’s one of yours, isn’t she?”
My head tilted back, an eyebrow going up. He still thought I was from the Academy?
Mr. Blackbourne shifted until he was standing completely in front of me, like a shield against the principal.
“I said just seven students,” Mr. Hendricks said. “If you thought you could wriggle one past me...”
“I’ll see what I can do about the required uniforms,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “But I’m warning you. By separating my students like this, it makes them walking targets. They won’t be responsible for what happens. They won’t be the example you expect if they stand out.”
Why didn’t he say I wasn’t his student? Was he going to let Mr. Hendricks continue to assume? Is that why Hendricks and McCoy seemed to be almost following me around school?
Mr. Hendricks rocked back on his heels a bit, looking satisfied. “I want to see uniforms on those kids by Friday. We’ve got the board members coming by to see this for themselves.” I peeked around to watch as Mr. Hendricks nodded to Mr. Blackbourne and turned his eyes on me darkly. “Have a nice day, Miss Sorenson.”
I swallowed as Mr. Hendricks turned and left the room. The air pressure in the room seemed to lift but only just.
“Miss Sorenson,” Mr. Blackbourne said quietly, still looking at the door after Mr. Hendricks. “I trust you can keep what you’ve just heard to yourself?”
“Yes,” I said quietly. Who would I tell? Did he mean Kota and the others, too? Would they be made to wear uniforms? How could the principal seem to want this so badly? If they’re that different, Mr. Blackbourne was right. Other kids would pick on them. Fights may ensue. It was almost like Mr. Hendricks didn’t care, or even wanted that to happen.
And why did Mr. Blackbourne not tell him who I really was?
“Good.” Mr. Blackbourne turned slowly toward
me, his eyes cool and calculating. “If he talks to you again, direct all questions to me. Just to me, not the others. Understand?”
I nodded. “I will.”
He studied me for a moment and nodded. From under his breath, he whispered something. I don’t think I was meant to hear it but in the quiet of the room, I heard every word. “Let’s hope Kota knows what he’s doing with you.”
N otes a nd P roposals
Victor was waiting for me outside of the music room. His eyebrow rose when he spotted the violin case. “Well?”
I blushed, shaking my head. I still wasn’t sure if Mr. Blackbourne meant I should keep secrets from them. Just in case, I opted for silence. I would give Mr. Blackbourne control of how much information he wanted to tell them about what happened. “Someone did something when I told him not to.” I was trying to sound stern but I couldn’t stop the smile on my face. I knew that was what he was asking about anyway.
Victor smirked. “Oh, you meant it?”
I rolled my eyes. “Thank you, Victor.”
His hand found mine, giving it a small tug to indicate we should get going. His thumb smoothed over my skin on the back of my hand. It seemed to make him so happy that I accepted his gift.
We rushed out to trailer 32 and slid inside. North was waiting in a chair in the back, his arms crossed. His shoulders relaxed when he spotted us. He didn’t seem surprised by the violin case.
When I slid into the seat in front of him, he leaned over his desk and whispered to the back of my head. “Finish your homework?”
