Page 57 of Colton

The classrooms are filled with cameras, specifically for the exam season. There are multiple teachers overseeing each one, too. It’s not for the faint of heart, and I do admit that it was almost too intimidating for me back when I was a freshman. All of it seemed too much, like they were competing with no one but themselves.

Until I found out that’s exactly what it was.

The Academy never saw any other private schools, boarding schools, or academies as competition. Saint Valley ranks above them all, both in the rich history, immaculate discipline, and extremely well-selected staff members. Everyone — from the teachers and secretaries, to cooks and dorm supervisors — have been hand picked by the five, founding families. I don’t want to imagine the interviews these people had to go through to get the spot.

Not that any of them mind, though.

The salary is more than three times what they would usually get for their positions, they have a month of paid leave each year, unlimited sick days, and they live in campus accommodations that they don’t have to pay for. One hundred percent of their paycheck, goes straight to their pockets.

I could work here easily.

“That’s okay,” I give him a soft smile. “I’ll see you post-exams, then.”

Colton suppresses a smile and rises from his chair, he’s in front of me before I can blink, his lips pressing against my forehead. The kiss is tender, sweet, and filled with longing that makes my heart flutter in excitement.

“Good luck, Avalon,” he murmurs, before he pulls back. “I know you’ll do a fantastic job.”

◆◆◆

I take back every good thing that I ever said about this goddamned place. The exams were brutal beyond words. It’s because we’re seniors, and they’ve been testing our knowledge from the moment we set foot into the academy. The second part of our exams will be before we graduate. They will determine whether or not we’ll graduate.

It’s nearly winter time, and the break is something I’m looking forward to beyond words. I’m exhausted. I’ve barely slept because I was too scared to oversleep for the exams, and then I’d spend the entirety of each afternoon revising for the next one. It seemed to be never-ending, and I’m beyond grateful that it’s over.

I spent the last couple of days going to classes, and sleeping. I barely ate anything, since my main goal’s been to rest properly. Surviving on three hours of sleep per night, is something only Sophia can do with ease because she seems completely unaffected.

The corridors are buzzing with students. Laughter bouncing off the walls, chatter traveling through the halls, and the atmosphere’s no longer tense. Everyone’s more relaxed now that the worst days of the semester are behind us, and I can’t say I don’t agree.

“Hey, Ava!”

I turn around, seeing a half-panicked expression on Lila’s face. Her pink hair is pulled into a bun, a couple of strands falling out, framing her face. But the look in her eyes? It’s enough to have my entire body shiver.

“You look like you’ve seen a dead body,” I joke, though it doesn’t land well.

“We’re about to see a lot of dead bodies,” she hisses, grabbing me by the wrist, and yanking me toward the hall where the bulletin board with our grades is. Ah, they’ve announced them, then.

A small laugh slips me when I read over the list. Oh, nothing is funny. This kind of laughter is the kind you’d have involuntarily. The way you’d laugh when you get uncomfortable, or because you know that if you don’t laugh… you’ll cry.

“This has to be a mistake, right?” I glance at Lila sideways. She’s as pale as a sheet, and I realize just how serious this is about to become.

“I doubt it,” she mutters. “Go grab Sophia.”

Sophia Sloane, the genius of the Academy, the girl who spent the entirety of summer break preparing for these very exams, the girl who’s been doing nothing but studying since the year started… has the lowest grades.

Which is simply, impossible.

Someone messed with her, and if I could point fingers, I know exactly which direction I’d point them.

We’re likely about to witness a massacre, and no one is safe.

With a deep breath, I head toward the cafeteria. She’s there, every single day, at this exact time. We always eat at the same table, and I spot her the moment I enter the room. She’s sitting with her back turned to me, Grace across from her, sipping on her juice box.

Sophia turns around, and a frown is on her face.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“You’ll see,” I mutter. “I need you to promise you won’t lose your shit.”

Sophia seems taken aback, to the point she’s not seeing the stares aimed at her. She stands, grabs her handbag and follows me. I know who’s behind this, and the fact that he’d go this far makes me beyond angry.