“He might be into cougars,” she jokes.
“Let’s not discuss Micro’s sex life before I vomit all over the table.”
“Fine, fine,” Grace leans back, sipping on the juice box she got. Well, her parents send her a carton each week. I don’t understand why she’s obsessed with kids’ drinks, but she’s constantly drinking one of them.
Grace’s parents are both doctors, with her mother being a cardiac surgeon and her father being a neurologist. Both sides of her family have been involved in the ownership of numerous hospitals, going back generations. She’s the first one not to go to med school, and is seen as the black sheep of her family.
She doesn’t talk about them much, and when she does, it’s all filled with pain. It’s not the best relationship, but given how much stuff they are sending her on a weekly basis, I’d say they’re at least trying to mend the relationship.
I’m broken out of my train of thought when Avalon appears, looking down at me with an expression I can’t quite read.
“Hey, is everything alright?”
“You need to come with me.”
I exchange a glance with Grace, and she shrugs, gathering her things. I mimic her actions, taking my handbag and following Avalon. Her shoulders are tense, her body is rigid, and it looks like she’s walking on needles.
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
“You’ll see,” she mutters, walking a few steps in front of me. “I need you to promise me you won’t lose your shit.”
Taken by surprise, I blink a couple of times, staring at the backof Avalon’s head. “Uh, I promise?”
I don’t understand what she means until we step into the school hallway. It’s where the announcement board is, always letting us know of activities, plans, and days off. Next to it is the board that’s sharing exam results.
Avalon turns around to look at me, a look of uncertainty on her face. She bites her bottom look, and for some reason, she looks absolutely apologetic. The same girl who’s never said the words ‘I’m sorry’ and meant them.
“Don’t overreact, I’m sure it’s a mistake.”
Before I can press further, Avalon steps away from my sight, and the board appears. With a frown, I take a few steps forward, finding my year and narrowing my eyes.
“What the—”
Words die in my throat as my eyes skim the list, spotting my name at the far bottom of the list. There’s no fucking way I did that bad. I’ve never gotten a grade below an A in my entire life, not even in middle and high school. Yet, apparently, I got a fucking F on every exam I took?
“That’s not fucking possible,” I hiss, snatching the printed-out list and glance at the names. Half of the people above me on the list have been struggling to just get a passing grade in previous years, and all of a sudden, they’re higher than me?
My hand curls around the paper, and I squeeze it in my hands, anger starting to take over.
Just as I turn around to face Avalon and Grace, both of whom look like they expect me to snap at them, the Dean’s voice comes from the speakers on the wall.
“Miss Sophia Sloane, come to the Dean’s office please.”
TWO
TheDean’s office is just as I remember it. The shelves, the desk, and even the small coffee table are in an identical shade of brown, made of the finest dark oak wood. The shelves are filled with political, historical, and even medical books. The curtains framing the windows are black, thick, and long. A little sunlight sneaks through the cracks, and I shift uncomfortably in my seat.
The Dean sits across from me, in an identical leather chair. His elbows rest on his knees, hands clasped together, his chin on his palm. He just observes me with his piercing gaze, and it’s a struggle to look away.
Dean Colton St. James is a very handsome man. He’s in his late thirties or early forties, with salt and pepper hair and matching stubble. Though it’s more salt than pepper. He’s always dressed in the finest suits, all in a deep shade of black. The first two buttons of his shirt are undone, the slight ink on his chest peeking out.
Oh, this man’s a whore.
“Do you know why you’re here, Ms.Sloane?”
I blink, then force myself to look away from his chest. I clear my throat, crossing my legs, ignoring the rage that’s been simmering below the surface since the second I saw the exam results.
“No.”
