As soon as I shouted, “Stop!” the music cut out. For the length of a few unsteady heartbeats, silence filled the auditorium. Then one of the judges clicked on her microphone. “Cynthia. Do you intend to start again? We will have to penalize you this time.” “I-I can’t do this,” I said, my voice sh
“It doesn’t matter. No one here will be able to use that against you for much longer.” I supposed he was right. Once I dropped out, I wouldn’t have to face any of them again. And though I’d likely be the hot topic of gossip for a while, they’d soon forget all about me when the next scandal popped
Asher waited for me outside while I joined the faculty advisor in his office. He was behind his desk, typing on a computer, while I sat in one of the uncomfortable chairs facing him. “Let me get this straight,” he said, after asking three times for me to spell my name. “You have failed your qualif
After asking Asher if he believed I could pass the transfer exam, I waited for his answer. One moment passed. Then another. He still wasn’t looking at me and his frown was only growing deeper. My own self-doubt began to swirl around, unwelcome in my thoughts. Meanwhile, my heart ached as if it h
“You alright?” Aimee asked, startling me from my thoughts. “You were making the strangest face just now.” I cleared my throat. “It’s nothing.” She shrugged and didn’t press. The professor soon took command of the classroom and the day’s lesson began. After class, as the room grouped together
“You promised me you also wanted to keep the baby a secret, so why the hell does the entire Academy know about it now?” Joseph threw his hands up. “What happened?” “I couldn’t complete the qualifying exam without endangering the baby, so I didn’t,” I said. “And then they wanted an explanation.”
He didn’t seem to realize that, or he didn’t care, because he pushed off the wall and gave me space to escape. With the new opening, I fled, pushing my body just hard enough to get to the main sidewalk. Then with fear pounding my heart, I called Asher. “Cynthia,” he said, never much for greeting
I went about my day, and Joseph did not bother me further. But his threat, you will regret this, stuck with me in the back of my mind. Only after a couple of days, did I start to relax again, not checking over my shoulder every time I went outside. Joseph liked to make threats. They didn’t alway