17

Eva
“Hey, I’m Natalya,” a girl says, sitting next to me in the cafeteria. “Thought you could use some company.”
I smile at her but can’t help the paranoia that sweeps over me. The last time someone introduced themself to me, I ended up stabbed and in a hospital bed for a week.
“Don’t worry. I’m not a psycho like Jeanie, Kerry, or Anita.” She grabs her fork and digs into her vegetable lasagna, clearly sensing my unease.
Natalya was in my class with Principal Byrne before lunch. I noticed she was one of the few people to answer his questions, and she was the first to leave after finishing her essay. She’s a motivated student who wants to do well, like me. The only difference is she wants a life of crime.
“I saw you in my leadership class,” I say.
She nods. “Yeah, ignore assholes like Dimitry. He’ll regret it after being sent to Luigi.”
“Who is professor Luigi?” I ask.
It’s not the first time I’ve heard his name since Principal Byrne sent my attackers to him.
“He’s a fucking sadistic hardass.” She gazes at me and shrugs. “If you do well and keep your head down, hopefully, you’ll never see that side of him.” She sighs. “It’s only idiots like Dimitry who get sent to him for punishment.”
I nod in response, observing my new acquaintance. She is very attractive with dark brown hair and equally dark eyes, and her skin is tanned and flawless.
“How long have you attended the academy?”
“Since I was little.” She smiles. “My brother sent me here when I was eight years old.”
My eyes widen. “Wow, that’s young. Didn’t you miss home?” I ask, wondering how it would feel to be shipped off to boarding school from such a young age. When I was little, my childhood was charmed even if my parents were strict until I learned about all the nasty secrets my family hid from me.
She laughs, shaking her head. “No, it was a relief to be away from it, especially after my mother left for Russia. I love my brother, but he didn’t have time to spend with me while he was trying to run our late father’s organization.”
“Oh, I’m sorry about your father,” I say, realizing that despite my parents’ lack of care for me, at least they’ve always been there.
She shakes her head. “Don’t be. I like life as it is.” There’s a wistful smile on her face as she sighs. “Enough about me.” She tilts her head. “Who starts a new high school halfway through the first semester of senior year?”
I raise my hand. “Me, it would seem.”
She laughs, putting me at ease. “You don’t say. Why?”
“It’s a long story.”
She glances at her watch. “Well, we’ve still got twenty-five minutes of lunch break to kill.”
I laugh. “True.” I swallow hard, trying to work out how to explain the crazy story that landed me here. “It’s pretty ridiculous, to be honest.”
“Spill,” she says, smiling encouragingly.
I hesitate for a moment before nodding. It feels like the floodgates open as I tell her about the doctored photo of the janitor and me and how my parents went crazy. I tell her I’d never even spoken to him, let alone slept with him and that it had to be Casey Hogan behind it, as she’s always hated me.
Natalya listens until I’m finished. Her brow furrows as she glances at her watch. “Not such a long story, after all.” She smiles. “That sucks, though, that your parents wouldn’t listen to you.” She shrugs. “I’ve only just met you, and I can tell you’re telling the truth.”
“You can?” I ask, surprised to hear she believes me.
Natalya nods. “Yeah.” She glances around briefly to check no one is listening. “If I were you, I’d be on alert. Someone wanted you here at this academy. That’s my bet.”
My brow furrows. “I assumed it was a prank by Casey at my old high school.”
Natalya shakes her head. “Sweet, Naive, Eva.” She sighs heavily. “The world we operate in, coincidences like that don’t happen. Someone wanted you to attend this school.” She places a hand over mine and squeezes. “Be careful, is all I’m saying.” Her brow pulls together. “I get the sense you aren’t like other girls here.”
We are going to get along well. “Okay, I will.” I smile at her. “Thank you for sitting with me.”
She laughs. “It’s nice to have someone new to speak to. The people here are so boring and predictable, except my two best friends, Adrianna and Azira.” She smiles. “I’ll introduce you to them tonight at dinner if you’d like.” She pulls her class schedule out of her bag, groaning. “I’ve got combat class next with Archer. How about you?”
I pull mine out too and glance at the next period. “Snap.” I smile.
Natalya shakes her head. “It’s not something to be happy about. Archer is a harsh trainer. Even if he jokes most of the time, he pushes everyone to their limits.” Her brows pull together as she glances at my crutches. “Although, I’m pretty sure you’ll have to sit this class out.”
“I guess I’ll have to watch then?” I ask.
She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, lucky bitch.”
I laugh at that. “Most people wouldn’t call me lucky for being stabbed.”
“Touche.” She chuckles. “But you’re lucky to get out of combat training.” She stands and shoulders her bag. “We should get a move on, as we don’t want to be late.”
I nod and grab my bag, hoisting it over my shoulder. And then reach of my crutches, which are in Principal Byrne’s hands.
My heart stops beating in my chest as he stares down at me intimidatingly. I don’t know what it is about this man, but he has a way of stealing all the oxygen from the room he’s in.
“Sir, can I have my crutches, please?” I ask.
Natalya’s eyes are wide as she glances between him and me.
“You’re in no condition to participate in combat training yet.” His grip stiffens on my crutches as he makes no move to return them. “Your mother reiterated the importance of you learning discipline.” He fixes his pale aquamarine eyes on me with an intensity that makes me shudder. “It’s a lesson we teach in the earlier years, but I’ll give you one-on-one tuition on it while you’re not fit for combat training.”
My cheeks flame at the thought of having one-on-one time with this god of a man.
Natalya’s mouth drops open as she stares at him. I guess it’s not standard for pupils to be given one-on-one training. Her gaze moves to mine. “Looks like I’m on my own for this one.” She smiles. “See you later?”
I nod in response, feeling too embarrassed to articulate a response.
Natalya walks out of the cafeteria, leaving me alone with the principal, who looms over me. He’s still holding my crutches in a vise-grip.
“Can I have my crutches, please, sir?” I ask again.
A muscle in his jaw flexes every time I call him sir, but I can’t figure out why. Perhaps he’s not used to southern students at this school, as I haven’t picked up many southern accents.
“Of course.” He passes one crutch into my right hand and the other into my left, his skin brushing mine momentarily as he does. Heat coils through me as I try to ignore the electrical spark that zaps through my body.
It’s crazy how his touch affects me.
“Thank you.” I struggle to my feet clumsily, peering at him once I’m steady. “Shall I follow you?”
His nostrils flare as he nods. “Yes, we’ll go to my office.” He turns his back on me, ready to walk out.
“Not a classroom, sir?” I ask. The idea of being in that small, dark office alone with him makes me anxious.
His back turns rigid as his steps away falter. “All the classrooms are full this period.” There are a few moments of silence. “Follow me.”