The Retribution Chronicles

A d e | s e v e n

In the three years Ade spent at Eastford, he's learnt two things. First and foremost, don't shit where you eat. And, in the event you do, clean up afterwards. He believed so thoroughly in this that when he spotted Grace in the aisle of the lecture hall, he planned to say hello. He certainly didn't owe it to her, of that he was sure, but what would a little kindness cost him?

Unfortunately, the moment he lifted his chin in greeting, she growled. Ade startled and crashed into Ryan who glared at him for all of two seconds before dashing, headfirst, for the last two available seats at the back of the hall.

"You saw that right?" Ade muttered beneath his breath while they sat down.

"Saw what?" Ryan began to rummage through his backpack.

"Grace."

He glanced up for all of two seconds, stared at her and shook his head. "Nope."

"She fucking growled at me," Ade hissed.

"So?" Ryan pulled his laptop out of its sleeve and set it on the narrow bench beside his water bottle. "I doubt this is the first, or last, time a girl will growl at you."

"Yeah, but I l thought we were good," Ade said.

"Seriously?" Ryan snorted.

"What did I do now?"

Ryan typed in his password then turned to face Ade while his laptop booted up. "Apparently, she caught you in the library with someone," he said, eyes gleaming with the tell-tell sign of trouble.

"Caught me?" Ade scowled. Caught suggested some kind of secrecy, shame, a feeling Ade hadn't experienced since his aunt caught him googling boobs aged thirteen. Caught suggested wrongdoing, a charge he wholeheartedly rebuked, especially as his library exploits were none of Grace's business and he'd made that perfectly clear from the outset.

"Last week," Ryan said nonetheless. "In the basement."

"Who told you?" Ade's scowl deepened.

"Abi."

Shit.

"How does she know?"

Ryan shrugged. "Who cares?"

"I—"

Dr Hutchins cleared his throat; the room fell silent, while Ade's mind continued to race for Ryan, he quickly realised, had a point. Tenuous at best, but a point. Regardless of how Abi came to be armed with such damming information, there was no chance in hell she hadn't already deployed it and filled Miriam's head with lies. Lies, Ade feared, Wes would only corroborate.

He was done for. Ruined. His one shot with Miriam blown to bits by a truth so twisted it might as well have been a party promise from whatever hopeful government was currently drumming up support. Unless he changed the narrative.

When the lecture finally drew to a close, Ade sprung out of his seat and dashed towards Grace. She caught his eye and released an audible groan while shooing her friends away. "Can I help you?" she frowned.

"Yeah." Ade itched the nape of his neck and offered his most disarming smile. "What are you doing now?"

Her eyes narrowed, immersed in a disgust so intense it shot out and grazed Ade's first defence. "Are you kidding me? After everything, you think you can still sleep with me."

Ade's head jerked back. "Sleep with you?" he spluttered. "I want to talk to you. Maybe buy you a coffee."

Her eyes widened a fraction. "Coffee?" she asked, glare flagging.