Wicked Games Academy

CHAPTER 39

Our final year of schooling at Graycotts Academy the Headmaster had found the best way to punish me—he took Clive from me.

I became partners with, wait for it, Wyatt Whitecastle. He was also bumped down from doing jobs related to killing rebels, as Will didn't anymore. I asked Will about it, but now I shared a room with the two boys, and Clive had his own room and messenger who came often.

Clive missed classes more and more, and I had to suffer the hatred of my partner. Wyatt was always trying to attack me during practice and I was shielding myself for real, drawing back almost all the time until I fell and the boys nearby laughed.

"Grow a pair!" Wyatt shouted every time it happened. Maybe he realized I wasn't actually fighting him anymore, but thinking of Vic made me lose strength in my arms.

I could barely move with a weapon in my hand, so I focused on studying, and Will was a nice roommate.

To the other boys Will and Clive were a pair and they practiced together, but it was often Clive teaching Will how to be on the offense. As Will recounted their day I would listen with great interest and feel an ounce closer to Clive.

When it became time for the ball again, like last year, for some reason they chose seniors to direct the freshmen, and when I saw Clive volunteer I couldn't help but put my arm up, too, pretending to be ignorant of him to my far left.

"Clive Vagrant, Joseph Hollowhood, Logan—don't make me point out your grades in Latin—Nathaniel Rottings, you may go. Is that three boys from my class? Yes," the professor spoke aimlessly.

I was scared for a moment Logan would get picked so I hurried to close my books and ask Will to put it in my room later, and filed out the door.

The moment we walked through the hall, only a few boys filing out and not talking to us, Clive turned to me.

He was shorter now, maybe by three inches, but he turned and he gave me the familiar smile I saw at times.

"How's class, Rottings?" he asked.

It was like the past. I hide my grin as I turned away. "I don't recall being your friend."

"But we had the same classes for three years!"

We both paused and then laughed, falling a bit behind the other boys.

"I'm passing every class, of course," I said.

"But you should be careful during practice. I heard you've got a fierce partner."

"Yes. I heard you teach your partner. I expected that from you," I whispered.

"My partner is nice. I don't think he had what my last partner had. I'm sure I'd hurt him if I really tried," Clive's said, holding my hand.

Our hands stayed intertwined as we stayed outside, not walking into the ballroom just yet.

"Don't hurt Will. He's my roommate and I don't want to have to bandage him all the time. My old roommate always did that for me."

"And so did my old roommate." Clive breathed out the cold air like puffs of clouds. "I really miss him. How is he?"

"Your old roommate is doing well, don't worry. He will find a way to skip the ball, maybe wait outside until you can come." I looked at his frozen face. "Just to see him, or only if you can," I sputtered quickly, afraid of rejection.

Clive turned and then moved his hair to show me his earlobes. The earring was still on.

I scrambled to show my earrings, and choked back sobbed laughs.