Only Shadows

Chapter 9

Izzy

"Pinnacle Crest Academy, guiding students to reach new heights in academic success since 1898."

At least, that's what they claimed in the brochure.

Pinnacle Crest spread out over several perfectly manicured acres, resembling a mini college campus. The Blue Ridge Mountains served as a dramatic background for the elite private school. Brick buildings rose up between large oak trees, gently shading the green lawn on sunny days. The clock tower dominated the center of campus, anchoring the two-story brick library with its white bay windows. It looked traditional, but the interior had been completely renovated over the years to add plenty of comfortable study rooms and state-of-the-art technology.

The school also boasted a large gym, pool, and multiple athletic fields. However, the students spent most of their free time in and around the honeycombed-shaped cafeteria. The food wasn't even half bad, especially on sushi Thursdays.

And no school promotional material would be complete without glossy color photos of happy students – studying, laughing, performing on stage, catching footballs, and involved in a zillion other activities with their friends. Smiling students everywhere, as far as the eye could see.

At least, that's how Izzy felt. Like a drone flying over the hallway, silently observing life without being part of any of it.

She'd been so looking forward to her junior year, even without Burns. Her first two years of high school had been a blast. Izzy was the happy student in all those photos. Burns asked her out just a couple of weeks into her freshman year, and they'd dated until he broke up with her last month. Before that, she'd never realized how much her school and social life revolved around him.

When school began this year, she figured at least she still had cheerleading. It wasn't like Izzy even loved cheerleading, but with Burns gone, it was the ticket to her social life. The realization came too late. Most of her old friends graduated, and her cheerleading friends pulled away once she wasn't on the team anymore. Now her math grade was finally improving, but she wasn't allowed to join anything until she could carry that grade to the end of the quarter, still over a month away.

They didn't care one bit that she'd become a social outcast.

When the bell rang for the mid-morning break, Izzy swung on her purple Fjallraven Kanken backpack. The rain pounded against the glass windows, thunder rumbling in the distance. 20 minutes until the next class. Time to disappear.

She made her way through the academic building, keeping to the edges of the hall. Soon enough, she spotted Caleb surrounded by friends. His crew had claimed the circular table between the science and history wings last year. Hesitating, she bit her lip and ducked behind a large group of freshman girls, trying to blend. Caleb laughed and turned away, so she walked by unnoticed. Or maybe he was angry because she ignored his messages all weekend. Served him right if so.

With a scowl, she headed down the long hallway to the coffee bar in the lobby.

"Izzy! I've been looking for you for ages," Maya said, her lab partner. Super smart, but also an overachieving try-hard. "I need to know if you did the prep work yet."

Izzy blinked. "What prep work?"

Maya narrowed her eyes. "You forgot again, didn't you?"

She looked down at the floor and racked her brain. "Remind me and I'll do it at lunch?"

"Never mind!" Maya said. "God, you're useless. I'll do it myself."

"I can–" Izzy started. But Maya spun on her heel and stalked off. Izzy stood there awkwardly as the hall began to clear out. That latte was calling her name, but the line was too long to get it before the next class. Great. The one thing she looked forward to all morning, ruined.