Unthinkable - a The Selection fanfiction

Exams and Rivalries

I stood in front of my doorstep and knocked.
My dad opened up and smiled. I hugged him tight.
"What in hell did you to be kicked out?" Asked my dad
"Hi dad, I'm fine, thanks for asking" I said sarcastically. "Nothing, William told me to come here today so I could revise and take the exam tomorrow." I answered to the previous question smiling. Now I was starting to feel the tension for the exam.
"Now you're on a first name basis?" Inquired my dad
"Nickname, actually." Answered my brothers coming out of their hiding spot.
My dad looked at them wide eyed, since I hadn't told him the guys were coming. I saw tears gather in his eyes. He started laughing and engulfed the two of them in a beat hug. My brothers were happy out of their wits to see him. I put my bag down and headed to the kitchen to greet Dorothy. She screamed and hugged me tight.
"What are you even doing here?" She was so surprised. I told her what I did my father.
"First name basis huh?" She inquired.
"Nickname." I replied blushing heavily.
"What? Already?! That's good!" She was beaming when she elbowed me, she was damn glad for me. I missed her. I liked my maids, but Dorothy was the one and only woman I could trust so much. Then Jax and Chris came in and my ears suffered the shock of Dorothy's shouting. She loved us so much. She was basically a second mum.

***

I studied all day and almost all night. Then Tuesday came.
I walked in the building where the exam was to be held. It looked like a prison. I entered the classroom and one of my professor's assistants, the woman, whose name I couldn't recollect to save my life, gave me the exam paper. When every candidate entered the room and got the paper, my professor made the time start running.
All the questions I had weren't hard. How the Italian fascist regime made its power sure. The time period of the Korean War. And several questions before the Third World War. Not one about Illéa. Not a single one. I should have expected this. No one wanted to make it easy for me to graduate.
I finished in half and hour, despite the fact that it should've taken me considerably longer to finish the test. The professor was speechless, I smiled sweetly at him, before he asked me "has the prince already gotten tired of you and your peculiarities, miss Barton?"
"Not at all, professor. Will himself insisted that I came here and took the exam. Have a nice day" I ended the conversation. I walked out with my head held high. My brothers, at the sides of the door, opened it for me and we walked out together.
I heard someone calling my name, so I turner around. Of course, the second best of my class had already finished.
"Sean, I have a plane to catch. What do you want?"
"Are you sure they didn't kick you out?" Asked Sean smirking
"Pretty sure, since there are guards here to ensure my safety. Even though you know full well I don't need them" I replied looking him dead in the eyes. He tried to hurt me several times, physically, but every single time he was the one who had to go to the hospital. Except once, when he left me a visible scar. He had since decided that words would've been a better approach. Too bad I didn't care.
"Is it? Maybe the crown prince is just toying you around. He's having a little fun with the freakshow and then he's kicking you out, leaving you heartbroken" He was trying too hard, now. This was the selection.
"Well. That's what's supposed to happen to 34 girls, isn't it? So yeah, it might be. Have a nice day." I was tired of him. I left the building so fast Jax and Chris almost didn't notice.

***

At home I had a few hours before catching the plane.
I cooked ragù, a couple cakes and cookies.
Then I sparred with the twins and dad. I missed this.
I packed again and left my school books at home, picking up more books from my shelf instead.

***

At the airport I hugged dad tight.
"I'm going to miss you kiddo, and you too, boys" stated my dad, hugging my brothers as well.
"Don't worry dad. I'll protect them."
"I know, sweetie" Daddy kissed my forehead and we got on the plane.