The Academy

Chapter Twenty-Nine

"Where have you been?" Marisol asked me when I reached Mrs. Peterson's classroom. Mrs. Peterson was at the whiteboard, writing vocabulary words such as metaphor, imagery, and personification. Marisol was sitting at a desk in the very front of the room, a binder opened in front of her to a piece of lined notebook paper.

"Sorry," I said, sitting down in one of the desks beside Marisol. "I was at Serenity."
 

"Let me guess, with Tatum."

"You're a pretty good guesser."

Marisol's phone vibrated at the exact same time mine did. We checked them and read the same message from Aspen, We're in.

Be careful, I replied. Make sure everything looks the same when you guys leave that it did when you first came in.

Roger that, Boss, Carlisle sent. Marisol giggled beside me.
 In front of us, Mrs. Peterson placed the Expo marker down and said, "I'm going to go to the teacher's lounge to get a drink. We've got a soda fountain in there. Do you guys want anything?"
 

"I'll have a Coke," Marisol replied.

"Sprite," I said.

Mrs. Peterson nodded and rushed out of the room, leaving Marisol and I alone in her classroom. Marisol turned to me and said, "I wish I had a boyfriend. Especially one who likes spending time with me like Tatum does. Face it, you guys are practically the perfect couple."

I shook my head. "Definitely not."

"Yes, you are. You both obviously love each other. That's more than most couples can say."

I had to agree that Marisol made a good point. "You'll find someone," I assured her. Marisol was a nice girl. She deserved someone who would make her feel special.

"I hope."

Mrs. Peterson appeared back at the door, balancing three cups of soda in her hands. She handed each of us our drinks, and Marisol and I gulped ours down quickly, not bothering to savor it. Mrs. Peterson began teaching, and I realized how tired I really was and struggled to keep my eyes open.