The Hunter Academy

~Çhapter Twęnty-Sįx~

I stared at the TV in Lucas's room. All the boys were sitting on the couch while I laid across the three of them.

I rested my head against my interlocking fingers as I watched the TV. I don't really know what I was watching but it was violent and gory and had absolutely no plot line.

I crackled my knuckles over and over again, cracking my fingers one by one.

"Chase that's really bad for your fingers," Julian frowned.

Zac shrugged."Let Archer do what she wants."

"I couldn't stop if I wanted to," I admitted."It's a habit and a bad one at that."

"Maybe we should put casts on your hands so you can't, you know, crack your knuckles," Lucas suggested but I glared at him.

"Put my hands in casts and I slice yours off," I threatened somewhat jokingly.

Lucas put his arms up in surrender."Jeez Chase, I need my hands you know."

"Don't worry she won't cut your hands off," Julian assured."Probably," he muttered but Lucas heard and his head snapped to look at him.

"Probably?"

"Nah, don't worry about it. Archer's just worried, nervous and a bit on edge. Don't be Archer, you'll pass, you'll see tonight at the Finishing Party," Zac reassured smoothly.

"What's the Finishing Party?" I asked.

"It's just a party the school holds after we get our results, it's a good bye party to some and a celebration for others," Lucas explained and I nodded.

"You have it after every round of exams," Julian added.

I hummed my response and rested my head back against the arm rest. I closed my eyes. I'm so tired from all the exams today. So tired.

I don't know how long I was asleep but I was shaken awake by a hand. I pushed the hand away and snuggled into a ball.

I heard someone snicker."You look real cute like that Archer."

My leg shot out and hit whoever called me cute. I jumped up and grabbed them by their shirt.

"I. Am. Not. Cute." I stared at Zac and he frantically nodded his head. I put him down."Good."

I hated being called cute. It's just something about the word, it makes me seem small, vulnerable, weak.

I yawned and stretched, I rubbed my eyes groggily."How long was I asleep?" I asked.

"A couple hours." Julian shrugged on a jacket. "Anyway, I'm heading back to the Pegasus house."

I perked up and pulled my hair out of its pony tail, running a hand through my messy hair.

"Can I come with you?" I asked and he shrugged.

"Sure, why not?" He replied before looping his arm through mine."Lets go."

We said goodbye to Lucas and Zac before walking out.

"So what do you want to talk about?" Julian asked.

"Pshh, can't I just want to walk with you back to the-" Julian gave me a pointed look, a change from his usual smile."Okay okay. I wanted to ask you about the...Chemistry test," I said slowly.

He nodded slightly."What about it?"

"Well you were prepping me to make sleeping dust for literally weeks," I said and he nodded."And during the test I had to make sleeping dust."

"And?" Julian asked.

"Well how did you...know what we'd have to make?" I asked.

"Mrs. Riley told me to teach you how to make it," he said nonchalantly.

"But," I started slowly,"isn't that...cheating?" I asked and he laughed.

"No," he denied."But if Lucas broke into her mind and stole the info, that would be cheating."

We stopped in front of the Pegasus house.

"See you tonight Chase," Julian cheered before shutting the door.

I sighed before walking away. I was going to go back to the Dragon house but I somehow ended up at the front of the school.

I cursed myself before stepping into the school. I ran up to the Chemistry lab and opened the door to see Mrs. Riley covered in flecks of golden dust that made it look like she glittered and sparkled.

I cleared my throat."Mrs. Riley," I called and she looked up from inspecting some sleeping dust.

"Oh. Hello Chase," she replied wearily."What are you doing here. Shouldn't you be preparing for the party tonight."

I shook my head."It'll take about five minutes to get ready."

She laughed."That's a change, usually Charlotte takes hours to get ready but then again I used to as well," she shook her head."Any way, what brings you here?"

"Well I wanted to ask you about the test," I said slowly as I stepped towards her desk and suddenly realised how bad this could go.

"What about it? If its about your results. I shouldn't give them to you now," she smiled."But I'm a rebel. You passed- 89%, that's 19% above the pass rate."

That's a pleasant surprise. I actually passed, I mean, I didn't blow up the small room I was in but I didn't really expect to pass or hit outside of the 70's.

"Uh, that's great but that's not what I came to ask about," I replied slowly.

"Oh."

"Well Julian had me prepping for weeks to make sleeping dust then that just so happened to be what we're making. It's just..." I paused looking for the right word."odd."

She looked at me in the eye and replied."I didn't tell Mr. Greene what you'd have to make for the test but I did suggest to him that he should teach you to make sleeping dust." She grinned."That's entirely different."

I smiled as I saw her mischievous smile and realised what she'd done. I relaxed and took a deep breath."Okay, I was just wondering," I said and walked towards the door."Bye Mrs. Riley."

"Wait a second," she called and I stopped before turning around to see her walking towards me."Here," she said and handed me a black pouch embroidered with silver, it matched my belt of knives. I opened to see golden dust.

"Sleeping dust," I said as I stuck my hand in, letting it fall through my fingers. It felt like sand, soft.

"It's what you made in the test. I thought I'd give it back since I already finished examining it and all that."

"Thank you," I said and attached it to my belt."I don't really know what I'm gonna do with it but- thank you."

"No problem Chase," she said."Now I still have a lot of tests to mark so thank you for stoping by."

A polite dismissal.

I nodded."Bye," I said swiftly and she nodded her head slightly in recognition.

I walked out and ran back to the Dragon house.

I ran into Lucas's room, making him jump ten feet.

"What are you-"

"I passed Chemistry!"