Oakwood Academy (Book 1)

Chapter 5

"Are you okay," I texted Samu. "Where are you?"

He wasn't in our class with Mr. Martin and I was starting to get worried.

"Got suspended," was his immediate response. "Apparently punching pricks like him is against the rules."

"Why would you punch him Samu? What happened?"

He didn't respond, but Mr. Martin came in before I could ask Samuel more. But the truth was, Guzmán was a prick.

I couldn't believe I'd let myself be attracted to a guy who could push sweet Samu to violence. Risking getting in trouble, I texted Samu that I'd swing by his house later to talk and put my phone away.

"Alright everyone, pop quiz."

The whole class groaned, but Mr. Martin just smiled. He found joy out of others' misery, I'd deduced.

"I've been dropping hints about this all week, don't act surprised," he said. "Put all of your things away. The only thing I should be seeing from each and every one of you is a pen or pencil."

He started to walk around and distribute our quiz papers. "Don't flip them over until I say so."

After he passed them out to everyone he told us to begin.

I skimmed the entire test and knew I'd be okay, but most of the others probably couldn't say the same. Martin was one of those teachers that liked to draw a lot of his questions from topics that were in chapters we hadn't covered yet. He also liked to call what he gave us a "pop quiz", but I'd learned he weighted them the same as a Unit Test. Martin wasn't my favorite person, but I'd learned how to deal with him.

I breezed through the test and raised my head to survey the room. Naturally my eyes ended up on Guzmán, and in turn Lu.

She looked deep in thought, eyes on her paper.

Guzmán was another story. His gaze was split between his paper and something on the floor.

I tried to get a look at what it was that had his attention, but Martin called time.

Everyone passed their papers to the front of the room and as they did, Guzmán used this as his chance to pick up what looked to be a piece of paper, ball it up, and put it in his pocket.

Class went on as usual, at least for everyone else. But all I could think about was that piece of paper in his pocket.

When Martin finally let us go, Guzmán was one of the first people out of class. And as he went, he threw the paper in the trash by the door.

I waited until everyone left—including Martin for his between-class bathroom breaks—and as I walked by the door, I reached in and grabbed it.

I uncrumpled it and found answers to the entire test.