Smiling in the rain

Chapter 9: Kat

It's easy to sneak around when your roommates hate you. I know for certain Elsa does, with the way she constantly glares at me. Well, she kinda does that to everyone, so maybe she just hates the world. Lying on my boyfriend's bed while he plays video games with his stupid friends, my phone buzzes urgently in my pocket. I sit up and fumble with it until I can unlock it.

A foreign body has succeeded in accessing test results

I hold back a gasp; someone else has hacked into the system.

"I gotta go, babe," I say as I hurry towards the door.

He barely glances up from his video game. "Where are you going?"

"I'll be around."

_____________________

I hear footsteps and I attempt to melt into the shadows. Nigel (aka World Domination Boy) saunters past me, muttering nonsense about that stupid girl and I hate her. Just as I think I've avoided discovery, he says, "I can see you, darling."

I flinch. He laughs. "I can tell you don't like that name, do you Katrina?"

Jesus this kid is good. "Leave me alone," I snarl.

"So, tell me, what exactly was it that Jesse did to you? I mean, I've read the report but, your hacking skills must be good as you've managed to erase it." Nigel's breath hits my neck and I shove him away from me.

"If you come near me again, I'll kill you."

Another laugh. "Oh, I don't doubt that."

"You shouldn't."

I wait but there's no reply except the silence of the empty corridor.

I hear a door close before I proceed in the direction of the figure standing under the light. Floral dress and cardigan. Faye? What? She shakes her head and closes the door of the office behind her. I lean back against the wall. I wait, timing her footsteps and I pounce. Clamping my hand over her mouth, I hear her muffled scream. Using the same move Jesse used on me not so long ago, I swing her over my shoulder and don't put her down until we're outside.

"What the fuck are you doing with World-Domination-Boy at fucking 1am? Care to share?"

"Katrina?" She sounds so shocked that it makes me laugh.

"It's Kat."

"Why did you do that?" she says, trying to sound tough but it doesn't really work.

"Because you and World-Domination-Boy hacked the fucking system!"

"System? What system? I don't know what you're talking about!"

I snort,"Please. Don't act so innocent. What did you want with the test scores anyway?"

"You know about the test scores?" Now she sounds scared.

"Of course I do. I'm not an idiot, even if you and Elsa think I am,"I say quietly.

"I don't think you're an idiot. And Elsa hates everyone, don't take it personally," Faye says, but she's giving me a look that makes me feel like I've kicked a puppy.

I sigh. "Whatever. Just don't hang around that guy. He's bad news and he knows the worst about everyone. He's evil."

Turning on my heel, I walk back towards the door.

"Evil is out there, Faye. Even if you don't believe it,"I say as I swing open the door.

___________

"STUDENTS MUST REPORT TO THEIR HOMEROOMS IMMEDIATELY AFTER BREAKFAST!"

I shake my head groggily and push myself up. After the talk with Faye, I was too exhausted to go back to Cody's dorm so I reluctantly went back to my own. Elsa was listening to some song that was saying maybe if she fell asleep, she wouldn't breathe right. I'll admit, it wasn't bad, but it was no Beyoncé. I stand and slip into the black shirt and standard school skirt, which I then rolled up to what some people call "barely there" but I call "perfect". The hem hangs two inches below my underwear but for me, that's comfortable. When Elsa suddenly draws back her curtain and stomps out the door, I decide that I should follow. I weave through the slow moving people and almost walk into Cody.

"Hey babe. I missed you. Where'd you go?" he says, running a hand through his hair. One of the other guys in his dorm rolls his eyes.

"Cody, come on, mate. We gotta go," he says impatiently.

"Go on without me, Logan," Cody says, waving him on. He then puts an arm over my shoulder. "I'm gonna walk with my Kitty Kat."

Cue vomiting. Kitty Kat? What is he thinking? "Don't call me that," I snap.

"Sorry, babes."

________

We walk into the cafeteria hall and have to split up because of this stupid thing where they separate the boys and girls. I sit down next to a girl called Jennifer, who started to brag about how "blah blah blah best private school in the country blah blah blah limited edition designer outfits blah blah blah my boyfriend is the richest guy in Africa blah blah blah."

Breakfast was pancakes and toast, with optional cereal. The teachers sat at a huge table that was on a platform above the food area, which meant they overlooked the rest of us eating. Glancing around, I see Elsa stabbing her pancakes and Faye neatly cutting her toast into tiny pieces before eating it. I flip my pancake over on my plate with my fork and start mashing it into a lump of pancake.

Jennifer stares at me. "You really should eat that. Don't want people thinking you're anorexic," she says with a sneer.

"Sorry, but I think I saw a cockroach in the kitchens where they were making the pancakes," I lie smoothly.

Jennifer jumps up screaming and runs out the door. I chuckle softly. Stupid people are so fun to mess with.

_________________

When I reach homeroom, people are just staring to file in, so I take a seat in the back corner. The stuffy, old professor is pacing at the front of the room, eying us like we were about to pick his pockets. Well, maybe some of us would.

"Alrig', alrigh', settle down now, take your seats," Professor Garza says in his nasal voice.

There's the scraping back of chairs, then silence.

"I'm goin' to give you your Animus Assessment results," he wheezes,"No talking an' no looking at the results of your peers."

He then begins walking in between the rows of individual desks, passing sheets of paper to everyone. He drops the sheet of paper on my desk and stalks back to his desk. My eyes flicker over the paper, even though I know what it's going to say.

Katrina Evans

Delirium

Please report to the front office

after homeroom to

receive the correct uniform in the

correct size.

A/N: Hey guys! Happy holidays (if you're on holidays like us)! Thanks so much for all of you who have stuck with us so far :) the best is yet to come ;)

Georgia xx