The Life of a Teenage Hero

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Monday, March 2nd, 8:01AM

Regent Academy

I reach Mrs. Meyers's door just as the tardy bell rings, and she meets me at the door.

"Another tardy, Miss Lins," she says. She places her hands on her hips and squints at me over her glasses. "What excuse do you have for me this morning?"

"Coach Reyes stopped me in the court yard for walking on the grass," I admit. I force out a pant and try to look out of breath, even though my sweat is from the island humidity, not the exertion.

"Oh, so Coach Reyes is to blame for your inability to get to class on time."

I take a deep breath and close my eyes. The calmer, more diplomatic I am, the higher the chance she'll let this tardy slide.

I hope.

"I'm not blaming him. I'm just saying he was an obstacle I didn't prepare for." Or rather one I was hoping wouldn't get put in my way.

"You know the rules about the court yard grass, and you willingly broke them, yes?" Mrs. Meyers asks. She tilts her head like she always does when victory is near.

"I mean, yeah, but I was only breaking that rule so I could get to your class on time," I say.

"Which you failed to do." She pulls a slip from her dress pocket and scribbles my name on it before handing it to me. "I'll see you in detention."

My heart sinks into my gut. She returns to her desk and instructs the class to turn in their homework with their warm-ups. I find my desk and slouch into it. After I finish my warm-up, which is basically a quiz over the scenes in Macbeth I didn't read, I pass it forward along with my homework.

Mrs. Meyers begins her discussion and I notice Jessica chewing on one of her long black braids. She glances my way and we exchange a worried look. I know my best friend read about as much as I did last night. I don't even have an excuse except that every time I opened the play, my eyes glazed over and I grew more tired.

I shift my weight and pull my leg up and under me, the small dagger I keep strapped to my back contests the movement as I lean back against my seat, but I ignore it. The kid in the front of the class answers all of Mrs. Meyers's questions and I say a silent prayer thanking every god for that kid. I don't even care about his arrogant tone. He's keeping Mrs. Meyer from looking at me.

The bell rings and I race out of the classroom, only slowing down so Jess can fall into step next to me.

"If it wasn't for Kosami I'm sure Mrs. Meyer would have called on me. She looked at me three times," she says, her words slowed by her accent. Jessica moved here ten years ago from the United States, but she still hasn't lost her accent. Her dad is one of Risen's three parliament members.

"She probably would have called on me so she could yell at me for not reading," I say. "She already gave me detention."

"I heard." We stop outside of Jess's next class, and I glance at the clock on the wall. My class is around the corner, but I still have a minute and half to get there. Plus, Coach Carter isn't nearly as strict on tardies as Mrs. Meyers.

"Why were you late today? I saw Cyrus before school but not you," She asks. The hallway is full of gossip-hungry ears and carefully-wandering eyes so I just shrug. I'm aware of every person who passes by me and every glance that lingers on my face, if only for half a second. While I trust Jess, I don't trust hallways where secrets are the most valuable form of currency, and the most dangerous weapons.