One Million Pieces (on hold)

Chapter One

I impatiently waited outside of the dean's office at Washington Academy to find out what I did on my exams that interested the dean himself. Even though it was Sunday, and the day before summer break ended, the school had called my dorm room at six in the morning, telling me that I needed to discuss my exams with the headmaster, who made me wander, what could I have done on my exams?

The exams I, and every student, must take occurred every few years starting at sixth grade with the purpose of determining whether you deserve to finish your education or start work the government appoints you to. Even though I knew I shouldn't be worried about getting the news that I have not done well on my exams because I have the best grades in my academy and I know all the material just as well as I know the back of my hand. Despite this knowledge, my heart did not stop pounding like drums in a parade.

"Jalyne Marine Grace, you may speak to Mr. McAlan now." A woman with her graying hair in a painfully tight bun and dull gray clothing walks out of the door that leads into Mr. McAlan’s office. She looked dreadfully jaded and her eyes behind her librarian glasses have that same dull look almost every adult I have met that makes it look like they are sleep walking.

It is somewhat strange to hear my full name because for as long as I could remember everyone has called me Jay. I take a shaky breath and get up from the wooden chair that I have been sitting in what feels like forever so now my back kind of hurts, but I make no sound of my complaint because you are not allowed to speak unless spoken to. It is very crucial that I appear to be the perfect student; my future depends on it.

She leads me into the room where I will learn what I have been dreading to know about since I got the phone call to come here, and it did not help that this is the first time I have been here, which is why I am so worried. As far as I know, no one has ever needed to the dean’s office because of their exams, even if they failed.

I took another deep breath to control myself before walking through the French doors of Mr. McAllan's office. The office itself is huge, about 15’17‘. Larger than the dorm rooms students have to live in until they take their final exam at the spring of their final year. I myself still only have two more years until I am eighteen and a senior.

The carpeted floor is a dull gray, along with the walls. There are pictures of past deans of the academy framed perfectly on the right side of the wall, while the left side has awards the academy have gotten since it was built nearly three hundred years ago after the fourth Great War, also known as world war four. I focus on the dean himself, who is sitting at a desk a darker color if gray than the rest of his office, his head slightly tilted down of working on his paper work. He looks up at me and immediately I am repulsed; his eyes are flat and hard, not like the sleep walking look of the other woman, but cold and menacing like a shark.

"Please, take a seat Ms. Grace. We have much to discuss."

I suddenly notice his eyes are a deep shade of brown, and without warning, I have the strongest urge to giggle because while his eyes are brown, everything else is gray.

Snap out of it Jay; that is the nerves thinking.

I mentally slap myself.

I give him a dip of my head out of respect and sit in the chair directly across from him. He continues to write.

"Do you know why you are here?” He finally asks after a minuet of no noise except his pen hitting paper.

"No sir," I answer honestly.

"My dear child, there is no need for modesty," he looks up and gives me a grin that reminds me of a shark that just found his prey. When I do not answer, he gives a small sigh. "Well, I suppose the teachers have taught you and all of the other students to be modest. You are aware that you did well on your exams?"