20
Expectant energy hums through the classroom as our professor walks into class. I look up from my tablet and am arrested by the clear excitement she’s holding in check with a pleasant smile, her lips twitching to expand into a full beam. She looks way too thrilled to be thinking about World Governments. Immediately, suspicion makes my instincts hum. Usually when the teachers around here look excited about something, it’s a back-breaking project or a mind-strippingly difficult exam, or something else that will result in late nights of studying while chugging coffee and cursing the pallbearers of education.
One by one, the other students in my class catch sight of our professor, and freeze. Nervous apprehension coats the room, almost strong enough to taste.
The professor leans against her desk, waiting until she has the attention of everyone in the room, before speaking.
“Now that I have all of your eyes, I have a special announcement. I hope all of you are making progress on your service project research, and I have something that should motivate you to do your best. I have the privilege of announcing that at the end of the semester, when the time comes to present your ideas, Senator Terrance Holt has agreed to be here. The student who most impresses him will secure an internship in his office for two weeks over the summer. I’m sure I don’t have to emphasize how fantastic an internship will look on your transcripts, especially for those of you who wish to study political science in college.”
My mouth drops in surprise, even as everyone swivels to look at me. I pull my features into a serene mask, not letting them see that I had no idea Daddy was doing this. No one told me anything about it, but now the professor’s buzzing makes sense. A two-week internship in Daddy’s office would be a killer addition to anyone’s resume, and everyone in my class starts twitching like sharks when there’s blood in the water.
I glance around the room, sizing up my rivals. Where before the other students in this class were mere annoyances, now they’re my direct competition.
A good number of the students in my class intend to go into politics, so the competition is going to be fierce. Sylvia’s dad is gearing up for a gubernatorial run, and Rahul’s dad is in the British Cabinet. Still, I’m pretty sure I can best both of them.
The biggest surprise? The focused look on Ricardo’s face as our professor gives us a few minutes to work on our projects. My sister told me he wants to be a teacher back in Haiti, so why would he be interested in an internship with a U.S. Senator? Being a teacher is noble, but it doesn’t exactly require government experience. And really, it doesn’t matter if Ricardo tries for the internship or not. He’s a good student, but I’m better. I can beat him handily.
This internship? I’d be perfect for it. Plus, it would be a great way to show Daddy that I could be his heir apparent. It’s a good thing Cal isn’t in this class, or there’s no way I’d ever win the internship. Frowning, I shun the thought as soon as it rises. It’s not Cal’s fault Daddy is so blinded by oldest son syndrome that he inadvertently ignores me. At least, I’m pretty sure that’s what it is. None of that is on Cal.
This is definitely going to require a lot of late nights, but it’s going to be worth it. Having Daddy to myself for two weeks? Priceless. Bucking up, I take my tablet out and pull up my project research.
Despite the dead silence outside my door, I can’t sleep. I’m way too keyed up about the internship announcement in class this afternoon. And my resulting conversation (re: argument) with Ricardo didn’t help. When I asked—okay, confronted—him about how focused he was on his work during class, he declined to tell me what he was doing for his project.
And then he had the gall to assert that he’d be an excellent intern for my dad.
As if.
When I asked him if he wanted the internship, he didn’t deny it, which only made me angrier. A teacher does not need government experience. What was his problem?
Huffing, I throw off the covers and sit up in the pitch black. If I can’t sleep, I might as well get some work done. Blinking, I allow my eyes to adjust as the lamp on my nightstand flares to life. My eyes move to my top desk drawer, where I used to keep a tin of “mints.” They were actually amphetamines I got from Professor Rook, but I haven’t taken any since Adrienne caught me with them last semester. It had been sloppy of me not to transfer the pills from that clear baggie to the tin. Nobody thinks twice if they see you eating a breath mint.
I know there are only three pills left in that tin, but I haven’t thrown them away yet. I should do it, but something is preventing me. What if I need one of them at some point, just for a tiny boost? This is the most important semester of high school, and I have to excel in all of my classes if I’m going to go to Georgetown. It’s a tough school to get into, and failure isn’t an option.
Stupid Ricardo. Why did he have to needle me about the internship?
Jumping out of bed, I stalk across the floor to my mini fridge, flinging the door open to see what I’ve got left inside.
It’s empty.
Adrienne, Genevieve, and Ricardo have all been spending a lot more time in my room than ever before, and they’ve eaten all of my contraband. I’ll have to get Mikhail to drive us to the store tomorrow so I can refill, but in the meantime… Pulling on my nubby robe and securing it at my waist with its scraggly tie, I peek out into the hallway. The coast is clear.
Silently, I inch up the hall toward the stairs, stepping carefully in and out of the low light cast by the wall sconces. The dormitory building is a hundred years old, and the floors squeak. I debate my destination as I advance. The vending machine near the administration office has the best snacks, but it’s much farther away than the one upstairs in the student lounge.
Biting the inside of my cheek, I head downstairs. It’ll be worth the extra walking if I can sink my teeth into an imported chocolate bar.
The foyer is quiet as I pass through, only now noticing that the security guard is nowhere to be seen. He must be making his rounds elsewhere on campus.
A dreaded sense of being watched tingles along my spine, making me spin to look behind me. There’s no one in sight. Chiding myself, I continue. Thinking about the threat Gul received is making me paranoid. I feel like I’m constantly being followed. It’s ridiculous.
No one has any reason to be following me. I don’t have any enemies. I think.
A few weeks ago, I would have counted Ricardo and Gul as my top antagonists, but that has changed. Gul and I aren’t exactly friends, but she’s not as catty as she used to be before. And Ricardo... I don’t even want to think about him right now.
I don’t bother to walk quietly as I go down the hall. I’m far enough away from the dorms that no one will hear me. An abrupt sound up ahead makes me pause in the corridor. Light and laughter spill out of the cracked kitchen door as I approach.
Hushing my steps, I edge closer and peek inside.
Adrienne and Mikhail are standing side by side at the counter, kneading dough of some kind. Cal is sitting cross-legged on the counter, drawing on his tablet, and even Ricardo is there, eating nachos on a plate. They look delicious as he lifts one up toward his mouth, the strings of yellow cheese hanging off the tortilla chip.
My stomach grumbles as jealousy stings me. They’re all hanging out down here, having a big time, and they didn’t even think to invite me. Once again I’m left on the outside.