The Academy of Underachievers: Year One

by Alex Dafney

  Glancing at me over his shoulder, he gives me a weak smile. “Jet and Angie were destined to be together. Do what’s right, and step aside willingly. These cards have already been played.”

  I shake my head in defiance, pushing myself to standing. “Forgive me, but I didn’t come here to speak of your son’s romantic life.” I spin on my heels, stomping toward the door.

  “If you value your life, you’ll be wise to step aside and let fate take its course.”

  With my hand resting on the handle of the door, I look over my shoulder at him, finding an arrogant smirk on his face. Adorning a snarky smile, I tilt my head to the side slightly. “Is that a threat, Dean?”

  He keeps the sickeningly smug smile on his face as he lifts both hands beside him, shrugging his shoulders. “I’d call it more of a promise, Briar.”

  The way my name rolls from his lips makes me cringe internally as I pull the door open, moving out of the room as quickly as I can. Not watching where I’m going, as I spin around the corner of the wall, I barrel into a strong wall of muscle and warmth, arms suddenly surrounding me.

  “Hey, babe. What was the meeting about?”

  I cautiously look up to Jet, not knowing what to say. Is he the enemy as well? Or can I trust him? His eyes harbor nothing but sincerity, and I relinquish a long breath, dropping my gaze to the floor between us.

  “The Academy Bowl has accepted the school to compete. We need to build a team.” I lift my eyes, hoping I'm not presumptuous with the term we, all while his dad’s warning rides in the back of my mind.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Pushing the door open to the empty classroom on the sixth floor, I stride inside with an easy smile on my face. It’s been nearly a month since an unknown force attacked me, but strangely I feel at peace even though the perpetrator has not been found. Jet and I have settled into a comfortable routine with me still staying in his dorm room, even though there hasn’t been another instance.

  Sliding my bag to the table, I pull out a chair and sit down, pulling my books to rest in front of me.

  “How much longer do we have to study for the Bowl?”

  I glance over to the doorway as Colton strides in, Lana on his arm. Narrowing my eyes at him, he begins to chuckle as they both take a seat around the table.

  “The Academy Bowl is next month. We need to be prepared if we stand a fighting chance.”

  He rolls his eyes at me playfully before flipping the textbook in front of him open.

  “Where’s Jet? It’s not like him to let you out of his sight.”

  I let out a long sigh to Lana’s innocent question. She’s right, though. Jet hasn’t given me a moment to breathe alone in the last month. “The Dean requested to see him. Otherwise, he would be right under me.” I roll my eyes as they both snicker.

  “What’s the deal with you two? Are you dating, or just friends, or what?”

  I shrug my shoulder to Colton, not knowing how to respond. “I don’t know.” I focus on the reading material before me, hoping my vague reply will end the questions.

  “He’s totally into you.”

  I ignore Lana, continuing to scan the words before me.

  I had thought Jet and I would become an item, even hoped we would, but he never makes a move that could be conceived more than friendly. Sure, he calls me babe, and we spend all of our time together like an average couple would. We just don’t cross that imaginary line that could lead to more.

  “You know what you should do?”

  I glance over the stack of papers in my hands, raising one eyebrow at Lana’s excited smile.

  “Skip out of here, and be naked when he gets back to the dorm.”

  I scoff loudly at the ridiculous suggestion, returning my focus to the task at hand.

  “Hey, everyone.”

  I smile at Brad Pitte as he saunters in, taking the seat next to Lana. “What’s on the menu today?”

  Like myself, Brad seems to be eager to compete.

  “The apprehension of souls.”

  Brad’s lip curls up as he nods. “Awesome. I’m acing that class.”

  We all go back to quietly studying as we wait for the rest of our team to arrive. As the tables in the room begin to fill, I pull my phone from my back pocket, glancing at the screen to make sure I haven’t missed anything from Jet. Although his constant presence over the last month has annoyed me at times, I feel strange with him not being here. When I don’t find a message, I slip my phone back in my pocket, a sudden feeling of concern rushing through me.

  Pushing the chair back, I move to the front of the room, facing my fellow students. “Okay, everyone. We’ve got twenty-eight days until the Bowl. We need to crack down and get through as much material as we can before then.”

  The captain of the football team groans, as does his teammate who sits beside him. “Why do we have to learn this shit? Me and Gus are only here for the physical games.”

  I arch one eyebrow up at him, giving him a pointed look. “You have to learn this shit because you have to at least be able to pass the entry exam in order to compete.”

  He tilts his head back, looking up to the ceiling as he lifts his hand, giving me a thumbs up.

  “Now, is everyone caught up with their reading?”

  A few people agree audibly, others nodding their heads.

  “Which device are you to use to apprehend a suspect who has passed on to another realm?”

  My gaze wanders over to the doorway as Jet rushes in, an angry scowl on his face as he comes toward me.

  “Get your stuff. We’re leaving.”

  I lower the papers in my hand, letting them hang at my side as I place one hand on my hip, giving him my own scowl. “We have to study.”

  He looks out to the room of our fellow students. “No studies today. We’ll pick up tomorrow.”

  The football jerks, as I’ve come to refer to them lovingly, make whooping noises all the way out the doorway as they pump their fists over their heads.

  All the while, I stare at Jet’s profile, anger coursing through me. “You don’t have to be here.”

  He turns to me, giving me an intense look before moving toward the first table in the room, lifting my bag and shoving my belongings inside haphazardly.

  “Um, I guess we’ll go back to my room and study. Right, Colton?” Lana nudges him with her elbow as she rises.

  “Oh, yeah, uh, sure. Studying.” He scrambles to his feet, a wide grin plastered across his face.

  They start by me toward the doorway, Lana pausing next to me, leaning my way. “This might be the perfect time to try that naked thing I was talking about. It might help with whatever crawled up his ass and died.”

  I reach over, smacking her in the arm with the back of my hand as she giggles. “Go study,” I tell her with a roll of the eyes before she and Colton disappear out into the hallway.

  As the other students file out the doorway, Jet steps beside me, gripping my hand and falling in line.

  “Where are we going?” I ask as we turn to the right, away from the stairwell that will take us down to his room.

  “We’re leaving for the evening. Otherwise, I may do something stupid.”

  We reach the end of the hall, a solid wall before us with a picture of some old guy whose eyes seem to follow us.

  “That’s the creepiest picture I’ve ever seen.”

  Jet ignores my comment, lifting his hand and waving it in front of the picture. Like I earlier thought, the man's eyes begin to follow the movement. “We need passage.”

  The wall starts to split in the middle, sliding back to reveal a dark tunnel.

  “Thanks.”

  Jet grabs my hand, pulling me through the slit in the wall.

  I blink quickly, trying to adjust my eyes to the black around us.

  “Stay right here.”

  He lets go of my hand before I can protest, leaving me alone. I listen intently as his footsteps move further away from me until the only noise I hear is my heart thump
ing in my chest. “Jet!” I whisper yell.

  My eyes widen in surprise as rows of candelabras begin to light along each wall, casting eerie shadows as the flames dance. Jet appears from behind the sharp corner ahead of me, beckoning me to him.

  As I step beside him, he grips my hand in his once again, neither of us speaking as we move down the long hallway. My eyes trail along the walls, taking in picture after picture of mug shots. “Where are we?”

  “Secret passage to the underground parking deck.”

  I look over to him, my head tilting to the side in question. “Are we going somewhere?”

  He nods in response, further surprising me. I haven’t been allowed to leave the building since the spell was placed on me. Well, I was encouraged not to by my current company.

  A staircase appears at the end of the long hall. As we step onto the top step at the same time, Jet looks over to me with a sly grin. “Grab the rail.”

  Just as my brows start to draw, I feel the stair shifting below my foot, looking down to find it tilting to an angle, the steps beneath it doing the same in domino effect. I grip the rail tightly as we begin to slide downward, a shriek leaving me. Jet laughs in response, and if I weren’t on some six-story slide, I’d punch him.

  “Get ready. On the count of three, we jump. One, two, three!”

  I grip his hand tightly as we both leap into the air, stumbling as my feet hit solid ground. Jet pulls me toward him, keeping me from face planting the asphalt below. Without another word, we’re moving toward his car that sits in a parking spot.

  He walks around to the passenger side, opening the door and waiting until I’m seated to close it.

  I grab the seatbelt, fastening it around me as he slides in his seat, tossing my bag to the back. “Where are we going?”

  He places the key into the ignition, the car coming to life. “Away from here.”

  I let out a sigh, already becoming annoyed with his vague, half-answers. Sitting back in the seat, I fold my arms over my chest, looking out the window. If he doesn’t want to talk, two can play that game. Neither of us says a word as we travel up the ramp of the parking deck, coming out to the side of disappointment drop-off drive.

  As we pull through the gates that lead toward the town below, Jet lets out a heavy sigh. “Thank you for coming with me.”

  I roll my eyes toward the window. “I didn’t think I had a choice. You are my shadow, after all.” My tone is clipped and laced with frustration. As I feel his hand begin to rest on my leg, I scoot until I’m firmly pressed against the door, out of his reach.

  “I’ve only been trying to keep you safe, Briar. I’m so sorry you’ve had to endure spending so much time with me.”

  I turn my head just far enough that I can see him from the corner of my eye, instantly feeling guilty for the hardened look on his face. I unfold my arms from across my chest, reaching across the bench seat and resting my hand on his leg. “I haven’t endured anything. I happen to like being with you.”

  He drops one hand from the steering wheel, resting it atop of mine and curling his fingers around. “I’m glad. I know it’s been tough not being able to go off campus and having me constantly around, but I promise it’s only because I care. Not to annoy you.”

  My guilt continues to grow with his sincere words. It wasn’t my intention to hurt him. Unfastening my seatbelt, I slide toward him, leaning against his side.

  He lifts one arm, draping it around me and pulling me close.

  “Where are we going?”

  I feel his shoulder shrug slightly.

  “I don’t know. I just know I had to get out of there before I broke the Dean’s face.”

  I lift my head, looking up to find him working his jaw, his face consumed with anger. “What did your dad do?”

  He remains quiet, almost as if he’s deciding whether to tell me. “Are you hungry?”

  My eyes roll so far in the back of my head I think they may stick that way. Starting to move back across the seat, I pause as Jet grips my wrist.

  “I’m asking because I want to sit down and explain everything that happened. If you’re hungry, we can kill two birds with one stone.”

  I shrug my shoulder, still moving back to the passenger side. “Sure.”

  He drops my wrist as I place the seatbelt back around me, gripping my hand and lacing his fingers through mine to rest between us. Before long, we’re rolling into a town I’ve never been to since I’ve never branched out of the borders of the small town that rests down the hill from the Academy.

  “What do you feel like having? This place has a little more to offer than Lackingville.”

  I turn to Jet, my brows drawing together. “The town outside of the Academy is called Lackingville?”

  He lets out a chuckle, then tosses his hands up. “It’s fitting. The underachievers and the lacking.”

  I laugh along with him, shaking my head slowly at the irony.

  “There’s a Mexican place that’s pretty good.”

  A grin pulls onto my lips as he glances over at me, his mouth tugging up to one side. “I love Mexican food.”

  “Good. It’s one of my favorites.”

  I give him a playful eye-roll when he glances my way, enjoying hearing the laughter that comes from him.

  I grab a chip from the basket that rests in the middle of the table, dunking it in the bowl of salsa. “Soooo.”

  Jet dips his chip in the salsa, shoving the whole thing in his mouth. He watches me intently as he chews. Swiping his drink from the table, he takes a large gulp of the amber beer he ordered as soon as we were seated. Placing the glass to the table, he sits back, his hand slowly twisting the brown bottle in a slow circle as he stares at it. “I got into it with my dad.”

  I snag another chip, patiently waiting for him to continue.

  “He informed me that whoever attacked you is no longer being pursued.” He scoffs as he lifts the beer, taking another sip.

  “Nothing else has happened. It could be a misunderstanding.” I give him a small smile, arching one brow upward.

  He gives me a pointed look as he lowers the bottle from his lips. “That’s not a misunderstanding spell, Briar. Someone wanted you dead.”

  I wince at the sharp words, even though I know they are right.

  “Angie and dad blindsided me today.”

  I sit up straighter at the mention of his best friend but bite my tongue to avoid saying anything. “Why was Angie part of the meeting?” Her name leaves my mouth with a hint of contempt.

  The corner of Jet’s lip twitches as he tries to hold back a smirk, fully hearing the jealousy in my voice. “She’s the head of the student council. Anything that pertains to the students she’s involved in.”

  I grab another chip, dunking it in the red dip, going for casual.

  “I know you don’t like her.”

  I shake my head slowly, shrugging both shoulders. “I never got the chance to know her and decide if I liked her or not. Granted, her physically attacking me, not once, but twice, definitely earned her a spot on my shit list.”

  Jet laughs lightly, lifting his beer and finishing it off. As he places the empty glass to the table, a sad smile crests his lips. “Angie wasn’t always like that. I’ve known her and her family as long as I can remember.” He lets out a long breath, grabbing for another chip. “Everything about her changed in the last year. It’s like I don’t even know who she is anymore.”

  I stay quiet, munching on the chips and salsa.

  “Anyway, the hunt for whoever performed that spell is over.” He pushes back from the table, standing and striding toward the bar.

  I watch as he leans his forearms along the wooden counter, ordering another drink. He glances over to me, smiling at me, then a wink. I face the table as my cheeks tint with a blush at the simple gesture. A gesture that could be taken friendly or something more than friends. I keep my eyes focused on the plate before me that the waitress dropped off in Jet’s absence as he slides in the chai
r across from me.

  “I was told that you are to move back to your room.”

  My head snaps upward, my eyes locking on his that show his disappointment. “But, my room is destroyed!”

  He gives a small nod, lifting his fork and pushing his food around. “I mentioned as much. Dad was calling someone in to fix everything when I stormed out of his office.”

  I continue to stare at him across the table, not sure of why I feel the overwhelming disappointment that I do. “Well, it’s been fun being roomies.”

  He lifts his eyes to mine, his brows drawing together tightly. “Do you really think I’m going to let you sleep alone when the person that did that to you hasn’t been caught? I don’t give a shit what Angie has to say about the policies of coed roommates.”

  A relieved sigh leaves me, and I’m not sure if it’s my concern for my safety or the simple fact that I want Jet with me.

  “I was strongly urged to avoid you moving forward.”

  My shoulders slump as I wait for him to tell me we can’t be friends anymore. After the Dean, his dad, told me to stay away from Jet, I knew it would only be a matter of time before he ended our relationship. “I understand.” Dropping my head, I shove my fork into my food, bringing it to my mouth and chewing slowly as I avoid looking across the table.

  “That’s the point I stormed out of the meeting. He can’t force me to stay away from you.”

  I lift my head, noting the intense look in his eyes.

  He shakes his head ever so slowly. “I couldn’t let you go, even if I wanted to.”

  My breath hitches in my throat as his eyes bore into mine. He lifts his beer bottle, tossing it back and finishing his second one in the short time we’ve been here.

  As we walk out of the restaurant, Jet passes me his car keys. “Can you drive?”

  I take the keys from him, hooking my arm through his as he holds it out for me. Sliding in the driver's seat, I wait for him to get in before starting the car. As I put it in reverse, a smirk crests my lips as I look over my shoulder to back up. “I hope I’m good at this whole driving thing. I’ve never done it before.”

  I burst into a fit of giggles when I look over to him, finding a prettified look on his face as he stares at me. Waving a hand toward him, I move the vehicle toward the street. “I’m kidding, Jet. I’ve been driving for years, and I promise I’m not going to put a scratch on your precious Betsy.” I roll my eyes to myself as I pull onto the main road, remembering when he casually referred to his car with a name.