Page 59 of Colton

Sophia and Grace exchange a look, though neither presses for more information, which I’m grateful for. Sophia moves to her bed, preparing her bag for the day ahead. Oftentimes, I’m insanely envious of how well organized she is. Everything is neatly categorized, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen her part of the dorm in any sort of a mess. She keeps the bathroom spotless, too.

“Hey, Ava,” Soph calls out, and I look at her. “Any plans for the winter break?”

I shrug. “I’m going home to visit my folks. Other than that, nothing. Why?”

“There are a few parties. How about you spend a few days at my place? My parents want to see you, too.”

A small smile tugs on the corner of my lips. Her parents seemed rather snobby at first glance, and when I first met them I found them extremely intimidating. They’re nothing like that, though. They’re polite, kind and so fun to be around. Her brother? Not so much. I dislike him a lot, I don’t think he has Sophia’s best interests at heart, but it’s not my place to say anything until he does anything that goes directly against her.

“Sure, I’d love to.”

“Uh, hello?” Grace waves her hands in front of our faces. “What am I? Invisible?”

Sophia rolls her eyes. “You’re invited by default. You can stay at mine, too.”

“I was planning on it,” Grace grins. “That’s perfect, since now I can avoid my own family even more.”

I wince a little. “Still no improvement?”

“None whatsoever,” she waves me off. “I got four new tattoos since I saw them last. I don’t think they’ll appreciate it.”

“It’s your body,” Sophia says, carefully picking through her perfume collection. “You’re an adult, you’re free to do as you wish.”

“Uh-huh,” Grace mumbles, sarcasm dripping from her tongue. “If only Dr. and Dr. Lennon would see it that way. But hey, once I graduate, I’m free of them!”

I want to add that she may be free of them, but she won’t be free of her husband — Kenzo, who is even more of a control freak than her parents, if that’s even possible — but I decide against it. I’m not sure how much Sophia knows, and I don’t want to step out of the line.

“I don’t mean to sound harsh,” Sophia opts for a pink bottle, spraying it a few times over her neck. “But considering how much you’ve rebelled against them, I’m surprised they haven’t disowned you yet.”

“Ah, that’s because it would ruin their pristine image,” Grace rolls her eyes. “So, they’re stuck with me. I don’t count on having a big trust fund,” she pauses, then glances at Sophia. “Speaking of trust funds, how many zeros does yours have?”

Sophia shrugs. “Irrelevant.”

“Oh, come on!” Grace nags. “I’m dying here.”

“Whatever number you’re thinking of, multiply it by four,” she winks, then heads to the door. “Let’s go. If we’re late, I’m throwing the two of you under the bus.”

◆◆◆

“Psst,” Grace whisper-yells from behind me. She’s one seat behind, whereas Sophia is all the way to the front — which comes as a surprise to absolutely no one. “Ava, any plans for the weekend?”

“Why?” I whisper back, my eyes glued to the teacher, just in case she sees us talking.

“I want to visit a club,” she says, and I sigh. “Wanna come?”

I shake my head. “Not this time. Also, pay attention — Ms. Ellie will kick us out.”

Grace grumbles something under her breath I can’t quite catch, and I can’t help but give our teacher a really good look. It’s been rumored that she’s been sleeping with Colton, and although there’s no proof to back it up, I still find myself getting slightly jealous.

She’s beautiful, and extremely smart, which is the sole reason for my jealousy. If it was real, then was it just a one time thing? Was it a full-blown relationship? Or was it just something meaningless? Thoughts swirl in my head, and I try to think of anything else, though it seems futile.

What’s worse is that we’ve all heard about Ms. Ellie and Soren. This isn’t the kind of place where someone would lie about such things, without a reason. It’s been reported on Sinners and Saints, too, though there’s no evidence.

It’s against the rules to be involved with a teacher, and although both parties are over the legal age, it’s not something that would be tolerated in this institution. The worst part? Soren would get off with a slap on the wrist, but Ms. Ellie would have her entire career ruined. Not only would she get fired immediately, the Academy would ensure she was blacklisted from every other school.

The rules about phones in class are strict — but each student still has one, if not multiple. My own buzzes in my pocket, and when I see other students in my class pull theirs out, the small hairs on my neck stand up.

Because it can mean only one thing — it’s from Sinners and Saints.