Now he knows how it feels to be the outsider.
I blow out more smoke, and it feels almost therapeutic.
Like the sweet taste of victory.
Chapter 6
“What do you think he wants?” Danna asks me as we walk down the school hallways, her words coming out like shotgun blasts.
“I told you, I have no clue,” I say.
“Does he know?” she says equally as fast.
I stop and stare at her. “Danna, stop! Your making me nervous as fuck. I don’t know. I don’t know anything.”
“So, the guidance counsellor just randomly calls you to his office. I had no clue that guidance counsellors could even summon students like that.” I look at her, and she beats me to it. “I know, you don’t know.” Danna looks around and leans in closer to me. “I mean, this has to be about us breaking into his office, right?”
“Us? I think it was you!”
Danna shushes me. “Semantics. You were there too. Just don’t tell Bryce about this. He’s already all fucked up with the whole Beasts thing. I think I scared him a bit too much.”
“You have that effect. Now stop following me and getting me all worked up before I have to go so see Henry.”
“Henry?”
I laugh. “Mr. Ferlong. I met him and his wife yesterday, at this charity thing at Cain’s house. His wife’s a real fire-cracker, not to mention state senator.”
“Henry married a state senator?”
Danna finally agrees to leave me alone for the rest of my journey to Mr. Ferlong’s office. I’m doing my best to stay calm on the outside, but it’s a circus in my head.
Why does he want to see me?
Why would a guidance counsellor want to summon a student for?
Is this something good or bad that I’m about to walk into?
I stop in front of Mr. Ferlong’s office door. The last time I stood in front of it, Danna was breaking into the office with a credit card and then stole that leather-bound book from a shelf.
I take a deep breath and knock on the door. To my surprise, Arthur Cain opens the door. He’s holding a lit cigar in one of his hands and waves me inside.
“Noelle, thanks for coming,” he says. I look at the smoke coming from his cigar. Pretty sure you can’t smoke inside a school. I walk inside, and Henry is sitting on a chair smiling at me. Then again, a man like Henry Ferlong doesn’t seem like a man who could tell Arthur Cain what he can and can’t do.
“Come and sit, Noelle,” Henry says.
“Elle. It’s Elle, actually,” I correct him.
“Right, sorry,” Henry says. Arthur Cain sits on a chair beside Henry. “Mr. Cain has come for a quick visit. He wanted to check in on how you were doing at school so far. How you are adjusting to life at Ryland Academy.”
I smile. “So, how am I doing?” I sit on a chair opposite of the two men.
“I’ve spoken to all of your teachers, and all of them have only good things to say about you. You’re attentive, complete your homework, and are active in classroom discussions. Everyone had only good things to say.”
Arthur Cain puts his cigar to his mouth. “A recipe for success.”
I try not to say something stupid, like this is only the second week of school. Obviously, my little chat with Arthur Cain at his charity event impressed him enough for him to come today.
“Thank you,” I say politely. “I hope to continue to show my potential.”
“You have done well so far, Noelle,” Cain says, blowing out smoke from his lips. I dare not to correct him, which makes me wonder how different I am from Henry. “I was particularly interested in what your business teacher had to say about you. School just started, but he has a feeling you will be his top student.”
“Thank you. If it wasn’t for you offering me this opportunity, I wouldn’t have been able to show my potential to anybody.”
“I hope you are smart enough to know how to seize an opportunity,” Cain says sternly. “I hope you’re not like—well, others. You seem like a keener[t5].” Arthur Cain stands up from his chair, prompting Henry to awkwardly get off his. I take the cue and stand with them. “I’ll be interested to hear your business teacher’s feedback after this semester. Henry here can help you pick out some courses to maximize your opportunity in your business education, if that’s what you truly want.”
“I think I’m pretty close to making up my mind,” I say with a smile.
Arthur Cain nods his head and leaves the office. He shuts the door loudly behind him. I look over at Henry, who seems just in awe of Cain’s presence as I do.
“You can go back to class, Elle,” he says to me.
“Thanks, Henry.” I leave before he can correct me and shut the office door almost as loudly as Cain.
Chapter 7
I hurry quickly through the hallways. I feel like by the time I get outside to meet up with Danna and Bryce, lunch will be halfway over.
I notice Lance in the hallway as I pass by a group of students. He notices me and quickly looks away. I take it as a sign of almost weakness that he hasn’t been able to maintain much eye contact with me after his father’s charity event.
His shyness almost makes me feel powerful. I have successfully one-upped Lance Cain. He probably thought I would have given up days ago. Hell, most girls—if they had gone through half the things I have since coming to Ryland—would run out of town without looking back.
I slow my pace near him as we pass by each other. I stare at him the whole time, waiting for him to make any type of contact.
I’m surprised when he maintains his lowered head and passes by me like any other student.
He didn’t think I’d
