The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 0220

Dad stares at me and then up at Jackson again. “What?” he asks. “I was just being polite

((

“Jacks is…not great with polite,” I say, pressing myself warmly to his side. “Actually, I think he’d probably rather fight you than do the small talk thing.”

Jackson scowls, already coming back to himself a little. “Ari, I don’t want to fight him –”

–

“I know,” I say, nodding and smiling up into his face. “Just can we all maybe take a bit of space? Try this again over midwinter, maybe over dinner?”

“Or an activity,” Rafe suggests, knowing that even a dinner might be a bit much for Jacks. ” Or a great, great deal of whiskey – barrels of it.”

“Enough,” dad snaps good–heartedly at Rafe, waving a dismissive hand at all of us as he turns away. “Fine, fine! We’ll do it all later! I need much more information anyway.”

ແ

grin after him as he walks to the bed with mom at his

did great, Jacks,” I whisper,

he murmurs, glancing after my parents. “Besides, like, my name

humorous condescension, patting him on his shoulder with a laugh. I laugh too and Jackson gives a tentative

again – suddenly, I long for a lock on it

clipboard in his hand. “I’m looking for Cadets Sinclair,

for Jesse or Rafe Sinclair, and in the intervening moment Jackson hands me his cap, which was apparently tucked into his back pocket. Hastily, I loop my hair up onto my head and whip the cap on

the professor reveals that he’s looking for Rafe Sinclair, Rafe glances back at me and then nods to him, letting

good,” the professor says, looking anxiously over

But he doesn’t say anything about that,

sigh, “the three of you have been marked as passing the

we go all the way around before we

“It’s not an issue that Cadet…Clark…” here she glances at me, and inwardly I cringe at how obvious she’s being,

to cross the finish line, full stop. I think,” he glances at my dad here, “they were written that way