The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

I beam again at my friend, sitting back against the couch with a gratified sigh. "Good, I'm glad you won," I say, nestling back into the pillows. "And I hope Wright is stinking mad about it."

"Oh, I didn't win," Tony says, taking a big bite of his cookie. "You did. I got disqualified for friendly fire."

"Oh," I say, my eyes going wide as DQFF suddenly makes sense. "Really!?" I gasp, delighted. "I won!?"

A big cheer goes up in the room and I laugh, delighted as Luca bends down and opens his bookbag, pulling out not his homework - as I expected - but two bottles of whiskey and some tiny paper cups that he begins to fill and pass around. "Luca!" I gasp as everyone cheers again at the sight of the liquor. "This is contraband -"

"Oh, no one's checking," he says, laughing and handing me a little cup. "Besides, we deserve to celebrate! To Ari, champion of the day!"

Everyone begins to cheer again but I shout out to stop and raise my glass to Tony instead, insisting he take the honor. The cheer goes around and I give my friend a wink as we both salute each other and take deep sips from our cup. And as we lock eyes, I hope he understands that I really do owe him that favor. He nods deeply, letting me know that he accepts it and that he'll call it in, whenever he's ready.

"Wait, Tony," Ben says, laughing and leaning forward towards him. "Aren't you afraid of the consequences of this?"

"What consequences?" Tony asks, putting his empty cup back on the table with a shrug.

Jesse just shakes his head at him. "Our professors value loyalty and trustworthiness above all things - it's not going to look good on your record, if you've got a history of defying your Commander and killing your comrades, even in a mock battle like this."

"Ah," Tony says, closing one eye and peering devilishly at Jesse. "See, that's where your mistaken, Sinclair - because your professors value loyalty and trustworthiness. Mine, however..." he shrugs. "Value a different set of equally admirable qualities in a Cadet." "Tony," Rafe says, leaning towards him, curious. "What are you talking about? What track are you?"

to keep the smile from twitching at his lips. "No

the three tracks of the Academy represented here," Jesse continues, pointing at Ben, and then me, and then around at all the warriors in the room. "And you're not in any of our

just shrugs, clearly pleased that we don't know his secret and not planning to give

surprise when Daphne breaks the

turn to

think you're so

back against the couch cushions and grinning at Tony as she crosses her arms over her chest.

says, gesturing

room at the

"but

you

count on me, did

perhaps for the first time. "And who

go

one," Daphne says, her grin matching Tony's as she

you know, the person

of those little secret pockets into your

as he gapes at her in delight.