Page 73 of The Devils They Are

Normally I'd have no qualms with sitting near him, but after my fight with Rylan last night, the idea makes me nervous.

I have no idea if he's told his best friends about what transpired between us. Part of me believes he has. No doubt it would give them a good laugh or fresh ammo to use against me. I keep waiting for the bullet to graze, my secrets to be unraveled in enemy territory.

But when I sit down, there's no snide remarks about it—just Tai's usual taunting demeanor.

"Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," he murmurs, cocking an eyebrow.

"I'm not in the mood today, Beckett."

Tai grins, scooting his chair and desk closer. "Don't be like that, Spencer. Besides, we're going to be spending a lot of time together. We should become friendly."

My head snaps toward him, grimacing as I try to surmise what he's referring to. But before I can question him—even against my will and sound state of mind—Mr. Valkov's loud voice booms over the class.

"Pay attention! As we are now nearing finals week, it is my duty to ensure you all pass—mainly because I don't want to see you here again next year."

Well, no one can disagree with that. Repeating senior year sounds like endless torture. I'd rather scoop my eyeballs out with a rusty spoon.

Mr. Valkov's eyes linger over the class, scanning each and every one of us as if he's trying to make a point. "Therefore, given the current climate, I have decided it is best to prepare you with additional assigned tasks. I understand the past few weeks have been difficult," he pauses, looking at a few Cedar students perched in the front row. "But there's no reason why that would stop you from passing. To ensure you achieve the highest grade possible, you will be partnered up with a study buddy for the remainder of the semester."

What?

Since when do you need a study partner foralgebra?

Murmurs float through the room. Everyone, including the Willowbrook students, appear surprised by this late addition to the module.

"I will be placing a list by the door, assigning you to a partner. You will notice that I have attempted to pair up students together from each academy. This is beneficial," his voice raises as the murmurs turn angry. "It will allow you to explore each other's knowledge, perhaps giving you an advantage. It is also my hope that it will teach you unity, removing any distractions upon finals week."

Ahh—essentially, they are forcing us to be friends.

Once again… what the fuck?

Mr. Valkov walks over to his desk, plucking up a piece of paper. "This is mandatory. Should you not comply it will be an automatic failure as the task is now worth a percentage of your final grade. Now, we're going to continue where we left off—trigonometric functions. I'm about to hand out a pop quiz so I can ascertain your current level of knowledge. This topic will be in the finals, so pay attention to the questions and take them seriously."

There's a chorus of groans as he starts walking the rows, handing out the quiz papers. Once distributed, he makes tracks to the door, slapping the partner list on it with a heavy thud.

I have no idea how I'm supposed to concentrate on this pop quiz when all I want to do is check the list. But I manage to push through, mainly because I'm gifted with some mild entertainment. Tai cusses quietly next to me, muttering something about cotangents being shoved into anal orifices.

By the end of class, people shove past one another to get to the door, a line forming as people survey the list. I hang back, not keen on being stampeded. I want to know as soon as possible so I can prepare for inevitable torture, but at the same time, I'm in no rush to meet my fate now that I have the opportunity to check.

Finally, the line dissipates. Approaching the list hesitantly, I grip my bag strap in my fist as my eyes run down the list. Behind me, Tai peaks over my shoulder.

"Well, this is going to be fun," he grins, making my back muscles tense up.

I wish I could feign ignorance, but there's no denying what I'm seeing on the paper. It's exactly what I had silently prayed against. But it's there for us, in black and white.

Tai Beckett (W) and Bexley Spencer (Ce.)

Chapter twenty-six

Bexley

Grumbling,Ican'thidethe disdain from my face as I ring the doorbell. There's only one small consolation to me voluntarily coming to this hellhole, and somehow, I manage to crack a smile when the door swings over and I'm tackled by Soph.

"I'm sorry!"

"Can't… breathe," I choke out.

She pulls back with a sheepish grin. "Sorry—again."

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