Page 83 of The Bleak Beginning

The thought of being forced to listen to another lecture about the significance of this school was not appealing to me. At all.

Plus, there was a higher chance of bumping into Bishop during his morning rowing practice, and after yesterday’s interaction with a Legacy, I needed a break from any potential drama for at least twenty-four hours.

“Hi, I brought you breakfast,” Sutton says before I can even register what’s happening. The smell of freshly baked pastries wafts into the room, and my stomach growls in response.

“Oh,” I manage, blinking rapidly to clear the sleep from my eyes. “Uh, thanks.”

Sutton stands there, a brown paper bag in one hand and two to-go cups of what I assume is coffee in the other. Her curly hair is tucked behind her headband, and she’s already dressed for the day in a crisp white blouse and dark jeans. I suddenly become acutely aware of my own disheveled appearance—bedhead, wrinkled pajamas, and all.

“Can I come in?” she asks, a hint of amusement in her voice.

I step aside, allowing her to enter.

“Are you ditching class too?” I ask, taking in her lack of uniform as I attempt to run a brush through the mass of tangles in my hair.

It was Friday, almost the weekend. Close, but not close enough. Unfortunately.

“I thought I’d see if you want to join me for a trip into town.”

I pause mid-brush, turning to face Sutton with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. “Town? As in off-campus? Is that even allowed?”

She shrugs, a devilish grin spreading across her face. “It’s not exactly forbidden. Just…frowned upon. But I know a way we can slip out unnoticed.”

The prospect of escaping the confines of this university, even for a few hours, is tempting. I glance at Dolores, who’s attempting to sun herself by the windowsill, completely oblivious to my internal debate.

“Come on, it’ll be fun.” Sutton comments, setting the coffee and pastries on my desk, then perches on the edge of my bed. “Besides, I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume you haven’t gotten a dress for the masquerade ball yet.”

Briefly my mind flips to the flyer I’d seen in the mail building. What had that said?

“You’re right,” I admit, setting down the hairbrush. “I haven’t.” And that’s mainly because I hadn’t known it existed until last week.

Sutton grins triumphantly. “Then it’s settled. We’ll have breakfast, head into town, and find you the perfect dress. It’ll be way more fun than sitting through lectures all day anyway.”

I snort, already feeling my resolve weakening. The idea of a day away from school, away from the drama and the pressure, is becoming more appealing by the second.

Sutton waits while I shower and get ready. About an hour later and were across campus at a parking garage.

“Who knew this was here?” I wonder aloud, following her inside.

“They try to keep it mostly hidden within the trees,” she explains. “Where else do you think we’d all park when we want to ditch campus?” Sutton adds with a playful wink.

She leads me to a sleek red car on the top floor. Only three other cars surround hers on this otherwise empty level. She unlocks it with a click of her key and slides into the driver’s seat.

As I settle in, the leather cool against my skin, a mix of excitement and nervousness bubbles in my stomach. I’ve never actually left Altair’s grounds before, not since I arrived.

Sutton starts the engine, and it purrs to life. “Ready?” she asks, her eyes glinting.

“Definitely,” I say with a grin.

We peel out of the parking garage, the windows down. The iron gate at the entry of the school is shut, but Sutton doesn’t bother slowing down, if anything I swear her speed picks up.

But just before impact, the gate smoothly slides open, sensing our approach. We zoom through, and I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.

“Hey…” I turn to glance over my shoulder as the eagle on top of the gate spreads its wings and dips into a bow, just like it did when I first arrived.

“What’s wrong?” she asks.

“Never mind,” I say, sinking back into my seat and deciding not to dwell on it. Instead, I focus on enjoying the rest of my day. “This place is so weird,” I mumble to myself.

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