School of Broken Hearts: Academy of Souls Book 2

by C. R. Jane

  “Meditating alone in that gymnasium. I think he’s a deeper soul than I first thought. But you need to see him with no shirt, the guy is ripped.”

  I pull back. “This feels creepy.”

  She snorts in laughter. “No, it doesn’t. And I want to see him… And don’t you want to find out what’s going on at this school? What if he knows something?” She pushes her thick-framed glasses up her nose.

  I eye her suspiciously. “Sounds like a long shot to me.”

  “A chance I’m willing to take.” She drags me toward the darker corridor, away from our classes and to where I first bumped into Clarissa giving it to Mr. Dusk. We follow the passage with few lights and shadows crowd the corners. Unease sits in my chest the farther we move.

  Around the next bend, we spot the gymnasium doors, and Mercy is moving faster, me on her heels. Her breaths race, and we halt in front of the closed entrance.

  Her hand reaches for the metal handle and in slow motion she pushes it down. It’s so quiet, I hear the tiny groaning of metal as the lock pulls free. I’m chewing on my lower lip, praying no one is inside. I don’t want to come face to face with a group of the beautiful students and have to explain why we’re here. But what if Mercy’s right and today we uncover something?

  My stomach shifts and my eyes are glued to the door slowly inching open. A sliver of a gap appears, a dull light rushing out.

  No sounds are coming from inside and the hall appears empty… at least the part we can see.

  Mercy pushes it wider inch by inch, and I’m frozen in place, expecting to see someone. The gym comes into view, and soon we’re standing in the doorway, staring at an empty room.

  “Well that was a bust?” she says begrudgingly.

  “What’s a bust?” a deep voice comes from behind us.

  I jump in my skin, my heart banging against my ribcage, and swerve around. Mercy loses her footing in her shuddering and catches herself on the doorframe.

  “What the fuck?” she mumbles.

  Connor is standing several feet away in the hallway, shadows swallowing his body… except his dark eyes are on us… intense and piercing.

  “What are you doing here?” I snap, my heartbeat still running a marathon through my veins.

  “You scared us half to death. Don’t sneak up on people.” Mercy is breathing hard, her chest working overtime.

  “What are you doing here?” he asks, all authoritative, like he belongs.

  He’s been at this school all of two seconds, so I don’t owe him any kind of explanation. I lift my chin and face him. “What are you doing here?”

  His eyes fall to me, tracing me up and down. “I’m here for martial arts training.”

  I exchange confused looks with Mercy. “There’s martial arts classes at this school?”

  “You didn’t know?” Connor asks, mirth slithering behind his voice, and I want to slap that smirk right off his face.

  When I really look at him now, I see he’s wearing black slacks and a tight Tee with the school insignia. How does he get into a class I have no clue about and he now wears a t-shirt with the golden emblem like all the beautiful people? I don’t even have one yet.

  “How?” the word falls from my mouth before I can stop myself.

  He strolls closer, gym bag in hand, and brushes past me. “Is it me or are you jealous?”

  “She’d never be jealous of you,” Mercy blurts out in my defense. “Adeline doesn’t need a stinking class with all the hoity toity students to pretend to be cool. She’s amazing already.”

  Connor gives a half laugh and enters the gymnasium. “I’m sure she is.”

  I turn to watch him strut his stuff, and as much as he irritates me, I can’t help but notice there’s something different about him. He’s no longer the shy guy from my old school who hovered on the outskirts of the popular crowd... Now, he’s somehow become someone who fits right in with the popular crowd.

  “Doing anything exciting for your birthday?” he asks like I’m a child about to hold a party.

  “It’s your birthday soon?” Mercy beams, bouncing on her toes. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I totally forgot about it.”

  Voices stream in from the hallway, and Mercy snatches my wrist. “We need to go and fast.” I follow her lead, my legs pushing one after another. I can’t help but take another look back to see Connor watching me with a smirk. What does he know that I don’t?

  We turn a corner and students are walking to the gymnasium. They’re giving us strange looks but we pretend not to see them, keeping our heads low and moving fast.

  When we finally leave the hallways, we rush downstairs, and burst outside where I can breathe easily.

  “What the hell was that about?” Mercy stares at me. “The tension between you two is like a balloon about to pop. And he freaking likes you. Does anyone in this school not drool over you?”

  There isn’t an ounce of jealousy in her voice, but more curiosity. “Pretty sure lots of people hate me. Like Clarissa and her group of friends.”

  She flaps an arm in the air as if Clarissa is a pesky mosquito she’s trying to squash. “She hates everyone. Anyway, I could do with a huge hot chocolate right now.”

  We head to the food court. It’s earlier than normal and the grounds are empty for a change with everyone still in class. Even with the sun still behind the clouds, being outdoors feels calming.

  “He’s cute you know,” Mercy breaks the silence.

  “Who?”

  “Connor. You made him out to be a monster.”

  I cut her a sharp stare. “How someone looks doesn’t make them a good or bad person.”

  “Yeah I know, but when he looked at you up there, it wasn’t from someone who wants to hurt you, but someone who genuinely likes you.”

  “Problem is I don’t trust him.”

  After a long pause, Mercy nudges me. “So, what do you want to do for your birthday?”

  “Nothing. Absolutely nothing.”

  But Mercy is grinning mischievously with the promise of the complete opposite.

  Chapter 7

  I wake up when I hear shuffling under my door. I sit up bleary-eyed just in time to see someone stuff a piece of paper under the door and into my room. Jumping out of bed, I throw open the door, but there’s no one there.

  Closing my door in puzzlement, I pick up the piece of paper. “MANDATORY PHYSICAL” is the first thing I read. Frowning, I read through the rest of the document. Evidently going on the camping trip requires a physical with the school doctor approving you to go. It doesn’t sound that bad, if I hadn’t spent the last year going back and forth between hospitals and doctor’s appointments with my dad. Just the thought of stepping foot into any kind of medical facility, even one that was just in the school, made me want to throw up.

  Maybe I should just skip the campout? I immediately throw that idea away. Mercy had gone on and on about how much fun camping was and I had always loved doing things outdoors. I also balked at the idea of missing something fun at this school. I’ve already been through too much here and it had definitely soured the experience. If I was going to be stuck here, then I needed to take advantage of everything that made this school special. It was the only way that I was going to survive.

  There was also the fact that I hadn’t heard if I had made Choir yet. If I hadn’t, I was going to need something to distract me.

  Sighing, I log into the campus interface and schedule my physical for the end of the day. Getting it done early means I only have to dread the rest of today rather than the whole week if I delayed it.

  I get dressed, wishing not for the first time that we were allowed to wear pants as part of our uniform. Looking outside I can see that it’s a drizzly, foggy morning, something straight out of a horror film...as usual. The cold seems to seep into my bones. I pull my cardigan closer around me as I leave the room, hoping that there will be hot chocolate or something that I can drink to help me warm up. I had told Alexander that
I was getting breakfast at nine, but I’m sure he’ll figure out where I am eventually. I haven’t been attacked by any other random students so I’m feeling more confident being by myself.

  Mercy’s shown me a shortcut a few times, so I decide to try it to get to breakfast quicker. I’m down one hallway, about to turn into the next when I see Nyx standing by one of the windows, his shoulders curled as if he’s in pain. I don’t know him well at all, but the sight of him looking so miserable...well, I don’t like it.

  “Nyx?” I say softly, not wanting to startle him. His shoulders tense and he whirls around to face me, his face a picture of anger.

  “What the hell do you want?” he barks at me. “You already have the other three kissing your ass, don’t think I’m going to be the fourth.”

  I stare at him shocked, not understanding where his ferocity is coming from. And his statement about the other three...well evidently, he hasn’t been paying attention.

  “I…” I begin to speak, but he cuts me off again.

  “What are you even doing down this hallway in the first place? Looking for a quick fuck? There’s got to be something more to you that’s getting them all riled up. The innocent school girl routine doesn’t usually do it for me, but I’m willing to give it a try,” he continues harshly as if he just can’t control the words that are coming out of his mouth.

  My cheeks flush at his accusations. “Just forget it,” I spit at him, before turning around and beginning to practically run back the way that I had come. There’s a split second of silence before he calls my name. The sorrow in his voice is so different from the anger I’d just heard that it makes me stop. He calls my name again, and I turn around.

  He’s standing there, all the anger erased from his countenance. In its place is a guy that looks like he’s lost all hope.

  His cruel words are still ringing in my ears, but the part of me that is apparently a bleeding heart forces my feet to start walking back towards him. My stomach growls, but I ignore it. At least my rage at his words succeeded in warming me up a bit.

  “I’m sorry,” he says softly once I’m standing in front of him. “You just saw me in a way that I usually hide from people.”

  I think about who I’ve always thought he was...the party boy, always up for a good time. The guy standing in front of me is a far cry from that.

  I’m not sure what to say. “Is there anything I can do to help?” I ask.

  He’s quiet for a minute, as if he’s thinking it over. “Fancy a walk?” he finally says.

  “A walk?” I repeat lamely, thinking of how awful it had looked outside when I had first woken up. I peer out the window behind him to see if it’s improved at all. Nope, still terrible.

  “Come on, Adi,” he cajoles. “I’ll even get you some hot chocolate and let you borrow my coat before we get out there.”

  My eyes widen. “I may have watched you a few times here and there,” he says, his cheeks blushing with embarrassment. “I know you like your hot cocoa on cold mornings.”

  My heart starts to do that weird pitter-patter thing it always seems to do around him and his friends. I wasn’t sure why it affected me so much to hear that he had watched me. I guess if I was honest with myself, I would admit that I had watched him quite a bit as well.

  “Only if you grab extra marshmallows,” I finally answer with a smile.

  His answering grin is so bright it makes me take a step back. I notice that his pale blue eyes actually have specks of yellow and orange in them. They almost seem to be flickering with a cold flame as he beams at me.

  I could get lost in that smile.

  “Stay right here. I’ll be right back,” he says quickly, as if he’s afraid that I’ll disappear.

  “I won’t move,” I promise, and that smile of his makes me want to keep my promise.

  No more than five minutes go by before he’s back with a huge rambler that could easily satisfy three people who want hot cocoa, and a red North Face jacket.

  I don’t think it’s quite cold enough to warrant that level of jacket, but I still appreciate the gesture when I slip it on. I’m immediately enveloped in his smell, a mixture of freshly baked cookies and toffee. It’s hands down one of my new favorite smells and I can’t help but take a big whiff even though I know he’s watching me closely.

  “There’s more where that came from, darlin,” he says with a wink and I laugh at his playfulness. He grabs my hand, making me flush from the intimate contact and we walk down a few more hallways until we’re outside.

  What at first I thought looked haunting, actually looks and feels refreshing once I’m in it. The fog smells slightly like the sea and it makes the forest around us smell even crisper.

  “I love this type of weather. It reminds me of better times,” he says with a smile that this time is half a grimace.

  When I don’t answer, he continues. “Before we moved to New York, my mom and I lived in San Francisco. We always loved watching the fog roll into the bay.”

  “When did you move to New York?” I ask. His face flushes for some reason at my question.

  “When I became a teenager,” he says, but the way he says it doesn’t seem like he’s telling the truth or at least makes it seem like he’s withholding something. But why would he lie about that?

  “So, how did you meet the guys then? When you moved to New York?” I ask, thinking not for the first time that I know nothing about all of them.

  Nyx’s shoulders stiffen up again, and he anxiously pushes his chestnut hair out of his face.

  “I’ve known Alexander and Dante since we moved to New York,” he finally says gruffly.

  “Oh, were you guys neighbors?” I blandly ask, watching in awe as a white owl floats through the trees in front of us. Its ear-like tufts remind me of a teddy bear… this bird is spectacular.

  Nyx remains quiet for so long; I finally drag my eyes away from the owl to see what’s taking so long to answer. His lips are pursed and there’s an aura of shame about him.

  “Nyx?” I say softly.

  “My mother is the housekeeper for Alexander and Dante’s family,” he finally whispers.

  I trip on a fallen branch with that statement, throwing my hot cocoa out in front of me. Nyx catches me before I fall.

  “Shocking, isn’t it,” he says wryly.

  I try to recover. “Just a little. I was under the impression that you were all…”

  “Rich? Rich and powerful? Yes, that is what Alexander has had everyone believe.”

  “So, are you friends with Alexander or not?” I ask, the beauty of our surroundings completely invisible to me at this revelation.

  “When I got to Alexander’s manor, I was bitter and rebellious. I’d been dragged from my home and my entire life. Most of the residents of the manor, and visitors, treated my mother like a slave. The things they had her do…” he pauses, looking away as if the memory physically pains him. “Anyways, Alexander and Dante caught me trying to light the manor on fire one night, with all the occupants still inside. Instead of turning me in, they befriended me. We’ve been friends ever since.”

  I shook my head, trying to get ahold of the story that I had just heard. “You tried to burn their manor with everyone inside?” I finally ask, looking at him in horror.

  “Look at me all you want, darlin’. I was a monster back then. It’s only because of Alexander and Dante actually treating me like I was someone who had value that I found myself again. Alexander and Dante even made sure that their parents set up a fund for me to attend school here.” He scratches his neck, as if that fact made him the most uncomfortable out of everything he had told me. “Basically, I’m an imposter here, and if anyone ever finds out where I truly come from, everything will suck.”

  I thought about what he had said for a moment. “You know it’s not that bad being poor,” I joke, punching him on his arm softly. “It just means you have to work a little harder.”

  He smiles grimly. “You and I grew up in different world
s. These people at this school...all the non-scholarship ones...their different, the society they live in is different. They’re like wolves looking for any sign of weakness.”

  I felt sorry for him in that moment, more than I had at any other point in the conversation. Not because his mom was a servant in his best friends’ household, but because he was so ashamed of it. My parents had always been blue collar workers, working their asses off to make sure that we had food on the table and that I had clothes without holes in them to wear to school. And that didn’t make me ashamed, that made me proud. I hoped Nyx would one day not be ashamed of where he had come from.

  I smile weakly at him, and he rolls his eyes. “Don’t tell me you feel sorry for me right now,” he says, and I just shake my head at him.

  “Just give me some more hot chocolate,” I say playfully, trying to divert his attention to another topic. I don’t know Nyx well enough to be giving him lectures about his life.

  “You’re going on the campout, right?” he asks suddenly, as he points out a chipmunk darting across the path in front of us.

  “I think so,” I respond, thinking about my looming physical.

  “Why do you have that look on your face? Hasn’t everyone told you that it’s awesome? I usually throw one of the parties and it’s one of the biggest of the year.”

  “How do you get all the stuff for those parties?” I ask, suddenly remembering how surreal it was to walk into that empty grove and see a full-on bar, dance floor, and lounging area in the middle of the woods.

  Nyx gets a smirk on his face, a piece of his chestnut hair falling into his face, making him look more like the playboy that I had always thought that he was. “Let’s just say that I’m good at collecting favors,” he says with a wink.

  “Do I even want to know?” I ask with a sigh.

  He pretends to think for a moment. “Definitely not.”

  “So, do you invite the whole school to the party during the camp or is it “exclusive” again,” I ask, putting air quotes around the term “exclusive.”

  “I invite everyone since there’s a million eyes on this event, but everyone knows who’s really supposed to show up.”