by Alana Siegel
I was secretly happy when the school board ushered us into another building. After my rocky start as a member of the Gifted, I wanted to return to a comfortable schedule. However the new building promised even more than an easy routine. It meant that I never had to step foot in Ms. Magos's hidden classroom again. Just thinking about the room gave me the creeps.
Our former Global Studies teacher, Ms. Magos, was one of Prometheus’s followers. By creating the Gifted Program, a place we could share our secret and find out about others like us, Ms. Magos had deceitfully gained our trust and infiltrated our friendships. We had depended on her, and in the end she was the reason that Helen was in such danger.
Helen, Jaime, and I reached the main entrance, joining students who were unloading from the buses. Before entering the building, two sophomore boys playfully shoved each other as they stepped on the random spurts of weeds that infiltrated the broken sidewalk.
We made a point to wave at Max and Chelsea, who were hanging out on the newly designated “Smokers’ Corner.” Chelsea Steinem was Max's current girlfriend. Blonde and fierce, she had spent most of the fall making nasty comments about me under her breath. She wore a silver Gifted headband and could become invisible at a moment’s notice. The only thing that gave her away was the vanilla scent she emanated when she disappeared.
It was shocking to find out that we had too much in common to spend our time hating each other; however, even more shocking was the fact that Ms. Magos was Max's sister.
I didn’t miss Ms. Magos, but we had learned a lot from her Gifted Program. After discovering her lies, we became a united group, Helen, Jaime, Chelsea, Max, and I. Mr. Dimon was too busy with the district to carry on the Gifted Program so we took it upon ourselves to teach each other, as best we could.
Ducking into the building, I slowed my pace, and felt my heart rate speed up. I was happy to share the short ride to school with Helen and Jaime each morning, but it was the two minutes before the first bell for class that I looked forward to the most, and today, I wasn’t going to be disappointed. As my eyes followed the long row of grey lockers down the hall, I held my breath, anticipating Justin’s arrival.
To keep reading, visit the Amazon page for The Retreat, book #2 in the Olivia Hart and the Gifted Program series. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008WVP2U2
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