Page 77 of Fought and Freed

For the week before school started, Skylar and Jace both returned to Longville.

After her first morning of training with Harry, Maddy wished she’d waited until after school started, but she stuck with it. It slowly got easier.

In the late morning and in the afternoon, she got caught up on her classes. She used one end of the dining room table as her desk to spread out.

There were days when she wondered why she was doing any of it.

She had the money to open her bakery and all of Joan’s recipes. Was she wasting time when she could be working already? That was something she needed to really think about.

When the day came for her to take her finals, Jace drove her to the school.

She headed to the library where the dean met her.

“Maddy, it’s good to see you.” He shook her hand. “You look well. Are you ready for the tests?”

She gave a nervous smile. “As ready as I can be.”

“This is Mrs. Main, my secretary.” The dean gestured to the woman who stood beside him holding stacks of papers in her arms. “She’ll sit with you while you take your test.”

Maddy smiled at Mrs. Main, who looked back at her with an expressionless face. She seemed a little stiff with her gray hair tied in a tight bun.

The dean led her to a room with a small table, four chairs, and a whiteboard hanging on the back wall. The front wall was all glass.

“When you’re done, Mrs. Main will collect the tests for me.” He motioned to Maddy’s backpack. “Do you mind if I look in your bag? I need to make sure you don’t have anything that can help you with the test.”

She passed over her bag. “Go ahead.”

All she had was a bottle of Dr. Pepper, pens, and pencils.

He peeked in and nodded before handing it back.

Mrs. Main held out the stack of papers.

Maddy took them. “Thank you.”

The dean looked at her, and his smile dropped to a serious expression. “I must warn you that this is a one-time thing, Maddy. If you miss more classes than what’s allowed, again, then you’ll have to take the classes over. Good luck.”

With a nod toward Mrs. Main, he left the room.

Maddy settled into a chair, took a pen, and started the first test.

She was halfway through the stack when she needed a break.

She stood and paced around the room, rubbing her back.

“Are you all right, Ms. Walsh?” Mrs. Main asked.

“Yes, I’m just getting sore from sitting too long.” Maddy turned to face her. “Can I go use the bathroom?”

“Sure. I need to use it as well.” She stiffly got up, and they headed out of the room and down the hall.

Maddy finished quicker than Mrs. Main. “Can I head back first?”

“Yes, go ahead,” Mrs. Main said from within the stall. “I’ll be right behind you.”

Maddy left the bathroom and headed back toward the test room, only to come up short when she spotted Trisha and her cronies in the hall.

Great! Just what Maddy needed.

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