Page 57 of Rejected Darkness

"Arabella! Over here!" Harper calls out when I enter the cafeteria. I give her a small wave and get in line to grab some food before going to join her. Since my class schedule changed I have combat this afternoon and I know I'll need the extracalories during lunch. Which means that I'm going to be piling my plate up with enough food to keep me going but not enough that I'm going to be sick. Grabbing a small side salad, a burger, a side of buttered carrots, some grapes, and a glass of water I head toward the table where my friends are sitting. Isis isn't here yet but Stark is sitting right next to Harper. I tilt my head in question at his presence and she just shakes her head no. This weekend during girl's night she told us that he was her second chance mate. To say we were surprised is an understatement. He was a dick in school and when we first got here, and yet somehow he is mated to one of the sweetest people I know. I'm glad she's happy but I did tell her that if he ever hurts her I will kick his ass to kingdom come and back again. She laughed and gave me permission but swore he would never do that. I still have my doubts but I'll support my friend no matter what.

"Combat?" Harper asks when I sit my tray on the table across from her.

"Yup," I sigh, already not wanting to go. Since Rhys worked with me I've gotten better but I'm still not the best. Our teacher has yet to pair me up against Rhys which is working in my favor but I'd love to face him again and see how far I've come since I've gotten to try some of the new moves on the other Angels and I've won easily.

"You shouldn't be worried. You kicked my ass in two seconds flat last week, I didn't stand a chance when before I easily could have handed you your ass," Stark chimes in before taking a bite of his burger.

We both have combat together since I got moved out of Isis's section. I also thought that would mean I wouldn't be with Rhys anymore either but of course his schedule got changed slightly. He now gets combat twice a day. Once with Phoenix and once with me. Now that I know they are related to Talia I have a feeling she did that on purpose. She can find out how I'm doingand if I'm struggling at all from Rhys. I don't want to assume she would stoop to that level and that she could just ask the teacher but it's the only thing that fits.

"Is that a compliment?" I gasp, placing my hand over my mouth in fake shock. "Well, I never thought this day would come. Harper, feel his forehead is he feeling okay?"

"Don't you dare," he growls to her before answering me. "No, it's a statement. You've improved. Wherever you got those new moves from, ask them for more, and if you can teach the rest of us."

"That is a compliment!" I gasp again. "Harper, your mate gave me a compliment. Write this day down on the calendar so I can remind him in a year."

"God you're annoying," he sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Harps, Baby, please tell your friend to shut up."

By this point, I'm laughing so hard that I'm almost in tears from our exchange. I needed that lightheartedness more than I realized, and with it being at the expense of my ex-mate's best friend just makes it a little better. Harper is laughing just as hard as me at our exchange that she can't even tell me to fuck off on Stark's behalf. He's on his own in this battle.

"Ugh, you two are the worst. Harper, I'll see you after classes. Arabella, I'll see you in combat so I can finally kick your ass." He leans over to place a kiss on Harper's forehead before standing and grabbing his now empty try and walking toward the door. It takes a few minutes for both Harper and I to calm down before we can even say anything without breaking out in laughter once more.

"Life is never boring with you around, Bella," she smiles, taking a sip of water. "Now that Stark is gone so you can't torture the poor man anymore what's up?"

"Not much...," I start to answer before three bells chime throughout the room signaling an announcement.

"Attention all Angel and Fallen Angel students," a female voice I've never heard before sounds from the speakers in the room. "In two days your final tests will commence. You will be asked to perform different tasks in front of several R.I.S.E. Academy Council Members. You will have tomorrow off to study and practice. Please visit the third-floor hallway bulletin board to see the testing schedule. Guards will be sent to escort you to your final test when it is time. Good luck to all involved."

The speaker cuts out and voices rise once again in the cafeteria. Some students return back to their normal conversations around us but I can hear several of the angels and fallen angels in the area questioning the announcement. I don't remember ever seeing something about this in the academy handbook we were given during our first weekend here. Panic begins to rise in me the longer I sit here thinking about what this means. I know my powers have improved while I've been here but I hate tests, especially ones that require showing off my powers in front of others. If it was just Talia I think I would be comfortable enough to pull it off, but if we have no idea who the other teachers are I'm going to be extremely nervous. I've heard some of the other council members are tough. I was hoping to continue avoiding them as best as I could.

"I don't remember this in the handbook," Harper states looking around the room to see others' reactions around us.

"Oh good, I don't either. I have no idea what this is about do you?" Before I can say anything more Isis is dropping down into a seat beside me and I can tell she is about to give us a piece of her mind.

"What the hell do they think we need some sort of final test for? Either were good enough to go home or were not. Honestly, we've barely been here for any sort of time. Is that really enough time for us to go home? Ugh, this is the worst," shegroans, dropping her head into her waiting hands. I can tell she's extremely troubled by this, a lot more than even I expected.

"Are you okay?" I ask softly, placing my hand on her shoulder. "I get not wanting to go home yet, trust me, but is there something more?"

"Something more? Ha!" she chuckles darkly. "The last place I want to be is home. Even if the school would tell me that I'm able to go home I wouldn't. I don't want to go back to my supposed mate even if he were to take me back. The best thing he's ever done is reject me. I like it here at R.I.S.E." she explains lifting her head to meet our eyes.

"We could talk to Talia about you staying if you want. I'm sure she would let you or help you go somewhere other than Aeris if you wanted," I offer hoping she would take it. I don't like seeing my friend upset she deserves so much more in life than her mate who rejected her and whatever she is running from back home.

"You think she would help?" she turns to look at me with hope in her eyes.

"Yeah, I can promise you that she would help." Should I be making that promise? Probably not. However, I know that Talia would offer to help her. Not only because she's my friend but because that is the type of councilwoman she is. Talia wants to see her students excel and find happiness. I'm still surprised I was so weary of her when we first arrived. She is nothing like I expected and I hope after leaving here I can still have her to go to for advice when it's needed because I know I'm going to need plenty of it while still navigating the life I've chosen now.

"Isis, you deserve to have the happiness that you want. I fully support you in doing whatever you need to find that happiness and know that both of us will be here to help you with anything and everything that you need. You're our best friend, Sweetie, and coming here with you is the greatest thing that could haveever happened to me and I bet Arabella would agree with me," Harper adds to comfort Isis.

"Thank you, both of you," she emphasizes. "Do you think we can go talk to her before we go to our next classes? I'd really like to just know that she would back me and help me. I believe you both but I also need to hear it myself ya know?"

"Whenever you're ready we can. I don't mind being late for my next class if needed. Eat something first though," I give a pointed look at her tray of food knowing she needs to eat something after having combat right before this.

"I'll just take this apple and eat it on the way. I don't think I could eat anything right now after that announcement," she counterargues, grabbing the apple and getting up waiting for Harper and I to join her. I look across the table and watch Harper just shrug in agreement. Both of us get up and join Isis, taking our trays to the trash and heading out of the cafeteria. With so many students roaming the halls right now, it takes a little longer than usual to get up to the third floor. I didn't even think to text Phoenix or Warrick to find out if Talia was in her office. I probably should have but I figured with it being a school day she would be.

When we reach the door I knock and hold my breath waiting for Talia to answer. "Come in," she calls from the other side. I turn to Isis and smile reminding her that she isn't alone here. Pushing the door open I step inside first and smile so Talia isn't worried this is a bad visit. She gives me a questioning look but hides it quickly as Isis and Harper follow me inside.

"Hi Councilwoman Talia," I state, walking closer to her desk where she is sitting. "Do you mind if we talk to you about a couple of things?"

"I think we can skip the formalities, Arabella," she chuckles, "we are family after all almost. So, is this about the announcement of the testing?"

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