Page 50 of Rockwell Academy: The Twist

Santi yells, “Silence!”

We all fall back against the wall as Luca and Jesse head back into the chamber and take their positions at the back of the room.

As Jack and Siri kneel, Cassie tenses beside me and can’t tear her eyes away from the scene. It’s as if she is frozen to the spot and I wait with curiosity because the game has now changed and I wonder if that will affect Jack’s decision.

Santi repeats his words and Siri’s voice wobbles a little as she whispers, “I choose to stick.”

She doesn’t sound confident and I’m not surprised because Jack now has a choice that he didn’t have the last time. Twist and be free to hook up with his bestie. I am still convinced they haven’t resolved their attraction to one another. Or do the honorable thing and stick with my cousin, because Jack is the good guy and I’d be surprised if he backs down from his word.

He isn’t happy. It’s obvious from the defeated slant to his shoulders and his concerned glance at Cassie. She is rigid beside me, almost hanging off his words as he nods and turns to Siri, a flicker of doubt crossing his expression.

Santi asks him for his decision and Jack says loudly, “My decision is–” Once again, he turns to Cassie and then turns back and stares hard at Santi as he delivers his decision.

‘To stick.”

I can breathe again.

I wasn’t aware I was holding my breath, but it’s as if I watched the entire delivery from far away. It may be my imagination but Cassie relaxes beside me and as Santi declares the ceremony over and instructs us to leave, I note Cassie moves at speed toward the door, creating distance between us as I knew she would.

It cuts me deep knowing I can’t go after her to explain my decision and bring her around to my way of thinking – but I can’t. Business comes first and this night will be a long one as the rest of the challengers from every Claiming ceremony that took place here last semester, make their decisions known.

I walk out of the chamber alone. As I pass the cells, I notice River hunched on the floor, his head down and his face masked by the shadows. I will come back to him later. There is one person I must speak to first before I deal with the problem that goes by the name of River Callahan.

I step outside as the next set of challengers line up, ready to declare their fate in front of the place that determined it.

I don’t miss the sneers on the faces of the girls waiting. It’s obvious news travels fast around here and not one student will understand why I decided to twist. Outwardly, we are the perfect couple. Rockwell royalty if you like.

As the small group move inside, Ali whispers, “I wouldn’t want to be walking in your shoes for the next few days.”

“I can deal. It’s all good.”

He chuckles softly. “Tell that to Cassie. She tore out of here like a cyclone.”

“Where did she go?”

He points in the direction of the lake and I whisper, “Thanks.”

As I make to follow her, I turn and ask, “What about the others?”

When I say that, I mean only one person, and Ali’s conniving smile tells me he knows exactly who I mean.

He shakes his head. “They all went back to the house as arranged. She took off alone.”

I say nothing and head into the darkness, conscious I have a couple of hours at best before I must head back to deal with River.

As I walk, I consider what I’m about to find because Cassie will be pissed and I don’t blame her.

I made out I would stick. I wasnevergoing to. I told her she had better have no other answer than stick and she upheld her end of the deal. The trouble is, I never made the deal in the first place and she is about to discover why and it may not go well—for me.

23

CASSIE

Ihad to get away. Standing beside Frankie was torture watching the other couples reconfirm their choices, except for River and Autumn. I kind of understand how he must be feeling because I was blindsided by Frankie’s decision and so was he. When one person sticks and the other one twists, it throws a whole new slant on the relationship you thought you had.

As I reach the riverbank and sit on the edge, I stare up at the half moon, hugging my knees to protect my heart that is sore but will survive. I willnotlet him break me. I am stronger than that and so what if Frankie decided to cut ties, it’s his loss, not mine.

Keep on telling yourself that.

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