Page 100 of Cryptic Curse

He pats me on the back.“Yeah, you and I will be bored stiff, but that’s all right.We’ll show these others how it’s done.”

I sigh.“I wish there were some option to skip these beginner courses.”

“You mean like proficiency exams?”

“What are proficiency exams?”

“Like when you go to college, and you want to test out of certain requirements like a foreign language, for example.You take a test showing you already have competency in it, and then you get out of taking those required courses.”

I blink.“Oh.Right.”

How could I know that?I didn’t go to college.I never went to school once I hit puberty.I had private tutors.And before that, I went to private school.

Jordan looks at me sideways.“How old are you, Daniela?”

“Eighteen.”

“Right out of high school,” he says.“I guess that explains why you don’t know about proficiency exams.”

I fake a smile.“Yeah, I guess.”

“I thought you were older,” he says.

“Nope.Barely eighteen.”

He grins.“Barely legal.”

I’m not sure what to say to that, so I don’t reply.

“Don’t you want to know how old I am?”

“Okay, how old are you?”

“Twenty-nine.”

Twenty-nine.That’s the same age as Hawk.

Again, I don’t know what to say.So I say nothing.

“So when should we hit that water park?”he asks.“This weekend?”

“I’m busy this weekend,” I say.

His face falls.“Oh.”

“I’m… I’m watching my little sister,” I say.“Except she’s not really my little sister.She’s eleven, and she lives at my house.”

“An eleven-year-old needs a babysitter?”

“Yeah.”I drum my fingers on the counter.“She’s been through…some stuff.”

“Oh, I see.Well maybe you could bring her along.Eleven-year-olds love water parks.”

“I’d love to go, but not this weekend, Jordan.But Gina and Lavender might want to go.”

He rolls his eyes.“I’m not interested in Gina and Lavender.”

“Why not?Gina’s absolutely beautiful, and Lavender… Well, she’s cute if you can get past the purple hair.”

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