Page 90 of The Invite
A test of sorts.
Ugh… my mind is running in circles and I can’t make it stop spinning. It’s as if I’m upset that he didn’t show me the courtesy to tell meit’s over. Or that I’ve become addicted to his brand of torment.
Christ! Augustus has done a number on me in the span of a few days.
“Miss Davenport?”
I jerk from my daydream and focus on Capri. “Yes?”
“I wanted to ask if this assignment will count in our grades?” she asks.
“No, this was just a fun activity I wanted to do to get to know you all,” I assure her with a smile. “Even if I was, you didn’t need to worry because I loved what you wrote. It was an interesting perspective.”
“Thank you.” She perks up. “I’ve always been fascinated with horror movies with masked villains. So, it was cool working on it.”
“I’m glad you enjoyedit, Capri.”
“I did. See you tomorrow.”
The class went by smoothly with the students behaving properly and no arguments breaking out. The bell had rung a few minutes ago and thekids are slowly dispersing. I see Scarlett’s group about to walk out.
“Scarlett, would you hang back for a minute?”
“Why?” Her tone is snooty.
I ignore itsince I know it’s because of her loyalty to her brother. In her eyes, I’m the enemy. Instead of giving a reaction, I calmly reply, “I want to discuss your essay.”
Her friends leave and she struts my way. Scarlett is a stunning girl, even if her attitude could use an adjustment. Judging by the essay she wrote, she’s smart as well.
“What about it?” she asks while looking at her nails, like she’d rather be anywhere else. I long ago taught myself to not let petty behavior affect me.
Besides, as her teacher, I have to be unbiased.
“I wanted to tell youthat it was great. I loved your insights and I could feel as though you connected to the topic personally,” I praise her, which makes her do a double take. I smile inwardly. “Most of your peers wrote how they found masked men hot rather than using it as an opportunity to dig deeper.”
The initial shock evaporates and she impatiently huffs, “Thanks. Is that all?”
Now to the hard part. I shuffle the papers around on my desk until I find what I’m looking for and slap it toward her. She glances at them briefly and tilts her head for me to explain.
“Mind telling me whose assignments these are and why you slipped them in with the rest of the papers?”
Yeah, you’re not as sneaky as you thought, Scarlett Grayson.
Rather than deny it, she cocks her hip to the side and answers, unafraid, “Augustus’s and Maverick’s. Their roll numbers are at the top.”
“You very well know they are suspended, Scarlett.”
“I don’t see no reason why their grades should suffer.” Pressing a finger on the top of the papers, she slides it across to me. “I’ll be submitting this month’s assignments on their behalf also.”
Arrogance seems to run in the Grayson family. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out it’s because of their mother.
“I’m the teacher and I don’t take orders from my students. So, I’m giving you a chance to take these back and we can forget this whole thing happened.”
I expect an argument from her entitled self, but she shocks me with an ultimatum.
“You’re the one who signed an NDA, Miss Davenport. The parties involved in the contract don’t include me and I will spread the bullshit lies you accused my brother and Maverick of to the entire school. I will do it in such a way that it’ll look like you told it. Thus, breaching the contract and losing your job.” Staring down her nose at me with a smirk, she warns, “Let me tell you another thing, you do not want to cross my mother. So, I’d suggest you take these two assignments and grade them properly.”
Without waiting for a response, knowing she’s got me, she turns and leaves the classroom. The saddest part is I know she wasn’t bluffing, which means I cannot risk losing the job that I’m beginning to enjoy.
