Page 101 of The Academy

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All best…

Beneath Mikayla’s signature is a PS:Maybe we can grab a drink in Oak Bluffs this summer. Call me!

Yes!Audre thinks.At Nancy’s!But then she stops herself. Mikayla Ekubo and Douglas Worth put Audre through this nonsense based solely on envy and bad faith. They contacted the press, throwing Tiffin’s reputation into question. Audre willnotgo for a drink with Mikayla; furthermore, she deserves an apology from Worthless.

Audre wonders if any news outlets will pick up the story that Tiffin achieved its number two ranking legitimately, but she suspects the answer is no. Theabsenceof corruption and bribery isn’t interesting to anyone.

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Audre could—and should—share the email with Jesse Eastman and Cordelia. She will in good time, but right now Audre would liketo savor the academy’s vindication alone. She decides to go for a stroll. It is, as her grandmother would say, one of god’s days, offering the kind of spring weather people write poems about. The Japanese cherry blossom trees outside the chapel are blooming; the path below them is carpeted with brilliant pink petals. The wildflowers in the Pasture are worthy of a Monet painting. Mr. James is out and about on his riding mower, leaving the scent of fresh-cut grass in his wake. Audre heads for the athletic fields, where she spies the girls’ lacrosse team running drills. Along the fence, Audre notices Madison J. and Willow Levy, heads together, whispering. Audre is captivated by the tableau. This is what a top-tier boarding school is supposed to look like: a balance of hard work and intimate relationships. Audre strides over to the girls.

When Madison J. sees Audre, her eyes widen. “Hey, Ms. Robinson.”

Willow Levy spins around. Her expression can only be described as panicked, but Audre must be misreading things. She and Willow have a good relationship.

“Sorry to interrupt, girls,” Audre says. “It’s such a glorious day, I wanted to get some air.”

Madison J. and Willow stare at her, both of them looking like they’re about to lose their lunch.

“Is everything okay, girls?”

Yes, yes,they quickly assure her. “We just didn’t expect to see you,” Madison J. says.

A whistle blows and Willow reinserts her mouth guard. The girls run off, cradling their sticks.

Audre supposes the incident with Levi—he’s the only student to be expelled in recent years—has changed the way students view Audre. They’re wary of her now.

Audre strolls past the dorms, which are quiet; everyone is at afternoon activities. She considers doubling back to Jewel Pond, but shewants to see the rock garden near the Back Lot; it’s bordered by dogwoods, which must be in full bloom.

And they are! Audre is so dazzled by the snowy white blossoms brightening the homely Back Lot that it takes her a moment to notice Chef Haz and East standing together next to a shiny silver pickup.

The pickup, Audre knows, is Chef Haz’s new truck. Cordelia had mentioned it, then wondered aloud if Chef had placed a particularly profitable bet. “A truck like that would be difficult to afford on what he makes.”

Suddenly, Audre gets the Feeling. There’s nothing outwardlywrongwith Chef and East talking in the Back Lot. East doesn’t have an afternoon activity—he’s exempt, yet another rule bent on his behalf—and it’s not as though she’s caught him huffing glue or running a dice game or tagging the campus with graffiti. Audre marvels for a second at what a good year East has had; there were a few vaping infractions from Mr. Ewanick, but nothing more. Audre is tempted to chalk it up to his relationship with Charley Hicks. Or maybe Andrew Eastman is finally growing up.

But something about Chef and East’s conversation seems clandestine. They’re standing very close together with their heads bent, the same sort of posture Madison J. and Willow were just affecting. Of course, Haz and East know each other from New York City, the Dewberry Club; they might be closer than Audre realized.

Then, suddenly, Chef looks up and sees Audre. He cups his hands around his mouth and says, “I have a surprise for you at dinner tonight!”

Oooh!Audre thinks, and the Feeling instantly vanishes. Strolling the rock garden will have to wait; it’s time for Audre to return to the office. After all, the number two boarding school in the country doesn’t run itself.