Chapter 2 : Private Schools
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I quickly and silently sat up in one of the desks near the back. I had arrived in class late again. I had
snuck back into class without being noticed again... not that anybody ever did. At least all those years at
Manticore did me some good.
I quickly flipped open the textbook and started scanning through the chapters we were suppose to read the
night before.
School was so pathetic. Here I was, 18 years old and still attending a highschool... of course nobody here
knew my real age, they all thought I was only 17... since that was what it said on my fake birth certificate.
My dad had it made by a professional when I was 10, the year I met him. He had lost his twin daughters in a
fire several years ago and he yearned for a child, and when he had caught me stealing food from him --- I
guess he decided to raise me as his own. I will be forever in his debt, not only did he provide me with a
home with food to eat, but he was a great father to me as well. Any child would be lucky to call him dad.
We weren't rich by any means but I suppose we were better off than most folks. After the Pulse hit, San
Francisco transformed into hell. Drugs, alcohol, and prostitution could be found on most street corners.
Almost everybody lost their jobs. Still, because my dad was employed by the police as a forensic scientist...
we managed to escape the chaos.
I was the top student at my middle school... recieved countless national awards for various essays and
projects. And that was why I went to an upper class private high school now. A.D. Scotts Private School
gave out scholarships to a selected few every couple of years to students they deemed worthy. They deemed
me worthy when I was in grade 9 so that was why I was enrolled here.
The school was prestigous for it's students who were of powerful families that demanded them to have terrific
academic scores. Most people here were all snobbish and rich. I mean come on, what other school would you find
the student parking lot consisting of Porsche's, BMW's, and Mercedes Benz's?
"Ms. Hayden, do you know what year it was?" My socials teacher, Mr. Carduva asked me, interrupting my
thoughts. He was constantly trying to put me on the spot knowing full well that I hadn't been paying
attention to him. Well, was he going to be surprised. I had read through all the materials we were suppose
to learn this semester on the first day of school... and my memory was extraordinarily excellent.
Some other kids had raised their hands for my question, wanting to answer it if my reply was wrong.
"I believe it was 1712." I replied firmly.
The other students put down their hands. Sasha threw me a glare from her seat in the second row as she put
down her hand. Sasha Kensington and I have always been in competition with each other ever since I started
attending A.D. Scotts Private School. She was the perfect student, model athlete and the most popular girl
at our school. Just take a look at her and you'd know. She was always surrounded by her friends who always
looked as if they stepped out of the pages of Vogue. Even though we had to wear uniforms here, these girls
would wear their dresses a few inches higher and unbutton the top buttons of their shirts to reveal some
cleavage. When they walked by, the male population of our school would admiringly stare at their bodies.
Mr. Carduva had ignored my answer to his question and had continued on with his lecture... probably annoyed
that I had answer it correctly. So I tried again.
"Sir, I believe it was 1712 the year the Russians launched the attack." I said a little louder making sure
the whole class heard so Mr. Carduva wouldn't be able to dodge my answer again.
The look that crept onto Mr. Carduva's face was one of pure frustration. He always picked on me during class
time hoping he would catch me off guard. But what he couldn't possibly anticipate was that I Eva Hayden, was
never off guard... in fact the only time I was truly off guard was the two short hours of sleep I got every night.
"That is correct Ms. Hayden. I'm glad to see you are caught up in your studies." He stated snottily.
I gave a slight nod in return.
And with that, he continued with his lecture.
Another 45 minutes passed before the bell rang. The whole class stood up to leave.
"Class." Mr. Carduva started. "As you should already know, I will be out of the city for a few weeks starting
tommorow. So expect to see a substitute for me tommorow... and please behave civilly towards him."
Thank god he was leaving the city.... even if it was only for a few weeks. I was beginning to get sick of him.
Everytime he picked on me I would have to constantly remind myself not to physically harm him... afterall the
school administration would take notice of bruises on a staff member wouldn't they?
I stuffed my text book into my bag and started walking out the classroom door. Four or five girls that were
part of Sasha's clique gathered around her locker busily chatting away. Letting the curiousity get the best
of me... I tuned in to their conversation several lockers down.
Sasha, noticing that I had walked by glanced at me to make sure I wouldn't dare come close to them or to quote,
'contaminate her' as she so sourly put it. I was surprised that she actually used that word in her daily speech
considering it was such a big word for her.
Sasha turned her head around and focused on her friends.
"I heard from Amber that the sub won't be the nasty old one-"
"Shut up! Tia are you like, serious?"
"Oh my god! Who is it going to be? I swear if it is somebody older than Mr. Carduva than I will throw up, my
eyes just can't take that kind of torture anymore--"
I rolled my eyes. I tuned out of their conversation. Those girls were just too self-orientated.
I fumbled with the lock on a locker. It opened up to reveal a guy's locker. Posters of fast cars and a poster
of a 1900's dinosaur movie.
"That's my locker that you just opened Eva." I froze as a familiar male voice confronted me.
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