The Tracker Hive Academy Year One - Avery Song Page 0,22
She smiled and hugged me. "Bath time."
"You're right, Shadow Jade. Let's go bathe," I concluded and looked at Bianca. "Anything else I need to know about this school? I think I got the rest of the welcoming vibe I'll receive."
Bianca frowned but didn't push on my comment. "You should be good. Your uniform is laid out on your bed to try on. You have to wear your blazer for your first day, but other than that and mandatory assemblies, it's not a requirement."
I nodded. "All right. Anything else?"
"Bullying is tolerated," she replied.
"Cool," I replied, beginning to make my way to the door with Shadow Jade, who stopped. I turned to her, noticing her confused look.
"Can bully?" She blinked.
Now that she mentioned it, I registered what Bianca had announced.
"What did you say?"
"Bullying is tolerated," she repeated.
"Is? As in I.S.? I can bully people?" Now that was something you didn’t every day.
"Tracker Hive is about learning to defend yourself. I'm not saying professors won't interfere in certain things, but there's a level limit to how bad someone can bully another."
"Ah." I bobbed my head while Shadow Jade walked around me to rest her head on my shoulder.
"Kill. Kill. Kill," she began to sing.
Bianca gave her a sheepish smile. "Killing is over the bully limit, Shadow Jade."
"Oh," she replied. "Bully. Bully. Bully." She changed the word from her Kill song to Bully, but kept the same eerie tone and melody of her song.
"That's appealing," I replied. "Is there a reason aside from the self-defense angle? I feel anyone can learn how to take care of themselves without getting picked on."
"This school isn't for the faint hearted. You know the dark sides of a Tracker's role. If these students can't survive a few dirty tactics, they'll die on their first training assignment. It's necessary."
"I wasn't complaining." My amusement surrounding this new development had me smiling from ear to ear. "No problems with that at all."
"Jade," Bianca warned.
"What?"
"I know that look."
"What look?" I blinked innocently, but Shadow Jade began to giggle.
"The 'I'm about to wreck shit up in this school' look. Do not cause trouble on the first day." She had a stern look on her face.
"Dad gave me seventy-two hours."
"I give you twenty-four."
"Make it twelve." I laughed when she actually appeared upset. "All right, all right. I'll be an immaculate student and avoid committing a single sin on my first day of school. Are you going to take pictures of me for Dad? You know he's going to make it into some huge portrait and hang it up."
"I'll make sure I take pictures. As long as you don't go all gothic on the makeup."
"A perfect black eyeshadow look does not make me gothic," I voiced.
"A pop of color, Jade." Her tone was giving me the 'no excuses' vibe.
"I'll find the perfect nude lipstick."
"Fine," she agreed. "And wear stockings."
"Why?"
"Your legs are distracting," she noted. “Don’t want to be hit on.”
"My legs were minding their own business when I was born into the world."
"You don't want attention."
"You’re underestimating me again." I turned around to wink at her. "I LOVE attention. Especially from the opposite sex. Makes me want to—"
"Kill!" Shadow Jade interrupted.
"Sure," I replied. "At least I'd have the perfect alibi in court as to why I ended up cutting the victim’s cock off."
"This is going to go horribly wrong," Bianca whined.
"Good," I giggled. "Maybe it'll make whoever suggested this in the first place regret thinking I'd be a good candidate. Tracker Hive Academy, here I come," I sang.
This is going to be a joyous time of chaos.
6
Tracker Hive Academy
"Jade Masters. If you can sit here for a moment while we review your paperwork."
I nodded, still trying to stay awake.
Who in heaven's name almighty decided that school should start at seven in the morning? Why? What are we possibly learning that is valuable enough to be drilled into our heads at this time?
Even my Shadow was asleep, only proving my point of how unnecessary this was. I'd have to do this for the next four years? This definitely wasn't in the fine print of the agreement.
Glancing down at my plaid skirt, I stared at the red and navy blue design, attempting to count how many white lines were placed horizontally and vertically.
I’d gotten my wish for a special uniform, because mine was the only one with red integrated with it. Bianca had been down for it in the beginning but worried it would create another target on my head.