Dragon Fire Academy 1 First Term an RH academy romance - Rachel Jonas Page 0,14

my mouth. “Are you freaking kidding me right now? There’s no way you’re this rude to strangers by default.”

Although, it shouldn’t have been hard to believe, seeing the way he’d treated the girl who only asked for a picture. Never in a million years would I imagine someone behaving this way toward me. Not because of who my mother was, but just because it was unheard of to treat someone so terribly without cause.

“We’ve got something to take care of,” Ori continued, ignoring my comment. “Think you can manage to stay out of trouble until we get back?”

Ugh! Who the heck wants you to come back?

“Just do like I said and keep your nose clean,” Ori reiterated, making it clear he wasn’t interested in rectifying the ugly first impression he’d just made.

“I can take care of myself, and I don’t need you here,” I announced.

“Good, because we’re not interested in bailing you out of trouble,” Ori said gruffly.

This meeting had certainly taken a turn. Taking a few steps away from our area, I decided I didn’t have to respond to him, or put up with being treated this way. Not by anyone.

He stared down his nose at me, like I was small. Like I was nothing. A flashback hit me, one that brought with it the negative emotions from the ostracism I’d experienced after my friendship with Blythe ended. I hadn’t been a victim in nearly two years, and I wouldn’t dare let these oafs take me there again. I’d been fooled by their pleasing exteriors, but they were totally ugly on the inside.

My lips pulled back into a smile, and then a quiet laugh slipped out. One I was certain made me appear unstable.

“When you get done jerking each other off, or whatever it is you’re so pressed to do when you leave here, why don’t you four just do the world a favor and go straight to hell.”

My grin widened, mostly because it felt so freakin’ good to finally tell a bully how I felt. Maybe being here was going to be good for me.

As I walked away, I turned to face the guys again, noting how each stood with his arms locked tightly across his chest. It was then, as I stared at their straight, unamused expressions that I decided to take a note from my brother’s book—lifting both my middle fingers into the air as a parting gift.

With one encounter, these four had nearly turned a perfectly good day into one I’d rather forget. But I refused to let that happen. My stint at Dragon Fire Academy was the start of a new chapter in my life, and only I had the power to write it. They tried to kill my vibe, but it wasn’t theirs to kill.

Ano-luana, dickheads.

Chapter Five

Noelle

“There’s nothing quite like the feel of cheap polyester against your skin in the morning.” Toni’s expression reminded me of the face my sister used to make when Mom told her she couldn’t leave the table until finishing her vegetables.

Trying not to nerd out with excitement, I surveyed myself in the mirror, staring at Toni and I in matching uniforms. I’d dreamed of this day for so many months, long before being invited to tryouts. While most dreaded having to wear these green, plaid skirts, the black blazers with green insignia, I could hardly contain my excitement.

“Ugh. These things are gonna be the death of me,” Toni grumbled, tugging her knee-high, white sock back into place. “I don’t get why we need uniforms anyway. I mean, it all feels a bit high school to me. We’re adults for Pete’s sake. Why hasn’t someone protested this?” she rambled.

“Once the day gets going, you won’t even think about the outfit,” I told her with a nudge to her elbow.

A death stare came my way and I couldn’t hold in my laugh.

“Maybe if it wasn’t blazing hot outside,” she complained.

“It’s not that bad.” Running a brush through my hair, I could feel her glaring again.

“Please,” she countered. “I’ll be sweating harder than a killer on trial.”

She cracked a smile when I laughed, slipping my headband on.

“Well, at least you’re not a zombie this morning like me. I hardly slept last night,” I shared.

“Why? Too excited?” Toni teased, rolling her eyes.

“I am excited,” I assured her, “but that wasn’t it. This strange dream kept cycling on repeat. I was alone off campus, somewhere in the middle of the rainforest, and there was like … whispering. Everywhere. Only, every time I turned