Con Academy Read Online Free PDF Page B

direction. “Male students are not permitted in the female dorms.”
    â€œYes, ma’am,” I say. “I was just helping clean up, and I’ll leave.”
    The matron looks at the mess on the floor, obviously created by Brandt, and I can feel her trying to decide whether to ask any more questions. Then, with a pinched-mouth grimace, she nods. “See that you do.”
    After she leaves, I look back at Andrea. She’s bent over, gathering up the broken pieces of her instrument. I get down on my hands and knees to help her, but she pushes me away.
    â€œJust leave it,” she says in a toneless voice. Her hair’s hanging in her face so I can’t see her expression. “Go. Get out of here. Leave me alone.”
    â€œHe’s the one,” I say. “It has to be him.”
    She stops and looks up at me, and I see that her eyes are red. “What?”
    â€œThat jerk. He’s our mark.”
    â€œYou’re kidding, right?”
    â€œUm . . . no?”
    â€œThat’s Brandt Rush.” Andrea sits up, then slumps back against the wall with her chin on her knees, looking hopeless. “Don’t tell me you haven’t heard of him.”
    â€œShould I have?”
    â€œAs in, Rush’s?”
    â€œWhat, you mean the retail empire?” I shrug. “So what? It doesn’t give him an excuse to act like a total jerk.”
    â€œWill . . .” Andrea just shakes her head. “You still don’t get it, do you?”
    â€œI’m new here, remember?”
    â€œForget it.” She stands up. “It doesn’t matter,” she says. “Go. Now.”
    I get to my feet and head toward the door, brushing the shards of wood from the knees of my jeans, then stop and look back. “Who were those guys that you sent to my room, anyway? The ones who were supposed to be Melville and the security guard?”
    â€œJust a couple of friends from town.” Andrea’s still looking down at the remaining pieces of her cello. “They owed me a favor. Why does it matter?”
    â€œSo as far as the administration knows, I’m still a student here?”
    â€œYes,” she says, “but I already told you—”
    I hold up my hand, stopping her. “Andrea?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œGame on.”
    And I close the door before she has a chance to answer.

Six
    W HEN I GET BACK TO MY ROOM, THERE’S A NEATLY wrapped bundle sitting outside my door. I pick it up and peel back the tape, peering down at a perfectly folded blazer and dress pants, white shirt, and tie. My uniform has arrived.
    I carry it inside along with my backpack. The room is still a mess from last night’s hurried departure—my bed is unmade and the half-finished orientation paperwork is scattered across the floor. It feels strange to be back after crawling out the window in the middle of the night, but I’m already starting to get used to the idea of being a student here.
    I sit on the bed and take a second to get my thoughts in order. From here, one of two things is going to happen. Either Andrea will rise to the challenge—which was really her idea anyway—or she’ll rat me out to the administration for real, in which case I’ll have no choice but to leave for good. But I really don’t think that’s going to happen, because Andrea knows she can’t do that without getting herself in trouble. Besides, I saw the look on her face when Brandt smashed her cello.
    She wants payback.
    While I’m sitting there contemplating the situation, I get a text message from Andrea117 on my phone.
    Â 
Meet me after English Lit outside the arts center.
    Â 
    I read the text twice before deleting it and making sure it’s gone for good. The message means she’s either in or at least interested enough to talk through the details. Grabbing my towel, I head down the hall for a shower, mindful of my