Averi walked into the grand foyer, adjusting the strap of her heavy backpack.
Brennan Chavez was leaning against the marble pillar near the front doors. He was spinning a silver key fob around his index finger. He wore a tailored navy blazer and a perfectly practiced, gentle smile.
"Morning, Averi," Brennan said smoothly. "Grandfather's orders. We have to 'bond.' I'm your chauffeur today."
Averi didn't argue. She nodded meekly and followed him out the massive front doors.
A sleek, black Rolls Royce Phantom sat in the driveway. Brennan opened the passenger door for her. Averi climbed in, her cheap sneakers sinking into the lambswool floor mats.
As Brennan steered the massive car onto the streets of Manhattan, he glanced at her.
"So," Brennan said, his tone casual but his eyes sharp. "Tell me about Ohio. Must have been tough growing up out there."
Averi stared out the window. "It was okay. Lots of corn. My grandma liked to knit."
She kept her answers painfully dull, using short, ungrammatical sentences. She played the idiot perfectly. Brennan probed for twenty minutes, trying to find a crack in her story, but hit a solid brick wall of manufactured stupidity.
The Rolls Royce pulled up to the wrought-iron gates of the Manhattan Elite Academy.
It was a sea of designer uniforms, luxury cars, and generational wealth.
Averi pushed the heavy car door open. She stepped onto the sidewalk. Her oversized brown sweater and scuffed sneakers made her look like a stain on a priceless painting.
Dozens of eyes immediately snapped toward her. Whispers erupted like a sudden gust of wind.
Brennan rolled down the passenger window. He leaned over, his gentle smile widening into something cruel.
"Have a wonderful first day, Averi!" Brennan shouted, making sure his voice carried over the courtyard.
He rolled the window up and drove away, leaving her completely exposed to the wolves.
Averi ignored the burning stares. She kept her head down and walked straight into the main academic building.
She found her locker in the crowded hallway. She reached out to spin the combination dial.
A hand slammed flat against the metal door, right next to her face.
Averi didn't flinch. She slowly turned her head.
Tinsley Vance stood there. She was the undisputed queen of the school, wearing a custom-tailored blazer and a sneer that mirrored Holt's. Two girls stood right behind her, acting as her shadow.
"You're the charity case," Tinsley said loudly. The hallway went quiet. Everyone was watching. "You smell like a literal dumpster. Are you sure you're not lost?"
Averi stared at Tinsley's perfectly manicured nails pressing against the locker. She didn't say a word. She just stepped back, intending to walk around them.
Tinsley's eyes flashed with fury at being ignored.
She grabbed the large iced coffee from her friend's hand and hurled the dark liquid straight at Averi's chest.
Averi's reflexes fired. She shifted her weight and slid a half-step backward.
The coffee splashed violently against the metal locker door, raining down onto the floor. Not a single drop touched Averi's sweater.
Tinsley gasped, her face turning red.
Averi didn't even blink. She turned and walked down the hall toward her first class.
At noon, the cafeteria was deafening. Averi skipped lunch. She walked into the girls' bathroom on the second floor. It was empty.
She walked over to the sink and turned on the water.
The sound of the heavy bathroom door locking echoed off the tile walls.
Averi looked up into the mirror.
Tinsley stood by the door, her hand still on the deadbolt. Her two friends flanked her. They blocked the only exit.
Tinsley rolled up the sleeves of her blazer. She marched toward Averi, her face twisted in ugly rage.
"You think you can embarrass me?" Tinsley shrieked. "I'm going to teach you exactly where you belong, you piece of trash."
Tinsley raised her right hand high, aiming a vicious slap directly at Averi's face.
The pathetic, hunched posture vanished from Averi's body.
Her eyes turned into chips of black ice.
Averi's left hand shot up like a striking snake. She caught Tinsley's wrist mid-air. Her fingers clamped down on the bone with the crushing force of a steel vice.
Tinsley's eyes bulged. A piercing scream ripped from her throat as the bones in her wrist ground together.
Averi didn't hesitate. She pivoted on her left foot, driving her right leg forward in a brutal, sweeping arc.
Her shin slammed into the back of Tinsley's knees.
Tinsley's legs flew out from under her. She crashed hard onto the unforgiving ceramic tile floor. The breath exploded from her lungs in a violent gasp.
The two friends screamed and lunged forward.
Averi dropped Tinsley's wrist. She spun, using the momentum to deliver a flawless, lightning-fast roundhouse kick. Her heel connected squarely with the first girl's stomach. The girl folded in half and flew backward, crashing into the metal stall door.
The second girl froze in terror.
Averi grabbed her by the lapels of her expensive blazer. She lifted her onto her toes and slammed her backward against the mirrors above the sinks.
The heavy glass shuddered violently, threatening to shatter.
Averi pinned the girl there, her forearm pressing against the girl's collarbone, cutting off her air.
Ten seconds. The fight was over.
The bathroom was filled with the sound of wheezing and quiet sobbing.
Averi released the girl against the mirror. She stepped over Tinsley, who was curled in a fetal position on the wet floor, clutching her wrist.
Averi crouched down. She grabbed a fistful of Tinsley's blonde hair and yanked her head back.
"Listen to me very carefully," Averi whispered. Her voice was dead calm, devoid of any emotion. "If you dare come near me again, I'll break your arm. Do you understand?"
Tinsley stared into Averi's eyes. She saw pure, unfiltered violence. Tinsley sobbed hysterically, nodding her head as fast as she could.
Averi let go of her hair. She stood up.
She walked over to the sink, turned on the water, and washed her hands. She pulled a paper towel from the dispenser, dried her fingers, and tossed it perfectly into the trash can.
She unlocked the bathroom door and walked out into the hallway. The shrill lunch bell shrieked through the halls at that exact moment, its harsh sound perfectly covering the last of the whimpers from inside and sending the few lingering students scattering toward their next class. Her face returning to a mask of dull indifference.
