Braxton Academy

Chapter 29

NAOMI'S POV:

I stepped out of the shower, making sure to spend a few final moments in cold water to numb the stinging. At least I was given my punishment immediately after school, that way I'll have this evening and all night to heal before I have class in the morning. Tomorrow was Friday, which usually I'd be cheerful, but being grounded meant that this was going to be a very long weekend. 

Looking in the mirror, I brushed some stray hairs from the sides of my cheeks and tried to form an opinion of how I looked...but I wasn't sure. My mom always told me how pretty I was, but she's a biased party so her opinion doesn't matter. Nor does Mr. Davis'. Jasper told me I was beautiful, I guess his is the only one I have to go off of. But even still, I feel like there is something off-putting about the way I look. I've never been made fun of for my appearance...well, actually I've never been made fun of period. I was someone who had a few close friends, did extra circulars but focused more on myself rather than trying to make friends with everyone else. I've never cared much about the tribes formed in high school. Why am I even thinking about this now?

Pulling my robe from the hanger, I slipped into it and tied it tightly around my waist, already considering the lightest pair of pajama bottoms I have. If I had been told nine months ago that I'd be subjected to harsh corporal punishments, I would have invested in silk pants rather than the plush, fury ones I owned. 

The few wet strands of hair around my face was beginning to bother me, it's as if it were piling on pressure to my already red and overheated skin. That was something I didn't need right now, so I brushed it quickly and tied it in a pony tail, confident that I have no intention of doing it before school tomorrow. My stomach was rumbling loudly, causing an unsettling disturbance that distracted my attention from anything else, so I was eager to get downstairs and see what was for dinner. 

Mr. Davis seemed to have settled down, but I know his stern Administrator attitude can awaken at any moment. That's what made him so hard to read. 

"Are you hungry?" Mr. Davis asked, the tone in his voice more neutral than it was before. 

"Yeah, what's for dinner?" I moved to the kitchen counter, resting my weight against it. 

"Chicken salad, you can put your own toppings on it." He said, handing me a plate with a bed of lettuce and some chicken cubes on it. 

Everything was spread out on the counter in their own little dishes; olives, peppers, onions, French fries, carrots, cheese, and a variety of dressings. The smell of the garlic chicken on my plate was so mouthwatering that I almost bypassed everything he had spread out. 

"Okay, thank you." I said quietly as I began shoveling toppings on my plate so quickly that I wasn't really even sure what I was grabbing.

The minute I sat down, I immediately began stuffing my face with as much as I could fit on my fork. Half of my plate was gone before Mr. Davis even took his seat. 

"You were really hungry, huh?" He smiled. 

I nodded because I refused to let my mouth go a minute without food. 

"I guess I won't ask any questions until you've finished." He mumbled to himself, causing a small muffled laugh from me. 

That didn't take long at all, I was finished within a matter of minutes. Mr. Davis offered me seconds, but I fear I ate too quickly that everything was now sitting like a rock in my stomach. If I ate any more, I'm sure I would throw up. 

"Are we going back to the Academy anytime soon?" I began since I didn't want to excuse myself from the dinner table.

He nodded, finishing chewing. "Yes, we're going to spend next week or two there, so we'll more than likely leave on Sunday."