Georgetown Academy, Book One

Chapter Three

Tuesday, 3:58pm.

When Evan Harnett heard her name, she snapped to attention. Hunter McKnight, the student body president, was conducting the weekly after-school student government meeting, and he was staring straight at Evan, his blue eyes meeting hers. Evan tried not to drool, but it was kind of impossible.

“Evan,” he repeated, “what do you think? Are there enough checks and balances within the school demerit system or should we create an oversight committee?”

“More regulation is not the answer!” Katie Levine, the wavy-haired tennis phenom and eleventh-grade treasurer, piped up from the back of the room.

“Duly noted, Katie,” Hunter said, diplomatically, “But I’m asking Evan.”

All eyes were on her. Evan, still as tiny as she was back in eighth grade, straightened in her chair to give herself a few extra inches and pushed a strand of thin brown hair that had escaped from her ever-present ponytail behind her ear, a nervous habit of hers. She was the student government liaison for the G.A. newspaper, privy to meetings so she could report on them. It wasn’t standard protocol for Hunter to bring her into the conversation, though he had been doing it more and more recently.

“I think an oversight committee would hold everyone accountable. The system isn’t fair to the students as it stands, right now with teachers arbitrarily picking and choosing which what violations they want to hand demerits out for. ” She bit her lip after she said it, nervous that perhaps she had over-stepped in some way. Evan was a bit of a pathological worrier.

Hunter nodded, clearly agreeing, and Evan was instantly elated, though she tried to hide it behind what she hoped was a nonchalant smile. It was weird how in these student government meetings, Hunter treated her like a total equal, someone whose opinion he sought out and trusted. But the moment they stepped out of this claustrophobic room, it was back to reality. Hunter hailed from one of the most wealthy and powerful families in D.C., and he was already paving his own way in the city, serving as a junior member of a few different charity boards. He was even spearheading the annual Follow the Stars fundraiser next week. The newly elected president had just appointed his father to Attorney General, but everyone at G.A., including Evan, agreed Hunter would probably surpass his father and actually be the one with the cabinet someday.

Meanwhile, Evan remained just Evan, scholarship student and daughter of one of the few sets of parents at G.A. who weren’t involved in politics. Her father was a cultural anthropology professor at GW and her mother ran an early education non-profit. Not that Hunter ignored Evan outside of class or anything. He wasn’t snobby like that, and in fact, always made a point to say hello. But Evan, nervous about disrupting the established social hierarchy at G.A., never felt comfortable enough to engage him with more than a wave when they were out in the hallways, especially if he was walking with Ellie.

“All right, then, that’s all for today,” Hunter said to the group. “I think we should draft a letter to the headmaster next meeting. And in the meantime, we need to hold a special election for tenth-grade secretary. I got word that Daphne Negrin’s not coming back.” Everyone immediately stood up, splintering into side groups to discuss who would make the best candidates. Evan spotted Hunter heading for the door and she quickly walked to the trashcan, pretending to throw away a piece of paper, but more importantly, putting herself in Hunter’s path.

She had timed it perfectly, and he stopped for a moment when he reached her, giving her a conspiratorial smile.

“I’m sorry if I put you on the spot, Evan.” He leaned in closer and Evan inhaled the sweet scent that defined Hunter to her, a healthy combination of fresh laundry, pine needles and Polo by Ralph Lauren. In fact, though she would admit it to no one, whenever Evan found herself in a department store, she would mosey past the Ralph Lauren counter so the overzealous salesperson could spritz it on her as she walked by and she could get a mini-Hunter fix.