Freeze (The Jewel Project #4)

6.1|| The Slip

Jessie couldn’t take it anymore. The clock on the wall seemed to be ticking away hours instead of seconds, moving so slow. They had to leave. They would be late. They would miss their plane. School was unbearable, and if it wasn’t for Jimmy’s insistence that they still attended, she wouldn’t be touching it with a stick.

Stupid, you need your education! Who knew how long this agency thing would last anyway. Or if she’d even get to graduate. Yeah, good job at calming yourself down.

Ten minutes. Ten tiny minutes and she would leave, meet up with Jimmy and Billy and head for the airport and to France, finally after Sam and Tom. Thank God she didn’t have any parents to lie to, because coming up with something had been hell for Jimmy. Finally, the headmaster had jumped to their aid and presented them with an academic cover that placed them in France.

Maxi had been hopping happy to hear about it, but stupidly asked no questions beyond the official letter. She and Freider had grumbled about Sam and Tom not being home to get congratulated and choosing to go out with their other accepted colleagues. Harry had been the cover who confirmed they were there.

Jerry had faked another college conference and Kyle actually counted on his parents’ blatant blindness and claimed to just be busy with school but still be home. Harry would help with providing his cover by breaking into the house and messing up his room and consume random food from the fridge.

It still grated Jessie how Maxi and Freider could be so overbearing and careless at the same time. They were both a bunch of nosy Nancies when it came to their sons’ relationships, but when any of them randomly disappeared, they didn’t bat an eyelash. One reason she wanted out of that house was to get away from that madness. And she just had nine minutes left to go.

Something sticky landed in her hair. She brushed it off and a slimy paper ball landed on the floor. Fighting the impulse to wipe her hand on her jeans, she turned around. Three girls giggled in the back while two assholes high fived as if they’d accomplished the most admirable feat, not just spat a paper ball at someone. Gah, she was in absolutely no mood to be pathetically bullied.

“What’s wrong Stefani? Missing your bodyguards?” one of the girls hissed.

Jessie rolled her eyes at her and turned back to the front of the class. She didn’t even know the girl’s name and didn’t want to find out. Just a few more--

“Jessica?”

Jessie jerked to attention and looked at the teacher. Crap, what class was this again? European cultures. The class was already sniggering at her failure to answer the question, she the one with the perfect scores. Shit, shit, shit.

“Hugo Capet,” she blurted out.

Everyone fell silent, even the teacher who stared at her with wide eyes. Crap, she’d totally gotten the answer wrong.

“Well, yes, Hugo Capet is part of the line, but I was thinking a bit more… recent. Who can tell me something about Filip the second?”

Jessie leaned back in his seat and zoned out. At least she’d gotten the country right. Weird that it would be France.

“Not so smart now, are you,” one of the giggling girls hissed from behind.

“If only I cared about your opinion,” Jessie mumbled to herself.

“Just ignore them,” Lisa whispered from Jessie’s right. “They’re like this with me too, thinking that if we’re brainy we’re pushovers.”

“I know. Thanks, Lisa.”

Lisa smiled weakly, but it slid off her face too fast. “How’s Sam?”