The Academy (Part 2 of the Syndicate Series)

Chapter 5- Forte

Rosine:

The girls left me alone for the rest of breakfast. They didn't need to feel bad, I wasn't upset at them, but realizing that there were a bunch of unrequited feelings for my best friend was taking a lot of thought. I didn't even entirely know what the feelings were, but it wasn't just friendship. If I couldn't break out of here soon, I might never get to tell him.

I think their offer to show me around after breakfast was really an effort to take my mind off of my worry and sudden realization. They didn't know I was thrown into an arranged marriage, but they knew I was sent here against my will, and I hadn't been able to warn any of my friends.

The first place they took me was a classroom for english- I had pretty much finished up that course on my own already, but it was good to know in case I needed a little help. The teacher was sitting at his desk and he merely gave us a look before returning to his work.

I couldn't help shivering as they took me down another hallway, the air conditioning was cranked way up, "So if my courses were online before all of this, how do they usually let students finish their work?"

"Here, everything turns into more of a correspondence course. The front office prints and relays all of your assignments to whatever institution you're studying from, that way they can monitor your progress. They don't really care how quickly it gets done, they just like to be able to promote the scores and everything," Nyoka rolled her eyes in obvious disregard for the system.

I didn't really like it either, but I could adapt, and I could probably use the process of turning things in with the office to stall for time. Phoenix was now leading us towards another wing of the building, and I was staring cryptically at the hand drawn map they had made me, trying to keep track of where we were headed. I thought she would take us to the rooms for history and liberal arts since that seemed to be what she loved, but the rooms we were suddenly passing were labs and science rooms.

"Phoenix, what do you study?"

"Science. Bio mostly now."

Her short answers didn't give me much to work with, so I tried to keep up a conversation. "Oh cool. Is history sort of a hobby, then?"

She shrugged, ducking her head down so that I couldn't see her expression. Daitan spoke up, "She's being modest. Phoenix already has a bachelor's degree in history, actually."

"Wait, how old are you?" I almost stopped walking, because I had thought that Phoenix was younger than I was.

"Just turned seventeen," She mumbled towards the floor.

So I was right. She was younger than I was, and she was already working on a second degree in an entirely different field.

"We weren't kidding about this nerd," Nyoka seemed to understand my shock and that Phoenix wasn't going to elaborate any more, and gave her a playful punch. "She's our resident genius. She finished high school a few years ago, got an associates in psychology, then her bachelors. We've been placing bets on how long it'll take for her to get her first doctorate."

I was still reeling as the quiet girl in front of me gestured with her arm to the hallway, "This is the science wing. Teachers aren't the nicest, but they don't mind leaving you alone while you work."

"If I have any science questions, I might just go to you," I laughed.

Her head was ducked back down again, but I swear I saw the edge of a smile on her face. Daitan showed us the next doorway that led towards a courtyard.

I did my best to bring my next topic up casually, "Are any of you technology whizes? I heard the wifi and cell reception here are awful, but I was hoping to contact my family."