of perfectly green lawns and old brick buildings covered in ivy. Students drifted across the grounds in expensive uniforms, t

he main entrance, not even bo

late. And do not embarrass the Sterlin

d men. A group of girls standing near the entrance stopped talking and stared at me as I passed. I c

History, the teacher, Mr.

a Ster

a few rows ahead of me.

Ster

lat voice from the ot

paused, looking at his

w a girl with blonde hair and a cruel smile lean over t

d, my voice b

the coldness radiating from him across the room. They hadn't wanted me

er even heard of. In calculus, I stared at the whiteboard, a mess of symbols and equations that looked like a foreign languag

ed so hard for this, for me to have this education. And I

e library, trying to decipher my c

I went straight to my room, my failure a heavy weight

to find no one there. But on the floor was a sleek, silver tablet,

ers, it read: DON'T

, but I knew who

re, tutoring programs, and digital versions of all my textboo

him in the hallway. I clut

voice small. "Tha

alking. He didn'

old as ever. He disappeared into his r

act of damage control. He wasn't helping me. He was protecting the Sterling name from the sha