Sinful (WICKED #2) | ✓

prologue

ELEANORA MARTINEZ KNEW HER surname tasted like blood between the principal's teeth, a sharp reminder of her brother and parents all the same. Being a legacy kid at most schools was a good thing, but here at St Joseph's Institute for Troubled Children, the place where only the worst of the worst were sent to, it only meant trouble. It didn't help that her brother was here either, the both of them sitting in the principal's office like children about to be scolded. He had insisted to bring her so he could see her off and her mother had hugged her at the entrance, after having made her promise not to burn the school down.

Both her parents had attended, and ruled, this school once, but she knew her mother was only reminded of her father when she stood in front of the prison-like building. She too missed him, but this was no time to let grief course through her veins, so instead she focussed back on the principal. He was a burly man, with a full moustache and thick eyebrows knit in a frown. Honestly, she actually missed seeing Clarkson, the loud vice-principal had at least been funny in his bitterness.

The principal cleared his throat then, eyes wandering from her to her brother. "Sebastian, I hadn't expected to see you here."

"You know I missed this place too much to not come back," Sebastian grinned, leaning his arm across the chair and spreading his legs," I had a great time here, so I'm sure my sister will too."

"That's what I'm worried about," the principal sighed, shaking his head," I actually was hesitating about accepting you in St Joseph after your family's... reputation. But Bas convinced me that the whole purpose of St Joseph is allowing each student to come here, no matter who they are."

"Bas?" Ella frowned.

"Excuse me, I meant vice-principal Clarkson," the principal corrected himself," you have to thank him if you see him."

"The man adored me," Sebastian smiled at Ella," we bickered fondly almost every day."

"I don't remember anything fond about me scolding you, Sebastian."

They turned towards the door, where Clarkson was standing, in a fluorescent yellow tracksuit and with his dark hair messy as always. Despite being somewhere in his forties and the fact that he was the tallest, most muscular Korean man she had ever seen, he looked quite young, were it not for his stern expression. He closed the door behind him, heading towards the principal and nodding at them.

"Sorry for being late," he said," Farrow jumped on my back halfway through my walk here because he said he missed me."

"These criminals always bother you so much, Bas," the principal said with a solemn shake of his head," how you deal with it is beyond me."

"I mean, you were voted most likeable teacher several years in a row, Clarkson," Sebastian said," I'd choose to bother you as well."

Clarkson's scowl softened immediately, a faint blush coloring his cheeks as he looked at Sebastian. "I was?" He cleared his throat, composing himself immediately. "I mean, why are you all voting to begin with when you should be studying instead?"

"I see the conversation is going off-track again," the principal interrupted," I just wanted to call you all here so I could tell you personally to behave, miss Martinez. I know you have a tendency not to do so, but I'm trying to reform St Joseph as the new principal and have no time for whatever trouble you will cause. My current students are a handful already." He turned to Clarkson. "Will you keep a close eye on her, Bas?"

"Sure," Clarkson nodded, slowly pointing two fingers at his own eyes and then at hers.

"Take good care of my little sister, will you?" Sebastian said as he got to his feet," I'll be counting on you, Clarkson."