The Ghost of a Prince

Chapter 22

"The issue is not getting in, is getting the scholarship so I can afford actually going there." Valerie spoke.

"If I were you, I'd be much more worried about the part where they say they need a recommendation letter from the school's principal." Gabriel began, scoffing. Audrey shook her head by his side tapping him lightly in the arm. There was a smile in his face, while Valerie could almost feel the dread crept up on her.

"I need one too, the coach had no problem writing it for me, but I can see how yours will go. 'Miss Valerie Claudia Pendleton is a lovely lady, she is very diligent in doing her schoolwork and calling teachers 'fucking idiot' if the opportunity surges, I'm sure she'd be a valuable addition to your school if you ever need someone who is as willing to do extra credit as they are to punch someone in the face'."

"Stop that." Valerie complained. Heat burned her cheeks as Gabriel laughed.

She was painfully aware of the ringing truth in his words. Valerie simply hadn't considered that such thing would become relevant. Her cousins had told her that the teachers lied about keeping records of everything students did. Of course, they studied in a different country. A factor she had failed to take into account.

It hadn't been as if she was the one instigating facts. On the contrary, she almost always gave more than a few warning words before she began pulling hair or throwing kicks. She wanted to check if there was a record of her "misdoings". If there was, she would have to see if they were registered as "Valerie C. Pendleton pulled a girl's hair today" or as "A girl mocked another girl relentlessly for her haircut. Valerie C. Pendleton saw it befitting to pull her hair. She was punished accordingly."

The best bet she had so far was to hope that Mr. Radcliffe would abide to the good in his heart to write something nice about her. She believed in her heart he was a kind and reasonable man. She could always argue on her reasons, but she had a suspicion that such school would care very little for it and focus on the ball she had thrown to her teacher and the student whose tooth had fallen.

Both incidents entirely the fault of the other party. If the teacher hadn't been staring at her and other girls in the class so weirdly and the boy hadn't insisted on teasing her about her brackets, none of those things would have happened.

"And done." Jonathan rose his voice, lifting the sheets with answers.

"How did I do?" Valerie jumped at the sound of his voice.

"Remember we do this alphabetically." Jonathan rose an eyebrow, amused smile on his lips. Valerie deflated, crossing her arms over her chest and dropping to her bed. "Audrey, you did better than last time in math, you passed this time, although barely, great job, if you keep this up you shouldn't have any trouble in passing it in your GSCE's." He nodded in her direction and Audrey beamed, while Gabriel gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"You have a F in physics, D in chemistry." There was a slight discontent gesture on Audrey's face as she heard Jonathan continue speaking. "B in everything else except for English, you have an A there, now," The mention of the A in English seemed to return Audrey's good mood.

"Valerie, A in everything except in Biology, you have a B there."

"Stupid cells and fungi." she mumbled.

"Right," Jonathan nodded. Valerie saw him out of the corner of her eye and knew that as soon as Gabriel and Audrey left, he would tease her for the answers she had gotten wrong.

Stupid arsehole and his stupid smile she already knew.

"As for you, Gabriel, half were Bs, and half were As." Jonathan finished. Gabriel's face lit up. He was undoubtedly the happiest person in that room.