Betrayed ✔️

Chapter 13: "Naive Buffoon"

I huffed and rolled my eyes. Pain flared up in my abdomen near where I got stabbed, but I forced to keep my countenance casual. "Dude, I was brought in by Aliana at nineteen. I don't really know or care about the inner workings of the place."

"But- but it's the Academy!" Carter spluttered.

"So what if I haven't heard of the Academy!" I mocked his tone. "What is it?"

"The-the place where if you work hard, you can get a bright future! It boasts an impressive architectural landscape with a rich and beautiful history–"

"You sound like such an advert."

"I do not!" He huffed, crossing his arms like a petulant child. "To answer your question, the Academy is a place where future Agents and Analysts from all branches of the Agency go to train. Usually, it's only kids who have familial ties to the Agency."

"So what's the point of it?" I asked, giving a one shouldered shrug, pressing my wound gently. "Sounds pretty nepotistic to be honest."

A furious blush rose up his neck and coloured his cheeks and ears. His eyes widened, a vein throbbed dangerously on his forehead. "Nepotistic?"

"Yeah that's what I said."

"The Academy is not nepotistic!"

"Yeah, yeah whatever. It's a pretty lame name as well."

"It is not lame!"

"Relax," I chuckled, raising my palms in surrender. "I'm just kidding. So, you were saying, in your second year..."

"Right, well. So, my friend was really nervous about taking his end of year exam. Like, hyperventilating, anxiety attack, blood pressure through the roof, kind of nervous. His grandmother had passed away and he had no time to prepare for the exam."

"This better be a good secret, Carter."

"I am getting there," he snapped. "So anyways, I made a really stupid decision. I said that I would take the exam for him as my own exam was later in the day."

"What happened then?"

Carter chuckled incredulously and pulled out into the road. "We didn't get caught, surprisingly. He passed with flying colours, and the teachers were so surprised. I remember Emma saying–" he broke off suddenly and briefly squeezed his eyes shut. "Ah, I'm sorry."

A familiar ache ballooned in my chest at the mention of my ex best friend.

Do you understand how irritating it is to respect the person beneath you?

The words carried more sting now that I had time to think about it after the imminent danger had passed. I took that feeling and squeezed it into a tight, small ball and shoved it deep down inside of me, locking it up with the others. That was a problem for another day.

"So, what is the point of the Academy exactly?" My tone was light-hearted and casual.

"Well, the Agency is too esteemed to just pick up any strays from the street- ah." Carter was too eager to change the topic. "But, uh, I guess not all strays are bad." He glanced at me.

A second olive branch extended towards me- a chance to strike a temporary friendship with the irritating Special Agent.

"And I guess the Academy doesn't sound too bad either." I accepted the offering. "I mean, I suppose it's a way to reduce the number of traitors. Which didn't really work out like we hoped, right?"

"I still can't believe Emma would do something like this." Carter shook his head. "I wonder what happened to make her turn sides like this."

"Well when she attacked me and unleashed a whole villain monologue- which, by the way, was way more painful than being punched and stabbed- she was jealous? Apparently she was some sort of prodigy?"