Adler | The Aces of St.Sinclair BOOK 1.

Obscure | A EIGHTEEN

"Yes."

I stared. He stared back.

"No, seriously? That's it?"

"Is there a problem?"

"Yes."

"Enlighten me."

"Coeus is supposed to serve the purpose of training and broadening members minds as skills as a group course. To bring something of common interest and develop together."

"Isn't that what we're doing right now?"

"No, you're just playing around."

"Which is exactly the point," he retorted. "It's what this room is designed for, isn't? Recreation. Call it mental exercise and stimuli but that's just trying to sound sophisticated. Politics, war, crime- everything the world prioritises is just mucking about. It's a game and all you can do is try to enjoy it as much as you possibly can."

I stood to my feet, slinging my bag back onto my shoulder.

"What are you doing?"

"Leaving. I'm not in the mood to listen to one of your creepy ideology lectures." I informed him and turned on my heels.

"You leave this room then I'll be obliged to write you up and it'll be sent to the headmaster's office."

I instantly sealed my footholds, swerving my head back to him as he restrained a smile at getting a reaction.

"You probably wouldn't be removed but I don't think my nan would be too thrilled to hear about Coeus having a problematic member after the scandal that she just managed to crawl through with minimal cuts."

He prompted for my next move with a smug look and in that moment, I did my best to hide my relief. I'd panicked for a second there that he'd known about my deal with Ms. Shepherds, but it appeared that despite being family, she held no desire to aid her grandson in his reign of terror. Knowing I was basically forced into this, he'd use that to have me wrapped around his finger.

I feigned a show of annoyance and huffed back to my seat. "Scrabble." I uttered.

I would say that if I didn't have an undying love for academics, I'd take up acting. I considered myself fairly good at it but against Garren's inhuman sharpness, I was worried he'd sense I was hiding something. Until a gigantic triumphant grin spread on his lips. He'd perked up tremendously to the point his eyes twinkled with livelihood but the spark was shaded over before I could savour it when he fixed them on the attendant. "Are you deaf or something?" He hissed. "She said she wants Scrabble. Get to it!"

The first expression I'd seen on the silent assist was panic as he dove through the boards, searching for the Scrabble set. Garren turned back to me beaming.

After choosing between three different editions, the attendant didn't dally in disappearing and leaving me to play the unwilling participant to the boy's childish misconduct.

"I called your line," he started as we assembled our pieces. "It didn't go through. Why?"

"I threw it out," I replied and didn't miss him momently pause. "Not much point in using something that's reserved for just Aces."

I looked him straight in the eyes, not out of boldness but to see if there was any flicker of emotions. "Liar."

"Excuse me?"

"You think for a second I'll believe you chucked out something you got yourself so hot and bothered over the price?"

He was right. I couldn't, so I resorted to switch it off and stored it in an old shoebox. "I could've sold it."