Saints and Sinners (Saint Jude Hall Book One)

Prologue

Two Years Ago

He was nervous.

I could see the emotion from my sitting position on his bed. It was as clear as day in the way his slender fingers shook as he grasped the cream coloured card that he was silently reading in his head.

It was definitely from them. Everything was handwritten, including the looping cursive of my brother's name and address on the front of the discarded envelope I was currently fiddling with. They had even enclosed it with a dollop of red and gold wax, stamped with the academy's signet of a raven holding a snake in its talons. I found myself wondering how they had managed to give the raven's feathers such detail despite how delicate and small the stamp must have been, when Noah let slip a whimper of pain which I could only assume meant bad news.

He hadn't gotten in and my heart sunk right down to the soles of my feet like an anchor rooting me in place with that single sound.

I went to open my mouth, knowing that whatever words of encouragement and comfort I was going to spew were going to be as useful as a fucking chocolate teapot right now.

This had been his dream.

Attending Saint Jude Hall, Academy of the Arts, was all my brother had wanted since going to one of those Future Fairs High Schools tend to host for juniors to help them decide their upcoming career paths. It only took one glance at that fancy leaflet for Noah to fall in love with the place.

And now, he would have to let that dream go.

I extended up my hand, resting it on his slim shoulder bone. He barely reached six foot, but he still was a head taller than me. Due to his build being on the skinnier side of lean every movement he made seemed elegant and graceful. From sweeping up the autumn leaves on the driveway, to making his famous blueberry pancakes with the smiley faces in the morning, Noah had always reminded me of a butterfly. That was probably why he was so ethereal to watch when he danced.

You don't know what you're missing out on Saint Jude.

"I'm so sorry Noah. That school is probably full of pretentious assholes anyway. You know, you might even end up liking Denver more. Plus-"

"I got in." His astonished whisper cuts me off mid soothing speech.

He got in.

HE GOT IN.

He expelled a breathy laugh of disbelief followed by full blown hoots and I joined in as we jumped up and down in utter amazement.

He was going to be the first Whitehall to attend college in God knows how many years, and I couldn't be happier

Noah suddenly wrapped his lanky arms around me, enveloping me in a tight embrace and I breathed in the heady scent of the same cologne he had been wearing for the past three years. It was a Dior one I'd splurged out on one Christmas and Noah has yet to get sick of the smell.

"I knew you could do it! I didn't mean that shit about Denver being better. Denver probably sucks ass." My words are mumbled against Noah's chest and he lets me go, a huge ear-splitting smile plastered on his face. I could even see a misty shine to his familiar dark brown eyes, and it made me want to hug my big brother again.