Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

tight smile. She picked up the stake and handed it to me.
    I was certain I was going to throw up. Wasn't there some other newbie she could torture? I glanced around and caught a few sympathetic looks, but everyone else just seemed relieved it wasn't them about to get squashed.
    "Very wel. Watch and learn, people. Skil Four. Come at me, Miss Mercer."
    I just stood there staring at her.
    She pursed her lips in irritation, and then, without warning, her hand shot out to grab me. But I was ready this time, and angry and hurt. Without thinking, I puled my leg up and thrust it out.
    Hard.
    I saw my sneaker-clad foot slam into her chest as if that foot belonged to someone else. It couldn't possibly have been mine.
    I'd never kicked anyone in my life; I certainly wouldn't kick a teacher.
    But I had. I had kicked the Vandy in the chest, and she went sprawling onto the blue mat, not far from the very spot where I had sprawled earlier.
    I heard the other students draw in a colective breath. I mean, realy. Al fifty of them seemed to gasp at the same time.
    It was right about then that the enormity of what I'd done hit me.
    I knelt down and offered her my hand. "Oh my God! I . . . I didn't mean . . ."
    She threw off my hand and got to her feet, nostrils flaring. I was so very, very screwed.
    "Miss Mercer," she said, breathing heavily, making me think of a bul, "is there any reason you can think of that I shouldn't give you detention for the next month?"
    My mouth moved, but nothing came out.
    Then, like a godsend, I remembered Elodie's advice. "I like your tattoos!" I blurted out.
    I only thought the class had gasped before. Now the sound they made was like the air escaping from a baloon.
    The Vandy tilted her head at me and narrowed her tiny eyes. "You what?"
    "I . . . I like your tattoos. Your ink. Your, um, tats. They're realy cool."

    I'd never seen anyone have an aneurysm before, but I was afraid that was exactly what the Vandy was about to do. Frantic, I looked out at the crowd of students until I met Elodie's eyes. She was grinning, and I realized that I had just made a truly horrible mistake.
    "I hope you weren't planning on having any free time here at Hecate, Miss Mercer," the Vandy sneered. "Detention. Celar duty.
    Rest of the semester."
    The semester? I shook my head. Who had ever heard of detention that lasted eighteen weeks? That was insane! And celar duty? What was that?
    "Oh, come on," I heard someone say, and I looked up to see Archer glaring at the Vandy. "She didn't know, okay? She wasn't raised like us."
    The Vandy shoved a lock of hair off her forehead. "Realy, Mr. Cross? So you think Miss Mercer's punishment is unfair?"
    He didn't answer, but she nodded as though he had. "Fine.
    Share it, then."
    Elodie squawked, and I took some satisfaction in that.
    "Now, both of you get out of my gym and report to Mrs.
    Casnoff," the Vandy said, rubbing her chest.
    Archer was out the door almost before the words left the Vandy's mouth, but I was stil feeling a little stunned, not to mention hurt. I limped toward the exit, ignoring Elodie and Chaston's glares.

    Archer was already way ahead of me and walking so fast that I could hardly catch up.
    "You like her 'ink'?" he al but snarled when I was finaly next to him. "Like she doesn't have enough reasons to hate you."
    "I'm sorry, but are you pissed at me? Me? I'm the one who had your knee practicaly crushing my spine, buddy, so let's check the attitude."
    He stopped so suddenly that I actualy walked three steps past him and had to turn around.
    "If the Vandy had puled that maneuver, you'd be at the infirmary right now. Sorry for trying to save your ass. Again."
    "I don't need anyone saving my ass," I shot back, my face hot.
    "Right," he drawled before walking toward the house. But then something he'd said struck me.
    "What do you mean she has enough reasons to hate me?"
    He clearly wasn't going to stop walking, so I had to jog to catch up.
    "Your dad's the one who gave her those